The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-07-08
MILLIONS or WITNESSES.


before you today an abstraction, or
chinera, or anything like guesswork.
l present you aiiidavits of the best men
and women, living and dead. Two
witnesses in court will establish fact.
Here are not two witnesses, but thou
sands of witnesses-on earth millions
of witnesses, and in heaven a 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 the last hour. If ten
men should come 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 believe
there is anything in thar medicine. :
"Well.n l say, have you ever tried
ltT No, never tried it, but l don't
believe there is anything i'll it OF
course you discredit their testimony.
The skaptic may come and say, There
is no power in your religion" Have
you ever tried it. no, no. Then,
avaunt!" Let me take the testimony
of the millions of souls that have been
converted to God. aud comforted in
trial. and solaced in the last hour. We
will take their testimony as they cry,
I'VE are witnesses
. Some time ago Professor Henry, OF
Washington, discovered anew star, and
the tidings spread by submarine tele-
graph. and all the observatores OF
Europe were watching for that new
star Oh, nearer, looking out through
the darkness of thy soul today, canst
thou see a bright light bealning on theel
'sWhere: q you say; where? How can
1 find it, Look along by the line OF
the cross of tho Son of God. Do you
not sec it trembling with all tenderness
and beaning with all hope? Il is the
Star Of Bethlehem.
Deep horror then my Nita!s !roze,
Death struck, ceased the tide TO stem,
When Suddenly star arose
1t WAS the Star OF Bethlehem.
Oh, nearer, get your eye on it. 1t is
easier for you now TO become a Christian
than it is to stay away from Christ and
heaven.
TWO STORIES.
When Nine. Sontag began her must
cal career she was Kissed off the stage
at Vienna by the friends of her rival,
Amelia Steininger. who lad already
begun to decline through her dissipa-
ton. Years passed on, and one day
Mime. Sontag in her glory, was riding
through the streets of Berlin when she
saw little child leading blind wo-
man, and she said: Come here, my
little child, come here. Who is that
you are leading by the hands" And
the little child replied: THAT'S my
mother; that's Amelia Steininger. She
used to be o great singer, but she lost
her voice, and she cried so much about
it that she lost her eyesight." Give
my love to her." said Nine. Sontag,
"and tell her an old acquaintance will
call on her this afternoon.
The next week in Berlin vast as
semblage gathered at benefit for that
poor blind woman, and it was said that
Nine. Sontag sang that night as she
had never sung before. And she took
q skilled oculist, who In vain tried to
give eyesight to the poor blind woman.
Until the day of Amelia Steininger's
death Nine. Sontag took care Of her, and
her daughter after her. That was what
tie 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 thy heart, didst hiss thy
Lord away-Christ comes now to give
thee sight, to give thee home, to give
thee heaven. With more than Son.
tags generosity l.:e comes now to meet
your need. With more than Sontags
music he comes to plead for thy deliv-
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