Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-05-05
A RrMAnxAntE DEATH. BED
SCENE OF A UNITED STATES

Rev. DR.. Sunderland, in his discours
in the United States Senate chamber, a
the funeral Of Solomon Foot, late United
States Senator from Vermont, gives
mos, affecting account Of the scenes attend
ing the las. illness Of the lamented states
man. No one of any sensibility can reae
the entire relation without shedding tears
and receiving from the description life
long subjects Of vivid memory. We sub
Join some extracts. The Boston TSarele'
rsuarks that "this sermon will take it
place among the standard religious hsera'
,ure of the country" The vision o.
Heaven vouchsafed at the instant Of ex'
piring, is t~hrillingly pictured by the dying
Christian.
On Thursday, the 22d Of March, there
was an evident progress in his spiritua,
experience, and I began now to think thai
his feet were surely planted upon the rock
and his hope was being confirmed. On
alluding to the effect Of faith IN Christ
upon the mind, and quoting to him the
words from the 9th Of Romans, There
fore being justified by faith we have peace
with God, through our Lord Jesus
Christ" he spoke out in answer, as il
carrying forward the conclusion of the
Apostle, by repeating the following mos,
suitable and affecting lines:
Jesus. tho vision Of thy face
Hath overpowering charms,
Ishall not fear deaths cold embrace,
II Christ be in my arms.
Then while ye hear my hcartItrings break
How sweet my minutes roll,
A mortal paloness on my check
Aud glory in my SOUL"
Then, after prayer. in which he again
solemnly dedicated himself to God, |
again took leave of him.
On Tuesday morning, March q, l re-
paired early TO his chamber, arriving
about 9 o'clock, and. with a short time OF
absence, remaining until about the hour OF
6 o'clock in the evening. This was the
las, day with him on earth. As If FORE
warned Of his approaching end, he spent
the whole day in receiving and parting
with his friends, and performing his last
acts Of religious devotion. For several
hours he talked almost necessarily, until
he seemed to have finished his work and
wa ready to depart.
As I approached him in the morning,
there were mons present at the moment
but members Of the family, and I proposed
we should have . season of prayer. "Oh,
yes" he Immediately exclaimed, "that 10
what I want-close the door, think 1t
right-and come then and kneel down and
pray aloud. All kneel down |; all pray
pray that my faith may be strengthened ;
that my heart may be renewed that my
sins may be forgiven through that one
atonement Of Jesus Christ (; that my views
Of i, may be clear; that I may see in it a
suficiency for the sins Of the whole world,
and particularly for my sins, which have
been so many and SO aggravated during a
long life, tina, they may all be cleansed
away and remembered by no man."
About l2 o'clock DR.. Baxter, one OF
his physicians, came in and took him BY
the hand with an emotion which he could
not conceal from the quick notice OF the
dying statesman. As if clearly reading
the thoughts of his friend, while his sor-
row was SO deeply depicted on his u
,enance, he Immediately began to address
him in language Of the most touching
gratitude. and recalled many an affecting
Renaissance Of his past intercourse with
the members Of his family, especially with
his father and himself.
On my again approaching him he com.
menced BY recalling the year and place OF
my birth, and saying that at that time and
in that place he was a youth in his acad-
emic studies preparing for a college course;
when the lady Of the house where he has
for years been during his stay in Wash
ingeon, came into his chamber, he imme-
dia.ely called her by her name, and re-
counted her care for him, and lauded her
with the most affecting assurances Of
thankfulness.
A few moments after. at the request OF
a friend. and when the number present
had somewhat diminished, he repeated for
the third time, and with his hands so
placed together as to emphasize and i'm
press them, the striking and expressive
verses already quoted, and then said.
" Sing them I; I like to hear the voice OF
sacred singing it bears me up as on an.
gels wings" And to a suggestion that
he might be wearied by so many visits, so
much excitement and talking, he said,
mo; it does not hurt me; l rather de-
sire i'll am borne up as on angels wings.
Il is no effort for me to converse or hear
you speaking"
On the renewal Of his wish to have the
singing, we were obliged to change the
words he had repeated for that beautiful
and now familiar hymn. Just as 1 am,
without one plea" etc. As we sang this
he lay as if entranced by it, aud suddenly
perceiving all present in tears, and his
wife sobbing, her head bowed upon her
hand in the grief Of her affection. he said,
looking round on the circle, why these
tears: There is no occasion for weeping.
This is heaven begun below! I am only
going home q little sooner, that is all"
At the conclusion Of the hymn, as if re-
peating the sentiment Of the last stapza, he
said, ~ do trust in my Saviour
A few moments after. when his brother,
DR.. Foot, but two years younger than
who had arrived a few days be-
fore from his home in Canada, and TO
whom in their frst meeting he had ex-
the sams feeling that he should
no, recover now came towards him, but
filled with emotion, immediately turned
away to conceal il, he said to me in an
under tone III God has given it to me
to leave such q name as my family will
not be ashamed to remember, 1t is not q
cause Of pride or boasting, but OF graft
tude to Him only who doeth all things
we'll and IL when I Am gone, they shall
sometimes think Of me, and mention me
as belonging to them. it will prove chat
I have at least studied not to give them
pain"
To Mrs. Browning, q lady friend IN the
house, he said: II am glad to see you,
this morning; these earthly partings are
severe, but there are no tears, no sorrows
in Heaven! There we shall meet, l trust,
ere long,"
When Senator Doolittle approached his
bedside, he Immediately stretched out his
hand and said: dear brother D., you
have been always kind to me-ad dear good
brother Senator-I can never reward you
but you know where your reward lies;
you have longsbeen a professor Of the re-
ligion Of the Gospel. You know what It