A SPIRITUALIST’S FUNERAL.

Evening Star, Issue 2910, 17 June 1872, Page 3

A SPIRITUALIST’S FUNERAL.

One of the most remarkable ceremonies ever witnessed in Victoria is described in the Pleasant Creek News. The ceremony in question was the funeral of Mr Wakeham, a Spiritualist, who was interred on Sunday last with Spiritualist rites : the procession was—Oddfellows, Progressive Spiritualists, and about 1500 on foot, including tradesmen and miners, also a number of crowded carriages. In all there were from 2,000 to 3,000 persons present. On the coffin being laid on the top of the vault Mr James M‘Lean, president of the Stawell, branch of the Progressive Spiritualists, addressed the assemblage as follows : “ Friends, I think it is a commendable custom that as to funeral ceremonies, the wishes of the departed on whatever subject should, as far as possible, be carried out when those wishes are known. Our departed brother during his last hours of earth life, and whilst perfectly conscious, urgently requested that the friends connected with the religious body to which he belonged- namely, the Progressive Spiritualists —should perform his burial service.” Mr M ‘Lean engaged in prayer, commencing as follows :—“ Come, ye holy spirits who have been purged from the sins and follies of life, come, and by thy sacred presence dispel the shadows that linger around human hearts. Come and say to the mother who has yielded up her own jewel, ‘lt is well with thee—child it is well!’ After singing a hymn commencing with * Death is the fading of a cloud,’ the coffin was lowered into the vault whilst Mr M ‘Lean spoke as follows ‘ Forasmuch as it hath pleased God of his great mercies to call our dear brother from earth life, we therefore commit his material body to the earth, in the sure and certain hope that he still lives.’ A large number of choice flowers were thrown on the coffin, and Mr M'Lean delivered an address, rejoicing that a ‘ spirit was born again.’”