Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-03-06
A Significant Communion Table.

Significant Communion Table.
From sermon by the late Rev. d., Goorgc l..
Putnam
A few years ago Que OF the great
ocean steamers was CLOSING the Atlant-
ic with very large company on board,
and among them many clergymen, and
others eminent in church affairs, who
had been attending the worlds cunyen-
ton at London. A terrible storm arose
and continued long. Thrice on deck, {"
said the captain, 81 thought obstruction
was inevitable; EACH time wave Of
such magnitude Covered the ship that
thought il was all over with us" All
on board expected death hour by hour.
They saw their ship dismantlcd, delug-
cd, and az they believed, breaking To
pieces before the fury OF the elements.
They gave themselves up for lost. 1t
lasted 36 hours; they had time TO think.
The passengers met at night ia their
cabin, -their last night ri lie, as they
believed. They asked such as would to
lead in prayer, and surely not u soul OF
them all Was prayeri,Ss then. They
listened together 10 the solemn aud
composing words Of Scripture, and they
desired, with common consent, II the
storm would spare them long enough,
10 commemorate their savior by the
communion rite which he gave 10 his dis
Ciples. And so they gathered around
the table and paTtOOk together Of the
symbols Of the RedeemeT's body and
blood. They all felt cOuiorted by the
blessed ordinance, and many a bosom,
before tossed with fear, was now tran
quill through ialth. "Oh, II was
night, says the dcscriber, Ia night
and a communion long to be remember
cd" They separated aud went IN ami-
ly groups or alone To dir.
How was It that they could all at
down together Ia observe the ordinance,
as Il they were IL que iOld. knowing no
differences TIA shore and In safety
they would not have done 1t. The
Baptist would not sit down with the
COngregatiOnalists the High church
man would not take the sacrament
from any but a priest eplsCOpally or-
daiued. the TTInitariAn could not join
the Unitarian in that sacred observance.
ca shore they could not, but they
could there. And Why Because on
shore. ia all the lair weather theology
would be opinions. But
there, in the face OF death, mere opIn-
iOus and intellectual distinctions van
ished from thought, and IA that great
aud solemn eXigenCy something diyiner
than opinion ruse up, even iaith, AMI
faith is but one. and II made them one.
Il Vas no time Tor the uuibb1,s Ui Cuti-
cism, or the drawing OF artificial lines,
or the setting up Of speculative tests, or
the assuming Ol doctrinal superiority.
Ii was n time for the religious emotions
10 come into play. unlncumbcrcd with
opinion; and those are the same IN all
men. They found, for the time, that
there Was but one faith.
Death Beds Of Christians.
To many good man the bed OF death
has been the couch OF lie. The spirit
contrasted itself with the dying body,
that ii might more emphatically assert
the power Of the endless life. TN such
a couch rested Bishop Haven. Groups
gathered around it, TO muse over the
transition from death unto life. at Is
80 pleasant, 50 beautiful, 50 delightful
dying" said the living bishop. The
angels are here. God lifts me up 50 in
his arms, cannot see the river OF death
There is no river. IL Is all light am
floating away from earth gp into heav-
en-. | am gliding away into God.
Good night, said an old friend, a. be
turned away. Good night was the
reply, but when We meet again II viii
b. good morning" And 50 was fulfilled
the Sorl OF the prophet, at evening
time il shall DE hight There was
no night about that couch. Tor
the light II Immortality hal touched It.
That resurrection 70 the blessed lie re-
calls another bel 81 death, which also
vas couch Of liz II was land IN In
dia. aud he who r'sted on It WIS
SchNarx. the venerable apostle oi three
score and twelve years. Ills life was
gliding away 50 gently that tlp chest
seemed not tO rise aud fall. Even the
delicate touch OF love could discern no
pulse. Thinking him dead the TSnirl
pupils began chanting their version Of
the teachers iayorite hymn:
OS,cre,l heal. now wounded
With grigi AMI shame weighed down
o sacrod hrow. surrounded
With thcrus, thiat only cJowU'
singing through the eight lines Of the
first stanza. they paused, a. II in doubt
whether the second might not I've
PRAYER for the dead instead u invocs-
ton Tor the living suddenly irum the
diving man came tue words. at which
they had paused, in ALLOW but clean
chant:
On me. - thou art dying
%. tnrn ny pitytng eye
To thce, inr merry Cying.
Rci1rc thy crussIh II
Thine. thine the bittcr paS,On,
Toy pain ., all Cor me.
Nine nine The dfsp tran S;cg~SiCn,
Ny sins are AZ on ;hce'
The stanza ended, the voice ceased to be
heard by the Tanicl pupils. But angels
heard il change from the cry Of suppl
cation 10 the shout Of praise 30 Him
whom he had served Tor eight and forty
wears - Io,dhs' Cosiloat0sa.
The sAhbssh 0ue~tion-
We have no disposition TO deny that
grave difficulties surround the subject
az sunday observance. east and vest
difficulties beyond question enhanced
by the presence in any city OF State OF
, :. ,...-,.,,,ts.,, "a usrSDns horn and