The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1890-02-20

n looking glass and hero it Is la the bible
Poor, and wretche1,aud miserable aud blind
and naked from tho crown OF tho heal to the
sole OF the foot, fun of wounds and putrefying
sores. No health in us. And then take the
fact that Christ gathered up ali tho notes
against us and paid them, aud then offered
us the receipt.
And how much we need Him in our sor-
rowsl We are independent Of circumstances
IL we have His grace. why, He made Paul
sing in the dungeon and under that grace
Sc John from desolate Patmos heard tho
blast OF the apocalyptic trumpsts After
all other candles have been snuffed out. this
Is the light that gets brighter aud brighter
unto the perfect day; and after under the
hard hoofs of calamity, all the pools of
worldly enjoyments have been trampled into
deep mire, at tho foot of the etcrnal rock tho
Christian, from cups OF granite lily rimmed
and vine covered puts out the thirst of his
soul
Again, remark, that Christ is above all
In dying alloviations.
l have not any sympathy with the morbid
NY abroad about our demise. Tho Emperor
OF Constantinople arranged that on the day
OF us coronation tho stone mason should
como and consult him about the tombstone
that after while he would need. Aud there
are men who are monomaniacal on tho sub
ject OF departure from this life by death, and
the more they think of it the less they arc
prepared 20 go. This is an unmanliness not
worthy OF YOU not worthy OF me.
Saladin, the greatest conqucror of his day,
while dying, ordered that the 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 left of Saladin, the EnI-
peror and conquerorl OF all the States he
conquered, Of oil the wealth he accumulated,
nothing did he retain hut this shroud." |
have no sympathy with such behavior or
such absurd demonstration, or with much
that we hear uttered in regard 10 departure
from this life to the next There is n COM
monsensiCal idea on this subject that you and
i need to consider-that there are only two
styles ot departure.
A thousand feet underground, by light of
torch toiliug in miners shaft, lodge Of
rock may fail upon us, and we may die u
miners death Far out at sea, falling from
the slippery rotlincs and broken ON the hal
yards we may die a sailors death. On
mission Of mercy in hospital amid broken
bones and recking leprosies and raging
tevers we may die philanthropists death.
On the field OF battle. serving God and our
country, siugs through the heart, the g,m
carriage may roll over us and we may die n
patriots death. But after all, there are
only two styles OF departure-the death of
the righteous and the death OF the wicked
and we all want TO die the former.
God grant that when that hour comes you
may be at home. You want the hand of
your kindred in your hand. You want your
children To surround YOU. You want the
light on your pillow from eyes that have
long reflected your love. You want the
room still You do not want any curious
strangers standing around watching YOU
You want your kindred from nfar TO hear
your last prayer. | think that is the wish of
all of us. But is that alls Can earthly
friends hold us up when the billows
Of death come up to the girdlcg Can
human voice charm open heavens
gatey Can human hand pilot us
through tho narrows OF death into
heavens harbor2 Can any earthly friend
ship shield us from the arrows of death, and
IN the hour when Satan shall practice upon
us his internal archery No, no, no, moi
Alas! Poor soul, il that is all Better die in
the wilderness, far from tree shadow and
from fountain, alone vultures circling
through the air waiting for our body un-
known to men, and 10 have no burial, II only
Christ could say through the solitudes: II
will never leave thee, will mover forsake
thee. From that pillow of stone ladder
would soar heavonward angels coming and
going; and across the solitude and tho bar
renness would come the sweet notes of heav-
| enly mnstrelsy.
door of heather temple, said: GLORY to
thee, q God~ What did dying Wiberforce
say to his wife? Come aud sit beside me-
| and let us talk of heaven. | never knew
what happiness was until found Christ -
What did dying Hannah Hlore saw ''To 20
to heaven, think what that is. To go To
Christ, who died that | might livci Oh
glorious grave! Oh what glorious thing il
is to diey Oh, the love of Christ, the love OF
Christ" What did Mr. Topady. the great
hymnmaker, say in his last hour? "Who can
measure tho depths of the third heaven Oh,
the sunshine that fills my soul / shall soon
be gone, for surely no one can live in this
world after such glories rs God has mani
tested to my soul"
What did the dying Janeway say2 ~ can
ns easily die as close my eyes or turn my
head in sleep. Before few hours have passed
shall stand on Mount Zion with the one
hundred and forty aud four thousand and
with the just men made perfect, and we
| shall ascribo riches, and honor, and glory,
and majesty, and dominion unto God and
| tho Lamb" DIR. Taylor, condemned 10 burn
| at the stake, on his way thithcr broke away
| from the guardsmen and went bounding npd
leaplng and jumping toward the fire, glad TO
| go TO Jesus and 10 die for Him. Sir Charles
Hare, in last moment, had such rapturous
vision that he cried: up
great was tho peace. of one of
Christs disciples that he put his
fingers upon the pulse in his wrist and
counted il and observed il; and 80 great was
his placidity that after while hc said
''Stoppcdw and his life had ended here 10
bcbul III htiHtH' Dut BTiiuVtI lIhn lnhl WIS
the testimony of the worn out first mis-
sionary, whcn, in the Mamartine dungeon,
he cried II am now ready to be offered, and
the time OF my departure is at hand; have
fought the good fight, | have finished my
course | have kept the faith; hencoforth
there is laid up for me n crown Of righteous
ness, which the Lord. tho righteous Judge,
will give me in that day, and not 10 me
only, but To all them that love His appear
ingw Do you not see that Christ is above
all in dying alleviationsg
Toward the last hour Of our earthly resi-
dence wo are speeding. When | see the sun
set, | say: zone day less 10 lyc,' When
see the spring blossoms scattered say; "Al-
other season gone forever" When | close
this Bible on Sabbath night, | say: "An-
other Sabbath departed When | bury "a
friend, | say: Another earthly attraction
gone forever" What nmble feet tho years
have! The roebucks and the lightnings run
not so fast From decade 10 decade, from
sky 10 sky, they go at n bound. There is
place for us, whether marked or not,
where you and l will sleep the last
sleep, and the men are now living
who will, with solemn trade, carry us to our
resting place, Ay, it is known in heaven
whether our departure will be "A coronation
or a banishment.