The Forrest City times., 1890-02-22


 ing sores. No health in us And thon take tho fact that Christ gathered up all the notes against us and paid them, and then offcrcd us the receip&
 And how much we no5l him iu our GOT. rowsl We arc independent of circum- stances if we have his graco. Why, be made Paul sing in tho dungeon, and under that grace St John fr3m dcsolatc pAtnoa heard the blast Of the spocalvptic trum- pets. Alter uli other candles have been snuffed out, this :s tho light that gcts brighter and brighton unto the perfect day and after, under the hard hoofs Of calam. ity, all tho pools Of worldly enioyments have been trampled into deep mirc, Ut tho foot of tho eternal rock tho Christian, from cups of granite lily Trimmed and vine covered, puts out the thirst Of his soul
 Again, remark, that Christ Is above all in dying a.leviatious.
 1 have not any sympathy with tho nor bidity abroad about our domise Tho em- peror of Constantiuople arranged that on the day of his coronation the stone mason should como and consult him about tho tombstone that after n while he would need. And there are men who arc mono maniacal o,. .he subject of departure from this life by dcath and tho moro they think of 1t the less they arc prepared to go. This is an unmanliness not worthy of you, not worthy of me.
 Saladin, tho greatcst conqueror of his day, while dying, ordered that tho tunic he had on him be carried after his death on his spear at the head of his army, and that then the soldier, ever and anon, should stop and say: "Behold all that is loft of Sal. adin, tho emperor and conquerorl Of all the states he conqtlered, of all the wealth he accumulated, nothing did he retain but this shroudn 1 have no sympathy with such behavior, or such absurd demonstra- tion, or with much that we hear uttered in regard to departure from this life to the next There is commonscnsicai idel on this subject that you and mood to consider that thero arc only two styles Of depart ure
 A thousand feet underground, by light of torch toiling in a miners shaft q ledge of rock may fall upon us, and We my die miners death. Far out ut sea, falling from the slippery ratlinss and broken on the hal yards, we may die sailors death Ou mission of mercy in hospital amid broken bones and reeking leprosies and raging levers, we may die philanthroplsts death. On the field of battle, serving God and our country, slugs through the heart, the gun
 
 patriots death. But after all, thare arc only two styles of departure--th death of the righteous ant tha death of tn, wicked and WIG all want to die the former.
 God grant that wasu that hour comes you may be home You want the haud of your kindred in your hand You want your children to surround you You want the light on your pillow from eves that have long reflected your love. You want the room still You do not want any curi- ous strangers standing around watching you. You want your kindred from afar to hear your last prayer. l think that Is the wish of all of us. But is that alll Can earthly friends hold us up whom the pillows of death come up to the cirlle, Can hu- man voice charm open heavens gatei Can human hand piiotus throu rh the narrows ot death into heavens harbor! Can any earth. ly friendship shield us from ths arrows of death, and in tho hour when Satan shall practice upon us his informal archeryi No, no no, mol Alas Poor soul, if that is all Better die in the wilderness, far from tree shadow and from fountain, aioue, vulturcs circiing through the air waiting for body, unknown to men, and to havo no burial if only Christ could say through the solitudes: "l will never leave thee, 1 will never for sake thee" From ttit pillow of stone n ladder would soar heaveuward, angels com ing and going; and across tho solitude and the barrenness would come the sweet notes of heavenly minstrelsy.
 What did the dying Janewag say ! II can as easily die as close my eyes or turn my head in sieop Befora few hours have passed shall stand on Mount Zion with the one hundred and forty and four thousand and with tho just man maia perfect, and we shall ascribe ricacs, and honor, and glory, and mslestA and domin- ion unto God and tho Lamb.n Dr. Taylor, condemned to burn as tho stake, on his way thither broke away from the guards men and went bounding and leap ing and jumping toward the tire, glad to 20 to Jesus and to die for him Sir Charles Hare, in last moment, had such raptgrous vision that ho cried; "Upw .rd, upward, upwardin And so great was tho peace Of one of Chrisfs issiples that he put his fingers upon the pulse iu his wrist and counted it and observei it, and so great was his placidity that after while he said: ''Stoppedf' r and his life had onded hero to begin in heaven. But grander than that was tho testimony of the worn out first missionary, when, in the Mamartne dungeon, he cried II am now ready to be offered, and the time Of my departure is at hand; I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, l have kept tha faith; hence forth there is laid up for ma a crown Of whch the Lord, the right. eous Judge, will give me in t.,at day. and not to mo only but to all them that lovo his appcaring.i Do you not see that Christ is above all in dS tug alleviationsl
 Toward the last hour Of our earthly rest. dence we are spec iay, When 1 sec tho sunsct isay, "Jna day less to live" Whoa sec the spring. bio ssoms scattered, l say, Another season goaa forever N When 1 close this Biblc on Sabbath night l say, Another Sabbath departed, v When 1 bury friend. 1 say Another earthly at traction gone forever" What ninlble feet the years havel The rosbucks and the run not 80 fast From dacads to decade, from sky to sky, they gc at a bound. Thcre Is a place for us whether marked or not where you and 1 wil sleep tue last sleep and the men are now lvins who will, with solemn tread, carry us to our resting place Ay, it is known In heaven whether our deptrtara witi be a coronation or Il banishmsn.
 Brighter than n banluatins nall through which the light feet of ths dlncars so up
  and down to tho sound of trumpeters will be tho sepalcher through waoss rift, tha holy light ot heaven streamsth. Gol wilt watch you. He will sepl h;s angeis to guard your slumbering ground, until, at Christs behcsL they shalt roll away tho stone
 So, also, Christ is above all in heaven Tn Bible distinctly says that Christ Is tho chlef theme of the celestial ascriptlon, all the thrones facing his throne. ali the palms waved before his faee, all th, crowns down at his feoL Cherub.m to cherubim, seraphim tp ssraphlm, rades smsi spirit to redeemed spirit saaii resits tho Savior's earthly sacrifice,
 Stand or some high hill Of heaven, aud In all tho radiant swasp tha moss glorious object will bs Jesus Myrlads gazing on tho scars Of his suffering in silence frat, aftcrward breaSing forth into exclamation. Tho martyrs. all the purer for ths dame through which they passed. will say, ilis IA josus, for whom we died" Tha apostles, all tho happier for the shipwreck and. t,ie sconrging through which they went wilt say; "Fnis is the Jesus whom pftsai .hei ,it f.,rtuft, an.f ,.t f,.,..a..t.