The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-05-18

those who minister in holy things, admonlshlng
them of the need of ntenser zeal and more earnest
effort for the salvation of men.
Time, says Vincent, seems to stand now behind
the minister in the pulpit saying with hoarse
voice. Work while it is called to-day; at night L
will NOW thee down.
Then he comes and stands in the pulpit at the
side Of the minister and says, DO thou shoot
Gods arrows, ere shoot mine. Then he comes
down out of the pulpit and points to an open grave
before it, and turning to the minister, says:
"Louder thy cry!
To God, TO mani
And now fulfil thy trust:
Here thou must lie,
Mouth stopped, breath gone,
And silent in the dust"
An earnest ministry will make solemn and
thoughtful people.
| IF we who preach have hitherto failed in urgen
cy or in importantly, let us be admonlshed that
| the time is short, and that we must do with our
might what our hands find to do.
Often do we rise In our pulpits to see the seats
lately filled By Cur impenitent hearers vacant, be-
cause the wind has passed over them, and they
are gone, and the places which once knew them
shall know them no more. Every such disappear
| ance is cry to us 10 redouble our dllgence-and
now when we look around and behold how many
have vanished together-now that one awful sweep
of death has made such wide desolation in our
homes and in our sanctuaries, let us with more
urgency than ever plead with men tor God, and
with God for men, and with quckened sense OF
our responsibility, watch for souls as those that
must give account. -
The providence of God has gone before US. Men
of business men in other professions have antlcl
| pated US in warning the people to heed the Lords
cry unto the city: let us press on, and now while
| the hearts of the people are softened with grief
let us strive to imprint on them the image OF the
| Master whom we prsaeh.
6. We learn the vaaity of ANY earthly attain
| ment, or acquisition as portion Of the soul.
| 1t would be instructive could we summon wit
messed from among those rescued from the ruins
of the Court room, Iand obtain their solemn testi-
mony as to their own feelings in reference to these
matters during the fearful hour while they lay SO
near to death as to feel his cold lips touching
| theirs. Was there one, who had not made the SER
vice and glory of God his chief aim in life, then
satisfied with the use he had made of his time and
talents and opportunities; satisfied with the dis
tnction he had won, the gain he had acquired;
satisfied with the pleasures he had enjoyed, as
sufficient result of life long pursuit. Did one;
in looking upon any, or all of the things he had
been pursuing as his chief good, feel assured that
he had lived worthily of his immortal nature. and
that the great ends of creation had been attained
All, could the emotions of those men find but an
Interpreter could their reflections in that awful
| hour obtain expression, what sermon it would
put on record; what testimony would it form
to be submitted TO the impartial Judgment Of others.
My soul has been thrilled as have listened to
some of those confessions, and my own impressions
have been deepened as to the vanity of all that
the world calls good, as portion for the immortal
spirit
1t is related that when the late Mr. Peabody
was lying seemingly unconscious, on his death bed
in London, at the house of his kind friend, Sir Cur
tbs Lampson, and when all direct communication
had been for a tine suspended, it was mentioned
aloud in his presence, in manner and with pur
pose to test bis consciousness that highly valued
friend had called to see him. but he took notice
of the remark Not long after it was stated, in a
tone loud enough for him to hear, that the Queen
| herself had sent special telegram of inquiry and
of sympathy: but even that fails to arouse him.
Once more, at no long interval, it was remarked
that faithful minister of the gospel with whom
| he had once made voyage to America, was at the
door; and his attention was instantly arrested and
at his request the man of God was Immediately
admitted
The moment had come when the friendships Of
earth could no longer soothe him. The highest
honors of the world-the kind attentions of SOW
ereign whom he knew how to respect, admire and
love-could no longer satisfy him-all he cared for
now was the counsel of the ambassador of God.
1t is certainly an instructive thing to observe
that the man who had gained more Of the world
than any other in modern times, as he went out of
it felt that the only things worth living for the
supreme end OF life were "the things that are
above.
Now would not be misunderstood in the slight
est particular, in what | say on this subject Eter
nifty is not made more solemn, or its interests
more important by falsely depreciating the inter
ests of time. Temporal interests have their place
and value. Revelation recognizes us as belonging
to the life that now is, as well as destined to
1.-THE life that is to come" Revelation recognizes
the lawfulness of earthly business of earthly pur
suits and pleasures which are innocent-but oh,
how Revelation exposes the folly and denounces
the guilt of those who become so absorbed even
by what is lawful and innocent of the things
seen and temporal as to neglect the things which
are unseen and eternal" To see man living
for this world alone-no matter what his success 10
carrying off the prizes which most dazzle and en-
chant human regard, is spectacle infinitely sad to
one who can look beyond the present with even a
dim appreciation of the worth of the soul, and of
the value of eternal things.
How strange it would be to see splendid steam
er freighted with costly merchandise propelled by
mighty engines blowing madly through the mid
ocean by day and by night, week after week, yet
bound to no particular port
How strange would it be to see an angel who had
wandered from his native heavens, flying in mid
air-ever flying in awful space-with no destination
whatever
O! more sad than that is the spectacle of one
made but little lower than the angels, endowed
with but little less than angelic capacities forget
ting the end of his creation. peglecting the bust
ness for which God made him, and all the while
dartng down Lte's rapid river to destination
so fearful in its character, that turn away from
the contemplation mute, shudderng with silent
awe.
l. This brings me to speak, in the last place, of
another lesson of this calamty-the blessedness of
conscious preparation. for death and heaven
This was the consciousness OF some who spent
an hour or more beneath the ruin {; some of whom
exchanged that scene of suffering for the peace of
heaven and of others who emerged from it, awhile
longer to walk before the Lord in the land of the
living. They now know. what perhaps they did not
always believe that dying hour is no time for those
calm, rational exercises of repentance, faith and
love which are the essential elements of CONVEX
sion, and they know that what is really dying
hour or at the time believed to be such, is the
time not for preparation, but fer the enjoyment
of the comforts Of a reasonable and holy hope.
We are informed that amid the wall of lamen.
tation and despair which rose from that terrible
pitt there was one note of celestial sweetness
that one voice, clear and melodious was heard ex-
claiming, "Ol death, where is thy sting? o!
grave, where is thy victory?"
1t was as if an angel spoke Was not this-the
10y of that moment-a compensation for all the
tolls and sacrifices and self denials of religious
life?
To one prepared for it. death is the delicate and