Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-09-01
en-. Said Dr.. Guthrie, the famous Scotch

ren. Said DR.. Guthrie, the famous Scotch
clergyman. when dying. "Sing me bairn's
hymn" Yes, we will all be children then.
In that hour the world will stand confound-
ed around us. Our friends may cry over
us; tears will not help us. they may look
sad; what we want is radiation in the last
moment, thinking it will help them to die. In
our last moment we want that bread which
came down from Heaven. Who will give
it to us? Oh, we want Christian people in
the room, SO that if our hope begins to
struggle they may say: "Courage, brother!
all is well! Courager' In that expiring
moment | want to hear the old songs that
we used to sing in church and prayer-meet-
ing. In that last moment want to hear
the voice of some Christian friend pleading
that the sins and shortcomings of my life
may be forgiven, and the doors of Heaven
may be opened before my entranced spirit.
"Come sing to me of Heaven,
When Pm about to die;
Sing songs of holy ecstacy,
To watt my soul on high"
Yes; Christian people on either side the.
bed, and Christian people at the foot of the
bed, and Christian people to close my eyes,
and Christian people to carry me out, and
Christian people to look after those whom l
leave behind, and Christian people to re-
member me little while after [ am gone
"Where thou diest, will I die, and there
will be buried"
Sometimes an eptaph covers up more
than it expresses. Walking through Green
wood cemetery have sometimes seen an
inscription which impressed me how hard
the sculptor and friends were trying to
make out u good story in stone. I saw
from the inscription that the man or woman
buried there had died without hope. The
inscription told me the man was member
of Congress, or bank president, or some
prominent citizen, but said nothing about
his SOULS destiny. The body is nothing.
The soul! The soull And here by this in
scription | see that this man was born in
1900 and died in 1875. Seventy-fve years
on earth, and no Christian hope! Oh, if in
all the cemeteries of your city the graves
of those who have gone out of this world
unprepared should sigh On the wind, who
would have the nerve to drive through such
place? If all those who have gone out of
this world unprepared could come back to-
day and float through this air, telling the
story of their discontinue. this audience
would fall fiat on its face, asking to be res
cued from the avalanche of horror.
My hearers, do you wonder that this
Ruth of my text made the Christians
choice and closed it with the ancient form
of imprecation upon her own soul, if she
ever forsooh Naomi ''The Lord do SO to
NE, and more also, if aught but death part
thee and me-" They were to live together.
Come the jackals, come the bandits, roll on
Dead Sea! My hearers, would you not like
to be with your Christian friends forever?
Have there not gone out persons from your
household whom you would like to spend
eternity with? They were mild, and low
ing, and gentle, and beautiful while here.
You have no idea that the joys Of heaven
have made them worse. Choose their
Christ, and you may have their heaven
They went in washed through the blood of
the Lamb, and you must have the same
glorious ablution. With holy violence l
put my hands on you to-day. to push you
on toward the immediate choice of this on
ly Saviour. Have Him you must, or perish
world without end. Elect this moment as
one of contrition and transport. Oh give
one intense, earnest, believing, loving gaze
into the wounds opened for your eternal
salvation!
Some OF you / confront for the fGst and
the last time until the Judgment. and then
we shall meet VIII you be ready?