The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-03-08
SERMON
BY IRVING A. slARLKs.

time OF my departure is at hand. have fought
good fight, have finished my course, have
kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for
me a crown Of righteousness which the Lord,
che righteous Judge, shall give me at that day,
and not to me only but unto al them also that
love his appearing I'D Tim, A: 60.
The peculiar circumstances under which these
words were uttered give them unusual interest.
Paul is a prisoner in Roman dungeon. He ID
an old man. He is under sentence OF death
We like to remember the last time we saw
friend aud treasure up the last words that he
said to US. These are the last utterances OF
the apostle.
1 He tells us that he is prepared for death !:
al am ready to be offered" The sufferings he
had encountered tended to loosen his affection
for this world he had reached condition
when thoughts OF his death caused HIM no
painful forebodings. What terrible punish
ment Is the Russian knout But the condemn
cd feel only the first few blows; these cut to
the bone; long strips OF flesh are brought from
the quvering back; but after the first few
OF pain is gone. Thus one may become 80
calloused to the SORROWS and disappointments
OF life that after a time he shall become we'll
nigh insensible to their power to produce suf-
harder, but it Is Paul, knowing not whether
the stake, the ak or the lions fangs shall be
his portion, declares that he is ready to be
offered.
How important thus to be ready. There has
been some discussion as to whether there shall
be a second probationary state-whether in the
next world the race may have another trial.
The statement OF Gods Word Is that life is the
time to prepare for eternity 1t is silent regard
ing another probation In the world to come. In
the National Gallery OF England is picture OF
Pessens holding up the head Of Medusa, All
persons who looked at that head were immedi-
ately turned into stone. A soldier stands with
dart in his hand in that attitude be first
saw Medusa, and in that posture he must ever
remain, FOR he has become q rock. Here
ansther person crseps along as an assassin
he too is changed into solid stone. Just as they
we're when they looked upon that head, so
must they ever remain. We may make this
strange fancy an Illustration Of one important
trutb-as We are wnen we look upon death, so
must we remain. This Is the safest way to
view the subject. lie. not the hope of a Sec
ond probation hinder you from improving the
present one.
The Apostle did not regard death as terri
bic. The time OF my departure Is at hand"
Death is not annihilaiion, but a departure.
leaving OF this world and entering another just
as II ship leaves one shore and goes to another
port. You read Homer and you find that he
describes departed spirits as living under
ground. They. are without form or beauty.
ThsY are dim, tleety, shadowy outlines OF what
they once were. His material Greece was live
ly, bouyant. happy; his spiritual Greece was
dark, gloomy, forbiding. The spiritual world
OF the Bible is not underground it's inhabitants
are not Invested Of all those surroundings that
make life happy.
By calling death departure, there is the
Implication that we, too, may go and be with
the loved ono that we laid away in the grave.
Hence, IL christian nations we look upon our
dead. as still belonging to u.s. We procure our
buriai lots which we keep sacred for the
dead of our own family. This little enclosure
wa care for. The family in the cemetry we
regard as somehow, part OF the family still
living
Paul here compares life to Battle:"
have fought good fight" This is an apt
figure; the most gifted thinkers and the best
hearts Of al ages have been conscious that life
Is one gigantic struggle. John Stewart Mills
was one OF the best minds OF the present CEN
fury. In youth he was filed with the zeal to
become great reformer. His was the lauda-
ble desire to make the world better: but he
suddenly asked himself the question, whether,
if all the objects for which he was laboring
could be realized would he be happy. Looking
the question square in the face he was com
PEELED to answer mo" He fell into state of
utser detection, which lasted for months. He
would have gone insane had he not found re-
lief hard study. While in this frame OF
mind he wrote: II frequently ask myself il
coeld, or il was bound to go on living, il
lite was to be passed in this manner. gener-
ally answered to myself that did not think
L could possibly bear it beyond year"
Miss Harriet Martneau at fifteen years OF
age found herself growing deaf. A gifted
writer she relates how she looked upon life
then. . gathered myself up for gallant
bress'ing OF ny destiny, and In time reached
the rocks whore l could take firm stand.
felt that here was an enterprise, and the spirit
OF enterprise was reused 10 me, and / made
vow Of patience about this infrmisy, that 1
would smlle in every moment of anguish from
it, aud that / would never lose temper at any
consequences from it, from the losing of public
worship-then the gratest conceivable priva-
tion-to the spelling Of my cap-borders from
the use Of the trumpet, forsaw must arrive