The Russellville Democrat., 1890-07-17

Hero are people who say. VI saw Q Christian brother die, and he tri- umphed." And some one else: nI saw a Christian sister die, and she triumphed." ," Some one else will saw: q saw Chris tian daughter die, and she triumphed. !" Come, all ye who have seen the last moments of Christian, and give tes- timony in this cause on trial Un- cover your heads. put your hand on the old family Bible from which they used to read the promises, and promise in the presence of high Heaven that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. With what you have seen with your own eyes. and from what you have heard with your own ears, is there power in this Cos pei to give calmness and triumph in the last exigency? The response comes from all sides from young, and old, and middle-aged: "We are wit nessesr'
 You see, my friends, have not put before you an abstraction. or chimera, or any thing like guesswork. present you afIldavits of the best men and wom- on, living and dead. Two witnesses in court will establish fact Here are not two witnesses. but thousands of witnesses --on earth millions of witnesses, and in Heaven great multitude of witnesses that no man can number, testifying that there is power in this religion to convert the soul, to give comfort in trouble, and to afford composure in tho last hour. If ten men should como to you when you are sick with appalling sickness, and say they had the same sickness, and took certain medicine, and it cured them, you would probably take it. Now, suppose ten other men should come up and say: We don't be- lieve there is any thing in that medi- cine" Well" 1 say, Have you ever tried it?r ''No, I never tried it, but don't believe there is any thing in it." Of course you discredit their testimony. The sxeptic may como and say: There is no power in your religion" Have you ever tried it?s No, mo-" ''Then avaunt?" Let me take the testimony of the millions of souls that have been converted to God. and comforted in trial, and solaced in the last hour We will take their testimony as they cry: "We arc wit nessesP
 Some time ago Prof. Henry, of Wash ington, discovered a new star, and the tidings sped by submarine telegraph, and all the observatories of Europe were watching for that new star. Oh, nearer, looking out through tke darkness of thy soul to-day, canst thon not sec bright light beaming on thee? "Where?" you say; "where? How car find it?' Look along by the line of the Son of God. Do you not see it trembling with all ten derness and beaming with all hope? It is the Star of Bethlehem.
 Deep horror then my vitals froze,
 Death struck. ceased the tide to stem. When suddenly star arose.
 It was tho star of Bethlehem.
 Oh, nearer, get your eye on it It is easier for you now to become Christians than it is to stay away from Christ and Heaven.
 When Mime. Sontag began her musical career she was hissed off the stage at Vienna by tho friends of her rival, Amelia Steininger, who had already begun to decline through her dis sipation. Years passed on, and one day Mme. Sontag, in her glory, was riding through the streets of Der lin, when she saw little child leading blind woman, and she said: Come here, my little child, come here. Who is that you are leading by the hand?r and the little child replied: That's my mother, that's Amelia Steininger. She used to be a great singer, but she lost her voice, and she cried so much about it that she lost her eyesight." "Giye my love to her." said Mme. Son tag, ''and tell her an old acquaintance will call on her this afternoon" The next week in Berlin a vast assemblage gathered at a benefit for that poor, blind woman, and it was said that Mime. Son tag sang that night as she had never sung before. And she took skilled oculist, who in vain tried to give eyesight to the poor blind woman. Until the day of Amelia Steiningers death, Mime. Sontag took care of her, and her daugh- ter after her. That was what tho queen of song did for her enemy. But, oh, hear a more thrilling story still. Blind immortal, poor and lost, thou who, when the world and Christ were rivals for my heart didst hiss thy Lord away Christ comes now to give thee sight to give thee home, to give thee Heaven. With more than Sontag's generosity He comes now to meet your need. With moro than Sontag's music He comes to plead for thy dc hverance.