Page:The Message and Ministrations of Dewan Bahadur R. Venkata Ratnam, volume 2.djvu/296

 Thy beloved—the cherished, the honoured, the revered! All the prophets and all the saints of the race, all that have toiled faithfully in Thy name here below, all that have loyally wrought Thy will in the strivings and struggles of this world, are there with no infirmities, no decrepitude of age, no failings of the flesh, to mar the increasing life with its ever-expansive hope and ever-deepening joy! How inconceivably vast, how incalculably rich, is that illimitable home, the eternal city, which admits them all as inmates and citizens! We render our thanks unto Thee, who dost reawaken in us, here amidst this dense darkness, a ray of hope, of comfort, of cheer; we render our whole-hearted thanks unto Thee. What rare legacies, what tender mementos, what cherished recollections, what uplifting ideals, what inspiring models and what encouraging guides. Thou dost leave behind with us! Even as Thou art with us, Thou art dear unto each one of us amidst the consoling, comforting, cheering memories of hope and trust inspired