Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-07-24

THIS aAS9m Olag0 tO-OAv WUO Bt9 no muTo
what they once wors than water lilly is a
nightsh ,de, or o morning lark 10 vulture
or day is night.
Now, il l shouli demand that all those
people here present who have felt the con-
vertiug power OF religion shoull rise, 30
far from being ashamed, they would spring
TO their feet with mo Q ala':rity than they
ever sprang to The dance. the tears mingled
with their exhl.ration as they cried 1--WE
are pitAesses,' Ard il they tried to sing the
old Gospel hymn they would break down
with emotion by tue time they got 10 the
second line:
ASHAMED Of Jesus, that de,r Frienl
On whom my hopes of heaven depend!
No! When blush. be his my shane:
That no more revere His name.
Again l remarl: that I've are witnesses"
OF the Gospels power to copfort. There
are Christian par sn IS here who are willing
TO tes'ssy to the power OF this Gospel to
comfort Yolr son had just, graduated
from school or college and was gong into
bus ness, and the Lord took him. Or your
.ughter h I'd just graduated from the
young ladies' seminary, and you thought
she was going to be II useful woman and OF
long life; but tho LORI took her. and you
were tempted to saw, "Ai this culture OF
twenty years tor nothing" Or the little
child c me home from school wi h the hot
fever tina. stopped not for the agonized
prayer or for the skillful physician, and the
little child was taken. Or the babe was
lifted out OF yolr arms by som, quick ep-
idemic, and you stood wondering why God
ever gave you that child ut I'LL, il 40
soon he was 10 take it away. And
yet you are not repining you ar,
not frttful, you are not fighting against
God. What ha, en- lbled yol to stand all
the trial! ''Oh. yo1 say, II took tn, IN adj
cine that Col gave my sick soul. In my
distress threw m self At the feet Of u
sympathizing Col; and wien I was to,
weak to pray, or to Look up, He breathed
into me a pc ice that think must be the
foretaste Of that heaven where Tiers il
neither II tear, nor a fare well, nor grave"
Come, all We who have been out Of the
grave to weep there-come, all ye comfort
Cd souls get up of your knees. Is there
no p ,wer in this Gospel to sooth the heart!
Is there no power in this religion to quiet
the worst paroxysm OF grief. Their comes
up an answer from comfortei widowhood
anu orphanace AMI ehilllessness. saying,
'Ay, ay, we are wtness.su
" hen man has trouole the world comes
in an says, Now get yoar mind Off this;
go out and breath the fresh air; IluEgs
deeper into busin $50 What pooc advice!
Get your mini Off it! When everything is
upturned with bereavement, ard every.
thing reminds You of what you have lost
Get yo~r mind or II They might as we'll
advise you to stop thinking. You cannot
stop thinking. and you cannot stop. think
Ing in That direction. Take walk in tho
fresh air! Why; along that very street, or
that very road, she onca accomp lniel YOU
Out OF that gras plat she plucked flowers,
or into that show win low she loo iei, fasci-
mated, saying, Gone Sc the pictures"
Go deeper into business! Why, she was
associated with all your business ambition,
and since she has goae you have no mbi.
ton left. Oh, this is a clumsy world
when it tries to comfort a broken heart l
can build IA Corlss's engine, l can paint
Raphael's IN Ilonna"I cIn play q Beet
hoven's "ErJic. Symphol." as e.sily as
this world can comic t u broken heart.
And yet you havs been comfortel How
was 1t done! Did Christ come to you AMI
say, Get your mind Off this; 90 out and
breathe fresh air; plunge deeper into bust
ness" No. There was minute when He
came to you perhaps in the watches of
the night, perh Fps in your place of bust
ness, perhaps along the street-and He
breathed something into your soul that
gave peace rest, infinit, quiet, so that you
could take out ths photograph of the de-
parted one and look into tn, eyes and the
face OF the dear on, anl say, ut is all
right; she is better off; would not call hes
back. LORD. thank thee that thou hast
comforted my poor heart"
Again: 1 remark that we are witnesses
OF the fact tn 1t religion has power to give
composure in the last moment l never
shall forget the first time con fronted
death. We went across the cor fields in
the country. l was led by my flther's
hand, and we came to the farmhouse where
the bereavement had co ne, and we saw, the
crowd OF wagons and .rriages; but there
was one carriage that especially attracted
my boyish attention, ana it had black
plumes. l sad. whats that. what's that9
Why those black tas ,els on tn, topl" and
after 1t was explained TO me, l was lifted
up to look upon the bright facs OF an aged
Christian woman, who three days before
had departed in triumph; the whole scene
made an impress on nev.r forgot.
In our sermons and in our lay exhorta.
lions we are very apt, when we want to
bring Illustrations OF dying triumph, to go
back to some distinguished parsonage
John Knox or Harriet Newell But
want you for witnesses, want to know If
you have ever seen anything to make you
believe That the religion OF Christ can give
composure in the final hour. Now in the
courts. attorney, Jury and Judge will never
admit mere hearsay. They demand that
the witness must have seen with his own
eyes, or heard with his own ears, AMI so
am critical In my examination Of you now;
and want to know whether you have Sc IN
or heard anything that makes you believe
that the religion OF Chris: gives composure
in the final hour.
''Oh. yes" you say. II saw my father
and mother depart There was great DIFF
ference In their death beds. Standing by
the one we felt more veneration. BY the
other, there was more tenderness" Before
tie one, you bowed perhap, in awe. In
the other case you felt as II you would like
to go along with her. How did they feel in
that last houra How did they seem to act,
Wers they very much frighteneda Did
they take hold Of this word with both
hands ~ though they did not want to give
iuupl "Oh. no." you say; mo, remember
% though 1t were yesterday; she had a
kind word for US all, and there were few
mementoes distributed among the children.
and then she told us how kind we must DO