The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-06-05
: aEEfsce1lmertts.
DEPARTURE,
BoLVING THE RIDDLEoFTHE FU-
: TURE- --THF LEE, sI F'ElEHlNGS
~ AND DEATH OF4 Ulll THE
APQsfnEi IA


by RenT. Dewftt ralnlpge.
-@---
Brooklyn, May % -Talmage preache
his farewell sermon prior to his depart
ure for Europe, to-day in the Tabernacl
to very large congregation. Governo
Colquitt Of Georgia, accompanied by hi
wife, was present. Talmage was in
happy humor, and, after sprinkling
dozen or more babies, made the follow
ing announcements Next Wednesda.
Twill sail for Liverpool by the Cunar'
steamer. I shall be absent three month
takiug my summer vacation in Grea
Britain and surroundings. will be il
my pulpit on the first Sabbath in Sep
tember." The following is his sermon
to-day in full;
sUBJRCT-"DEPARTURE.
TEXT, 2 Tim. iv:6: "The time OF my
departure is at hand"
The way out Of this world is so block
cd up with ccfin and hearse, and under
faker's spade and screw driver, that the
Christian can hardly think as he ought
of the most cheerful passage in all hit
history. We hang black instead of white
over the place where the good man gett
his last victory. We stand weeping Oyer
a heap of chains which the freed soul
has shaken of, and we say; "Poor man
What a pity he had to come to this"
"Come to what" by the time people
have assembled at the obsequies, that
man has been three days 80 happy that
all the Joy of earth would be wretched.
ness beside 1t and he might better weep
over you, because you have to stay, than
You weep over him because he has to 60
It is fortunate thing that good man
does not have to wait to see his own OBJ.
Bequies-they would be 30 discordant
with his own experience. If the Israel
ties should go back to Egypt and mourn
over the brick.kilns they once left, they
would not be any more silly than that
Christian Who should forsake heaven,
and come down and mourn because he
had to leave this world. Our ideas of the
Christians death are not morbid and
Bickly. We look upon it as dark hole
in which man stumbles when his breath
gives out. This whole SUBJECTS odOrous
with Varnish and disinfectants, instead
of being sweet with miguonette. Paul,
in my text, takes that great clod of a
word. "death," and throws it away, and
speaks of his departure" beautiful,
bright, suggestive word, descriptive of
every Christians release.
Now, departure implies starting place
and a place of destination. When Paul
left this world, what was the starting
point2 II was scene of great physical
distress. It was the Tulianum, the low
or dungeon of the Manertine prison.
The top dungeon was bad enough, the
only opening was at the top. Through
that the prisoner was lowered, and re
ceived all his food and light. 1t was a
horrid place. That was Paul's last earthly
home. 1t was there Paul spent his last
days on earth, and it is there | see him
to-day, shivering with cold, waiting for
that old overCoat which he had sent for
up to Troas, and which they had not yet
sent down, though he had written for it..
If some skilful surgeon should go into
that dungeon where Paul is inCarcerated
we might fad out Paul's prospects OF
living through the rough imprisonment.
In the fist place he is an old man, sixty
eight years of age. At that very time,
when Re most needs the warmth and the
Buu light, and the fresh air, he is shut
ont from all. What are those scars on
the ankles? Why, those we're got when
he was fast, his feet in the stocks. Ev
cry time he turned, the flesh on his an
kles started. What are those scars on
his back2 You know he was whipped
Ave times, each time getting thirty-nine
Btrokes-one hundred and ninety FIVE
bruises on the back Count them), made
by the Jews with rods of elm wood each
one of the hundred and ninety-6ve
strokes bringing blood. Look at PauPs
face and arms. Where did he get those
bruises? l think it was when he was
struggling ashore amid the shivered tim
bers of the shipwreCk | see a cash in
Pauls side. Where did he thalH think
he got that in tussle with highwaymen,
for he had been in peril Of robbers, and
had money of his own. He was a me-
chanic as well as an apostle, and think
the tents he made were as good as his
sermons. There is wanness about
Paul's looks. What makes that / think
q part of that came during his trial on
a plank in the Mediterranean Sea, suf.
feFing terribly, before he was rescued;
for be says, positively: II was night
and a day in the deep" 0, worn out,
emaciated old man, surely you must be
melancholy No constitution can en-
dure this and be cheerful; but | press
my way through the prison until come
TO where he is, and by the faint light
that streams through the opening, see
on his face a supernatural joy, and | bow
before him and say, "Aged man, how
can you keep cheerful amid all this
gloom2" His voice startles the darkness
Of the place as be cries out: Il am now
ready to be of, and the time of my de!
partnre is at hand" Harkl what is that
Bhnffling Of feet in the upper dungeoa?
Why, Paul has an invitation to ban
quet, and he is going to dine to. day with
the King. Those shufling feet are the
feet of the execu'ioners. They come and
cry down through the hole in the dun
geon, "Hurry up, old man; come down,
got yourself ready" Why, Paul was
ready. He had nothing to pack up. He
had been ready a good while. l see
him rising up and strengthening out his
Btifsned limbs, and pushing back his
white hair from his creviced forehead,
and see him looking up through the
hole in the roof Of the dungeon into the
iace Of the exeoutioner and hear him
nay, Slam now ready to be offered, and