The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-08-06
PULPIT UTTERANCES.
THE TlDlNcs OF DEATHS APPROACH.
Or. Taimage's Sermon on tho Departure
from the Cares and Troubles OF
this Earth-Lesson from the
Death OF st. Paul

Death of ST. Paul.
Rev. T. De witt TalmaGe preached Sunday
In the Brooklyn Tabernacle on "Good-by TO
Earth" Following is the text: "For am,now
ready to be offered, and the time OF my dc
parture is at hand."-IL Timothy, H., 8.
The way out Of this world is SO blocked
up with coffin and hearse and undertaker's
spade and screw-driver that the Christian
can hardly think as he ought of the most
cheerful passage in all his history. We
hang black instead Of white over the place
where the good man gets his last victory.
We stand weeping over heap Of chains
which the freed soul has shaken Off, and
we say: "Poor mani What pity 1t was
ne had TO come to thisp Come TO whati
By the time the people have assembled at
the obsequies that man has been three
days SO happy that all the joy Of earth
accumulated would be wretchedness beside
it, and he might better weep over you be-
cause you have to stay than you weep
over him because he has to 60. 1t is a
fortunate thing that good man does not
wait to see his own obsequies; they would
be so discordant with his own experience.
II the lsraelites should 60 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 morbid and
sickly. Paul in my text takes that great
clod OF q word "death" and throws II
away, and speaks of his departures
beautiful, bright, suggestive word, de-
scriptiye Of every Christians release.
Now, departure implies a starting place
and a place Of destination. When Paul
left this world what was the starting
pointS 1t was scene of great physical
distress. II was the Tullianum, the low.
est dungeon Of the Mamertine Prison. The
top dungeon was bad enough, II having no
means Of ingress or egress but through an
opening in the top. Through that the
prisoner was lowered, and through that
camo all the food and light and air re.
ceived. 1t was terrible place, that up
per dungeon; but the Tullianum was the
lower dungeon, and that ii was still more
wretched, the only light and the only air
coming through the roof, and the roof the
door of the upper dungeon. That was
Paul's last earthly residence. 1t was
dungeon just six feet and half high. 1t
was a doleful place. II had the chill Of
long centuries Of dampness. twas filthy
with the long incarcerations Of miserable
wretches. II was there that Paul spent
his last days ON earth.
II some skillful surgeon should go into
that dungeon where Paul is incarcerated
we might find out what are the prospects
Of Paul's living through the rough impris-
onment In the first place, he is an old
man, only two years short of seventy. At
that very time, when he most needs the
warmth and the sunlight and the fresh air,
ho Is shut out from the sun. What are
those scars on his anlxlesS Why, those
were got when he was fast-his feet In the
stocks. Every time he turned the flesh on
his ankles started. What are those scars
on his bnckl You know he was whipped
fve times, each time getting thirty.nine
strokes; one hundred and ninety-fiy We
bruises on the back (count them y made
by the Jews with rods Of elmwood, each
one Of the one hundred and ninety five
strokes bringing the blood. Look at Paul's
face and look at his arms. Where did he
get those bruisesi think II was when he
was struggling ashore amid the shivered
tlmbers OF the shipwreck. see cash in
Psdps side. Where did he get thatS /
think he got that In the tussle with high.
waymen, for he had been In peril OF rob
bers, and he had money OF his own. He
was mechanic 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 thati think part OF that
came from the fact that he was for twenty
four hours on plank in the Mediterranean
Sea, suffering terribly, before he was res.
cued; for he says positively: ~ was a
night and q day in the deep" o, worn.
out, emaciated old man, surely you must
be melancholy. No constitution could en-.
dure this and be cheerful. But press my
way through the prison until come up to
where he is, and by the faint light that
streams through the opening see on his
face a.supernatural joy, and I bow before
him and say: "Aged man, how can you
keep cheerful amid all this gloomfD His
voice startles the darkness Of the place az
he cries out; 81 am now ready TO be of.
fcred, and the time of my departure Is at
hand" Harki what is that shutting OF
feet In the upper dungeoni Why, Paul
has an invitation TO banquet, and he "a
going to dine with the King. Those shut.
ding feet are the feet Of the executioners.
Then they lift him out OF the dungeon,
and they start with him TO the place OF ex.
ecution. They soon get to the place OF
execution-Aqu@ Salvi@-and he Is fast
toned 10 the pillar Of martyrdom. II does
not take any strength TO tie him fast. He
makes no resistance. Oh, Paul, why not
now strike for your lifei You have q
great many friends here. With that with.
cred hand just launch the thunderbolt Of
;he people upon those Infamous soldiers.
No; Paul was not going to interfere with
his own coronation. He was too glad 70
so. see him looking up In the face OF his
executioner, and as the grim official draws
The sword Paul calmly says: ~ am now
ready, and the time Of my departure Is al
hand" But put my hand over my eyes.
want not 10 see that last struggle One