The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-07-29

the face of the dear one and say: ut is all
RIGHT. She is better off. / would not call
her back. Lord, thank Thee that Thou has
comforted my poor heart"
There are Christian parents here who are
willing to testify to the power Of this Gospel
to comfort. Your son had just graduated
from school or college and was going INTO
business, ana the Lord TOOK MIN. Or your
daughter had just graduated from the young
ladies' seminary, and you thought she was
going to be useful woman and or long lie.
but the Lord took her, and you were tempted
to say, "All this culture Of twenty years Tor
nothingr' Or the little child came home
from school with the hot fever that stopped
not for the agonizsd prayer or for the Skill
full physician. and the little chlld was taken.
Or the babe was lifted out OF your arms by
some quick epidemic, and you stood wonder,
ing why God ever gave you that child at all
IL SO soon He was to take it away. And yeo
you are not repining, you are NOT 1[eIut,
yuu are not fighting against COG What
enabled you to stand all the trial? :,
.Ob," you say, ~ took the medicine that
God gave my sick soul. In my distress l
throw myself at the feet of a sympathizln2
God: and when was too weak to pray or to
look up He breathed into me peaca that 1
think must be the foretaste OF that heaven
where there is neither tear nor farewell
nor q grave. SOule, Jo WIZ LOW a'SSA
out to the grave to weep there-come, all ye
comforted souls, get up of your knees. Is
there no power in this Gospel to soothe the
heart? Is there no power in this religion to
quiet the worst paroxys.n of grief: Ihere
comes up an answer from comforted widow
hood and orphanage and caildlessnesS, say
ing, Gay, ay, we are witnesses"
Again, I remark that we are witnesses
of the fact that religion has power to give
%Lo toct NM
never forget the first time | confronted
death. We went across the cornields in the
country. I was led by my fathers han1,
and we came to the farmhouse where the be-
reayement had come and we saw the crowd
ofwagons and carriages; but there was one
carriage that especially attracted my boyish
attention, and it had black plumes l said:
whats that? what's that? Why those
black tassels at the top" And after 1t was
explained to me was lifted up to looS upon
the bright face of an aged Christian woman,
who three days before had departed III trl-
umph. The whole scens made al impression
never forgot.
In our sermons and our lay e1hortatioas
we are very apt, when we want to prlnS IL
lustrations of dying triumph, to go back to
some distinguished personage--to John
Knox or Harriet Newell. But want you
for witnesses. I want to know il 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 here
say. They demand that the witness mast
have seen with his own eyes, or heard WIN
his own ears and SO am critical in my eN-
animation fyou now, aud want to know
whether you have seen or heard anything
that makes you believe that the religion or
Christ gives composure in the final hour.
'Oh, yes" you say, II saw my father and
mother depart. There was great differ
ence in their deathbeis. Standing by toe
one we felt mora veneration. BY the other
there was more tenderness Before the one
you bowed perhaps. in awe. In the other
case you felt as if you would Ike to go along
with her. How did they feel in that last
they very much frightened? Did they take
hold Of this world with both hands as though
they did not want to give 1t up? "Oh, no."
you say; mo; remember as though 1t were
Yesterday: she had q kind word for US all,
and there were few memsntoas distributed
among the children, and then she told US how
kind we must be to our father in his lonell-
ness, and then she kissed us goodby and went
asleep as child in a cradle" What made
her so composed? Natural courage?
NO" you say; mother. was very nery-
of this road she would cry out; she was
always rather weakly" What 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 wealth Of affection: no mother
ever loved her children moro 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,
%kat ha,. in,
last hour? Do not hide it. Be frank and
let me know. ''Oh," you say. lit was be-
cause she was so good she made the Lord
her portion, and she had faith that she
would go straight to glory, and that we
should all meet her at last at the foot OF the
throne"
Here are people who say. II saw Chris.
tiau brother die, and ne triumphed." And
soue one else. Il saw Christian sister die,
and she triumphed.' Some one else will say.
81 saw Christian daughter die, and she
trumphed." Come. ali Ye who have seen
the last moment of Christian, and give tes-
| timony in this cause on trial. Uncover your
| heads, put your hands on the old family
| Bible, from which they used to read the
| promises, and promise in the presence or
high heaven that you will tell the truth. the
whole truth and nothing but the truth.
With what you have seen with your own
ewes and what YOU have heard with your
own ears, is there power in this Gospel to
| give calmness and triumph in the last exi2.
ency? The response comes from all sides,
from young and old aud middle aged, 1--WE
are witnesses"
You see, my friends, I have not put before
| you any abstraction or chimera, or any
shing like guess work. I present you afhda.
Wits Of the best men and women. living and
| dead. Two witnesses in court will establish
| fact. Here are not two witnesses, but
millions of witnesses on earth and in heaven
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 yog
are sick with appalling sickness and ssy they
had the same sickness and took certain
medicine aud it cured them, You would
probably take it. Now, suppose ten other
men should come up and say: 1--WE don't be.
lieve that there is anything in that medi
cine" "Well" say, have you tried it"'
"No, never tried it, but don't believe
there is anything in it." OF course you dis
credit their testimony. The skeptc may
come and say: "There is no power in you,
religion" Have you ever tried it?' mo
no." Then avauntp' Let me take the
testimony of the millions OF souls that have
been converted to God and comforted il
trial and solacei in the last hour. We vii
take their testimony as they cry, 1--WE art
! witnesses"
| Professor Henry, Of Washington. discov-
cred a new star, and the tidings sped by
submarine telegraph, and all the observa
tories Of Europa were watching for that
new star On, hearer, looking out through
che darkness Of thy soul, canst thou see s
bright liz sht beamins on thea? ''Wheres'
you say: where? How can find itg' Loo
along by the line Of the Cross Of the Son OF