[Editor: This article, a report on a sermon given by the Rev. F. Miller, was published in the “Local” (general news) section in the Hobart Town Advertiser (Hobart Town, Tas.), 1 March 1853. The article refers to the death of Rev. George Otter; however, the report of his death was a mistake (see the links in the “Editor’s notes” section below).]
Instances of mortality.
— The Rev. F. Miller on Sunday evening, at Brisbane-street Chapel, improved the sudden death of the young man, Olinda J. Maddocks, by some observations upon that and other instances of mortality which have recently occurred, founding his sermon on the words in the book of Job. “Are not my days few?” a question which he illustrated by references to various other passages of Holy Writ, and which he said deserved to be pondered by all personally, prayerfully and practically.
It appeared the deceased, Mr. Maddocks, had only returned from Victoria about a fortnight; that he was taken with a fever a few days before his death, which occurred on Thursday, and Mr. Miller followed him to the grave on Saturday. He mentioned a remark made by one of the relatives after his decease, in connection with his recent visit to Victoria, where he had obtained a sum of money, not to a large amount, that he had just brought back enough to pay for his funeral; from which, the reverend gentleman took occasion to advert to the uncertainty of worldly intentions, and the solemnity of the fact that the young man should have come home to die, having first got just money enough to bury himself.
It was not always that those who went from home were permitted by Providence to return to die. Dr. Irwan, formerly connected with Mr. Miller’s church, had died in the bush, having just had time to call at a hut for help.
A Clergyman of the Church of England, the Rev. G. Otter, formerly of Green Ponds, who went to Geelong and thence to the gold-fields, also met with his death under disastrous circumstances; Mr. Otter and his son had left the diggings to return to Geelong, but did not reach home, and neither father nor son were heard of for some time. At length, the remains of a dead body were found in the hollow of a tree, in the bush, but decay had gone so far as to prevent recognition. However, some papers had been found in the pockets, which told the tale and proved the identity of Mr. Otter, the father; last advices had brought no intelligence of the son, who, there was too much reason to fear, had also met with a sad end.
Many other cases of mortality had occurred, by which Mr. Miller said, he firmly believed, the Almighty designed to admonish the people of these Colonies, and especially to arouse the professing Church from its lethargy and worldly-mindedness. Already the Almighty had sent warnings; not long since the influenza had visited almost every family, and though it did not prove fatal in many instances, there was scarcely an individual who had not been attacked.
Now, the Almighty was making visitations of a more fatal character; one and another was being removed by death, and these dispensations were highly admonitory. Both in this and the neighbouring colonies, death was stalking about. In Melbourne, a family formerly residing here, had been deprived of three of its members. Mr. Blackburn, town surveyor of Melbourne, had lost his eldest daughter about 22 years of age, and in the same week, two of her brothers, three in a family, died from the fever in one week. And the young man, Maddocks, had been attacked with fever, and died at a short notice, a few days before he would have been 21 years of age.
GOD spoke to the inhabitants of these lands, and he spoke specially to the members of the visible church by these events; and if they were not heeded, who could tell what means he would next adopt, or what awful judgments he would send upon the people? The young and the aged were alike admonished; let them heed as well as hear. A great majority of deaths was in the case of the young.
“Are not my days few?” Let the graves of the young in our churchyards answer the question. Few persons lived to old age; their congregations told of few advanced in life — their public assemblies, and the crowds in the streets, showed but few comparatively who had passed the meridian of life.
“Are not my days few?” Let the oft tolling bell, the funeral procession, the statistics of mortality, give the reply. And let considerations connected with the facts to which he had adverted lead them all to pray in the well-known language of the psalmist, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Communicated.
Source:
Hobart Town Advertiser (Hobart Town, Tas.), 1 March 1853, p. 2 (column 6)
Also published in:
The Hobarton Guardian: or, True Friend of Tasmania (Hobart Town, Tas.), 2 March 1853, p. 3 (see the section entitled “Instances of mortality”)
Editor’s notes:
Reports on the Rev. George Otter, regarding him being alive, were published in:
1) The Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer (Geelong, Vic.), 20 January 1854, p. 4
2) The Cornwall Chronicle (Launceston, Van Diemen’s Land), 28 January 1854, p. 3
advert = to call, draw, or turn attention to something; to pay attention to something; to refer to something; to take notice of something (also, an abbreviation of “advertisement”)
Almighty = God; God Almighty
Dr. = an abbreviation of “Doctor” (plural: Drs.)
G. Otter = the Rev. George Otter (1803-1884), a Church of England clergyman; he was born in Bolsover (Derbyshire, England) in 1803, came to Australia in 1845, returned to England in the 1850s, and died in Radcliffe-on-Trent (Nottinghamshire, England) in 1884
See: “Rev. George Otter”, Company of Angels
Holy Writ = the Bible, or a passage from the Bible; a book, or piece of writing, regarded as the “Word of God”, or fact; a document considered to be the most authoritative in its field; a writing or utterance originating from an unchallenged authority
oft = (archaic) often
Providence = (usually capitalised) God, or benevolent care from God; care, guidance, or protection as provided by God, or as provided by coincidental circumstances or Nature
thence = from that place or point, from there (therefrom); from that time (thereafter, thenceforth); from that circumstance, fact, reason, or source (therefore); from that source; following that
[Editor: Inserted a comma after “death of the young man”, “which have recently occurred”, and “young man, Maddocks”.]
[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]
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