Thomas County cat., 1890-07-24

into the eyes and the face of the dear
one, and say, at is all right; she is bet
ter off; I would not call her back. Lord,
l thank Thee that Thou hast comforted
my poor heart"
Again: I remark that we are wit
nesses of the fact that religion has power
to give cOmpOsure in the last moment.
never shall forget the first time 1 con
fronted death. We went across the corn
fields in the country. 1 was led by my
fathers hand, and we came to the farm
house where the bereavement had come
and we saw the crowd of wagons and
carriages; but there was one carriage
that especially attracted my boyish at
tention, and it had black plumes. l said:
What's that? What's that? Why.
those black tassels on the top?" and
after it was explained to me, 1 was
lifted up to look upon the bright face
of an aged Christian woman, who three
days before had departed in triumph;
the whole scene made an impression 1
never forgot.
In our sermons and IN our lay ex-
hortations We are very apt, when we
want to bring il as.russ-0s of dying
triumph, to 60 bseb - some distin-
guished persona st. John Knox or a
Harriet Newell BIT -snt. you for
witnesses. IwaEi to s::ew if you have
ever seen anything 10 make you believe
that the religion of Chr,s; can give COM
pOsure in the final hour. Now, in the
courts, attorney, jury and judge will
never admit mere liearsay. They de-
mand that the witnesses must have
seen with his own eyes, or heard with
his own ears, and so am critical in my
examinations of you now, and want to
know whether you have seen or heard
anything that makes you believe that
the religion of Christ gives composure
in the final hour.
20, yes" you say, 81 saw my father
and mother depart. There was great
difference in their death beds. Stand
ing by the one we felt more veneratiOn.
BY the other, there was more tender
ness" Before the one you bowed per-
haps in awe. In the other case you felt
as if you would like to go along with
her. How did they feel in that last
hour? How did they seem to act :?
Were they very much frightened? Did
they take hold of this world with both
hands as though they did not want to
give it up? 30, no." you say; mo, l
remember as though it were yesterday;
she had kind word for us all. and
there were a few mementoes distrib-
uted among the children, and then she
told us how kind we must be to our
father in his loneliness, and then she
kissed us good-by and went to sleep as
calmly as child in a.cradle.,,
What made her so composed !?
Natural courage? NO., you say,
mother was very nervous; when the
carriage inclined to the side of the road
she would cry out; she was always
rather weakly" What, then, gave her
composure Was it because she did
not care much for you, and the pang of
parting was not great? "Oh," you say,
''she showered upon us a wealth af-
fection; no mother ever loved her chill
dren more than mother loved us; she
showed it by the way she nursed us
when We were sick, and she toiled for
us until her strength gave out" What,
then, was it that gave her composure in
the last hour? Do not hide it, be frank
and leS me know. "Oh," you say, ut
was because she was good; she made
the Lord her portion, and she had faith
that she would go straight to glory,
ard that we should all meet her at last
at the foot of the throne"
Here are people who say, II saw
Christian brother die, and he tri
nmphed." And some one else, Il saw
Christian sister die, and she tri-
umphed.' / saw Christian daughter
die. and she triumphed." Come, all We
who have seen the last moments of a
Christian, and give testimony in this
cause on trial. Uncover 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 gospel to give calm
ness and triumph in the last exigency?
The response comes from all sides,
from young, and old, and middle aged:
ave are witnesses
You see, my friends, have not put
before you today an abstraction Or
ob;pooro or onvfhiur EEa nuoSc work