The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-07-08
GOD EASES SORROW.


When man has trouble the world
comes in and says, Now get your mind
off this; go out and breathe the fresh
air; plunge deeper into business. y
What poor advice! Get your mind off
it. When everything is upturned with
the bereavement, and everything re-
minds you of what you have lost. Get
your mind off it, They might as well
advise you to stop thinking. You can
not stop thinking, and you cannot stop
thinking in that direction. Take a
walk in the fresh air! Why, along that
very street. or that very road, she once
accompanied You. Out of that grass
plat she plucked flowers, or into that
show window she looked, fascinated,
SAYING, Come see the pictures" Go
deeper into business! Why, she was
associated with all your business am
bition, and since she has gone you have
no ambition left.
Oh, this is clumsy world when it
tries to comfort q broken heart. l can
build Corlear's engine, l can paint a
Raphael's Madonna" 1 can play a
Beethoven's "Eroica Symphony" as
easily as this world can comfort brok-
en- heart. And yet you have been COM
forted. How was it done2 Did Christ
come to you and say. Get your mind
off this; 60 out and breathe fresh dir;
plunge deeper into business" No.
There was a minute when he came to
you-perhaps in the watches of the
night, perhaps in your place Of bust
ness, perhaps along the street-and he
breathed something into your soul that
gave peace, rest, infinite quiet, SO that
YOU could take out the photograph of
the departed one and look into the eyes
and the face of the dear one and say,
''It is all right; she is better Off; |
would not call her back. Lord, l thank
thee that thou hast comforted my poor
heart.
WHEN THE LAST MOMENT COMES.
Again, remark that we are witness
es of the fact that religion has power to
give composure in the last moment. l
never shall forget the first time | con-
fronted death. We went across the
cornfelds in the country. I was led by
my fathers hand, and we came to the
farmhouse where the bereavement had
come, and we saw the crowd of wagons
and carriages; but there was one car
riage that especially attracted my boy
ish attention, and 1t had black plumes.
I said: whats that2 what's that'
Why those black tassels on the topF
and after it was explained to me l was
lifed 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
never forgot.
In our sermons and in our lay exhor
tations we are very apt, when we want
to bring illustrations of dying triumph
to 60 back to some distinguished per
S0naSe-lo d JoluA MIN ~ u iiio
Newell. But j want you Tor witnesses
want to know if you have ever seer
anything to make you believe that the
religion of Christ can give composure
in the final hour. Now, in the court:
attorney, jury and judge will never ad
NIT mere hearsay. They demand thai
the witness must have seen with his owl
eyes, or heard with his own ears, ane
SO 1 am critical in my examination O
you now; and I want to know whethel
you have seen or heard anything tina
makes you believe that the religion O
Christ gives composure in the finn
hour.
ooh, yes,n you say; II saw my ia
thar and mother depart There was
great difference in their deathbeds