The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-06-19
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of Its cage open the least, and that soul
10 off, Eagles wings could not catch
II. When the soul leaves the body II
takes afty worlds at a bound and have |
no anxiety about itp Have You no anx'
iety about itp / do not care what you
do with my body when the soul IL gone,
or whether you believe In cremation or
inhumation. shall sleep as well In Q
wrapping Of sackcloth as In satin lined
with eagles down. But my soul be.
fore leave this house ! will find out
where II is going TO land. Thank God
for the intimatiOn Of my text, that when
we die Jesus takes us. That answers
all questions for me. What though
there were massive bars between here
and the city Of light, Jesus could re-
move them. What though there were
great Saharaa Of darkness, Jesus could
illumine them; what though ! got wea-
ry0n the way, Christ could lift me on
his Omnip0tent shoulder. What though
there were chaams 10 cross, his hand
could transport me. Then lot Stephens
prayer be my dying lltany, "Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit" II may be In that
hour we will be too feeble to say long
prayer. II may be In that hour we will
not be able TO say the Lords prayer, for
II has seven petitions. Perhaps we may
be too feeble even to say the infant
prayer our mothers taught us, which
John Quincy Adams, 20 years OF age,
said every night
NOW | lay me down 10 sleep,
| pray the Lord my soul 10 koepn
We may be too feeble to employ either
OF these familiar forms; but this prayer
OF Stephen IL 30 short, 80 concise, 80 ear
nest, 80 comprehensive, we surely will
be able TO say that, Lord Jesus, receive
my spirit" Oh, II that prayer IL an.
swered, how sweet II will be to die.
This world Is clever enough TO us. Per-
haps II has treated us better than we
deserve, but, II on the dying pillow
there shall break the light Of that bet
ter world, we shall have no more regret
about leaving this life for the next than
man regrets leaving small dark,
damp house for one large, beautiful,
capaclous house, That dying minister
In Philadelphia some years ago beauti-
fully depicted II whom, In The last mo-
ment, he threw up his hands and cried
out: III move into the lightW
Pass on, now, and | will show you one
more picture, and that is, Stephen
asleep. With q simplicity and pathOs
peculiar TO the Scriptures, the text says
OF Stephen: "He fell asleep" "0h,"
you say, what place that was TO fall
asleep;a hard rock under him, stones
falling down upon him, the blood ilOw-
Ing, the mob bowling. What place TO
sleepW Aud yet my text takes that sym.
Dol OF slumber TO describe his departure,
30 sweet, 80 cOntented, 30 beautiful was
u. Stephen had lived q very labOriOus
life. His chief work had been TO care
for the poor. How many l0aves Of bread
no distributed; how many bare feet he
had aandaled how many beds OF sick
ness and distress he blessed with kind
moss and love, | do not know. But that
is all over now. lo has pressed the cup
TO the last fainting lip. He has taken
the last insult from his enemies. The
last stone TO whose crushing weight no
is susceptible has been hurled. Ste
phen Is dead. The disciples come. They
take him up; they wash the blood from
the wounds; they straighten out the
bruised limbs; they brush back the tan.
Rled hair from the brow; and then pass
around TO look upon the calm counte.
nance OF him who had lived for the
poor and died for the truth. Stephen
asleepl have seen the sea driven with
the hurricane until the tangled foam
caught In the rigging, and wave rising
above wave seemed as II about TO storm
the heavens, and then / have seen the
tempest drop and the waves crouch, and
everything become smooth and burn.
ished, ~ though q camping place for the !
glOries Of heaven. so have seen u |
man whose life has been tossed and
driven coming down at last TO an inan
ite calm, In which there was the hush
OF heavens lullaby, Stephen asleep !
saw such n one. He fought all his days
against poverty and against abuse. His
name was traduced. They ratified at the
dOorknob while he was dying with duns
for debts he could not pay. Yet the
peace OF God bro0ded over his pillow, and
while the world faded heaven dawned;
and the deepening twilight Of earth's
night was only the opening twilight of
heavens morn. Not sigh. Not u strug.
Slt' stephen asleep,
have not the faculty OF telling the
weather. can never tell by the setting
Iun whether there will be drought or
lot ] cannot tell by the blowing of
he wind whether IL VIII be fair weather
II foul Tomorrow, But can prOphesy,
nd viii, what weather II will be with
ou, the Christian, come TO die. You
nay have II very rough now. II may
II this week one annoyance, the next
mother; II may be this year one bereave.
1ent, the next another. Before this
ear has passed you may have TO beg
or bread, or ask for o. scuttle Of coal or
mir OF shoes; but spread your death
ouch amid the leaves Of the forest, or
make II out of the straw OF u paupor's
Iul, the wolf In the Jungle bowling
lose by, or inexorable creditors Jerking
he pillow from under your dying bead,
'hrist Will come In and darkness will
70 out And though there may be no
land to close your dying eyes, and no
reast on which TO rest your diving
lend, and no candle 10 lift the night,
he od0rs Of Gods hanging garden will
egale your soul and at your bedside
viii halt the chariots OF The king, No
nOre rents TO pay, no more agony be.
ause Hour has gone up; no more strug.
10 with the world, the flesh and the
evil but peace-long deep, eyerlast. I
ng peace Stephen asleepl
ASLEEP IN Jesus blessed ,lfop,
From which none ever Whkc 10 weep,
calm hnd Unlistufbrd rcp0lc
uhhrokoh by tho Inst Offices,
"Ascpp In icgus far from thpo
Inv AIulrpu al d half |