COMMITTAL

Q. Poore

Ruth 1: 16, 17 (to “buried”); John 11: 33–36

I was thinking particularly, beloved, of our brother’s committal. We have read of Ruth. I believe that character of committal marked our beloved departed brother, even from an early age—“Do not intreat me to leave thee”. I believe the Lord honoured our brother in his committal, even as a young man. On account of his conscience at the time of the first World War he went before a tribunal so that he should not have to take life, but he was refused his request and had to serve in the army in France. He cast himself daily upon God, that God would preserve him, and he was spared from having to take life. I believe the Lord has honoured our brother’s committal to Christ even from a young age.

Ruth says, “thy God (shall be) my God; where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried”. We are gathered together today for the burial of our dear brother, but it is amongst his own people. What a triumph this is, as our brother has already said, his last day being his brightest.

I refer briefly to John because I believe the secret of such committal lies in the love of Jesus.

The brethren will know there are two words for ‘love’ in John’s gospel, one is the general disposition of love that is towards all of the Lord’s people, but this reference by the Jews here, “Behold how he loved him!”, involves something more intimate, it involves that there is something in the object that calls out that affection. I believe there was something in our brother’s committal that meant much to the Lord. There is the Lord’s affection for us each, but then there is that which is called out. I speak for the encouragement of those of us who remain. We shall feel the loss of our brother locally, but we would trust that something of what marked him may remain with us, a committal in affection, in response to the love of Christ, for His name’s sake.