St. Landry democrat., 1883-03-03

4. However glorious to the Christian
and loyal soul, the discipline OF death
seen near at hand and even in Its SUI
preme moments is to the unrepentant
soul one of fear chiefly. This, although
the beginning OF wisdom, is not the end
Of it. The moral motives, which in
clude. both the fear and the love OF God,
may be presented more powerfully TO
the soul in life than they well can be In
death. The moral opportunities OF a
deathbed are not superior to those OF
health in those who hear the G0spel
during life.
5. There is probation by comparative.
ly near views of the mountain range OF
death and by the thought of what lies
beyond it.
s. There is probation in close ap-
proach to this range.
r. There is probation in leaving the
plain and ascending the slope OF the
range.
8. There is probation in leaving be-
hind, once for all, the affairs OF the
world and the temptations Of the flesh.
8. There is probation in ascending
high enough on the mountain range OF
death to have wide OutlOoks. IN the
breadth and elevation and seriousness
Of which the whole aspect OF life IS
changed. -,
/ am now speaking as if the Bible
| were shut. ] lam defending my central
proposition that mere reason shows that
death may end probation. I need not
prove any more than that to carry my
main point that repentance at this ln-
stantis the dictate OF all practical Wis
dunn. If do not know whether fortress
| in which am placed as commander is to
be attacked tonight or tomorrow mofn
/ ing it avails nothing for a man to come
] and say 81 surmise that the attack may
/ surmise on that side of the case is
worthless. To lean on any guess Of that
sort would be insanity OF the highest
1 sort. But guess on the other side OF
the case, even if it is only a guess, vlll
govern my action. 'sI surmise," So the
Scout tells me, s'that there may be an
attack tonight p Twill be ready in
4 any event. You wish to go to Europe,
/ and do not know whether the steamer
i leaves Wednesday or Thursday. You
/ guess it does not leave till Thursday:
] Does that guess govern your action
You surmise it may leave Wednesday ;
you are readFhW ednesday. [Applause.
i A guess on one side amounts to nothing
on the other side it amounts to every
thing. [Applanse.]
j 10. Most commonly, the SUBMITS OF
mountains of death are yelled In mlsts.
There are, comparatively. few deaths
|, in which the faculties of the soul retain
J their balance and have clear vision to
the very summit Of transition from
/ time to eternity.
Ii. Nevertheless, there isin many aver
! age cases, before consciousness is lost
: marvellous quickening OF conscience
J and memory when. death IS expected
: instantly and by unimpaired faculties.
12. There is probation in arrival al
: the summit of the mountain range OF
: death and in the outlook beyond
: %. What are the experiences OF tht
= fsoul in the supreme moment OF deatf
!, when an outlook beyond its SUNNI
: appears to be vouchsafed to some
, In the most remarkable eXceptiOna
: cases there have been observed in tht
: diving a. a starting up of the body
q {Sl a pointing with the hand ; (S) a lool
: as il at the appearance of a sudden Wis
ion {A a steady, intense, intelligen
g gaze (5) frequent mysterious bright
s ening Of the eyes 90 strange lnmi
| nousness of face; (O sometimes th
: hearing of strange voices ~ some
I times emphatic words. 1t is fact Q
s science that in the dying the eyes ofte
y mysteriously brighten just before the
y glaze.
). Yau dare not look at the holiest fact
! of death. You dare not avert you
= eyes from them These are .veritie
Z that hush the house, because they ar
i verities into which we are all drlftlns
= Death is so great fact that it is th
- / NJ, ctan WI 81 nQrnllffpH I
!, see with certainty in our futures. Nc
= thing else is certain but it is certai
q that every eye here will glaze, ever
- breath, every pulse pause, every forl
- grow cold and turn to dust. Nothing
- - all our future is really certain but OF
q e exit. There is nothing so high in III
=. - as the opportunity it gives OF going q
~ ~ higher there is nothing so much wort
~ living for in life as death. He is TO
. who has not looked through life and Ol
= tanned such a vision of eternity as
:, constitute an inspiration. He rs
a. a. weakling in life who has not Lean
~ ~ forward far enough to get an lnhalat
~ from the other world for Use In this
N ID. It is possible that the peculiar /
n perienees here described may al
No susceptible OF scientific, physioiOs ic
D. or psychological explanation as W no
subjective in origin.
al Is. 1t is perhaps certain that they I
, a thus explicable in many cases.
it's 16. II is improbable, however, tt
ID. they are thus explcable in all cast
u This improbability rests on
'e- u.) The earneastness, reality, a
lat uneXpectedness of tbe emOtl Ons q
fe played by the dying in these high
lily experiences.
to fs.1 The sameness of the experien