Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-07-17

mi DuNSlClH0. anu JIt HUT ClitO was tsAct.
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
if SO soon He was to take it away. Aud yet
you are not repining, you are not fretiul,
YOU are not fighting against God. What
enabled you to stand all the trial?
"Oh. Won saw 81 took the medicine that
God gave my sick soul. In my distress
threw myself at the feet of a sympathlzing
God; and when was too weak to pray or to
look up He breathed into me peace that l
think must be the foretaste OF that heaven
where there is neither tear nor farewell
nor a grave" Come, all ye who have been
out TO the grave TO weep there-come, all ys
comforted sous, get up off your knees. Is
there no power in this Gospel TO soothe the
hearth Is there no power in this religion TO
quiet the worst paroxysm Of griefy There
comes up an answer from comforted widow
hood and orphanage and chlldlessness, say
ing, "Ay, ay, we are witnesses
Again, | remark that we are witnesses
of the fact that religion has power TO give
cOmposure in the last moment. | shall
never forget the first time l confrontet
death. We went across the cornhelds in the
country. l was led by my fathers hand,
and we came to the farmhouse where the be-
reavement 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 plumsS. l said:
whats thaty what's that? Way those
black tassels at the to2g' Aud after it was
exclaimed to me was lifted up to LOOK upon
the bright face OF an aged Christian woman,
who three days before had departed in trl-
umph. The whole scene made an impression
never forgot.
In our sermons and our lay exhortations
we are very apt when we want TO bring IL
Illustrations Of dying triumph, to so back to
some distin SuiShe1 perSonage--to John
Knox or a Harriet Newell. But | want you
for witnesses. | want to know it you have
ever seen anything to make you believe that
tle religion OF Christ can give compoSure in
the final hour. Now, in the courts, attorney,
Jury ami Judge will never admit mere here
say. They demand that the witness must
have seen with his own eyes or heard with
his own ears. and so ] am critical in my ex-
animation 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.
''Oh, yes" you say, II saw my father and
mother depart. There was great differ
ence in their deathbe1S. Standing by the
one we felt more 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 90 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 1t up "Oh, no"
YOU say: mo: | remember as though il were
yesterday; she had kind word for us all,
and there were few mementOes distributed
among the children, and then she told us how
KIM we must be to our father in his loneli-
ness, and then she kissed us goo1by aud went
asleep as child in a cradle" WHAT made
her so composedy Natural courage:
No" you say; mother was very nerv-
Gus: whea the carriage inclined to the side
of the 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 showere1
upon us a wealth OF affection, no mother
ever loved her children more than mother
loved us: she showed it by the way she
nursad us when we were SICK and she toilet
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
let me know. On" you say. lit was be-
cause she was so good; she male the Lord
her portion, AMI she had faith that she
would go straight to glory, and that we
should all n.>et her at last FL ths foot OF the
throne
Here are people who say. Il saw Chris
tan brother die aud he triumphed." AMI
sore one else. Il saw Christian sister die,
and she triumphed" Some one else will say,
IL saw a Christian daughter die, and Sh5
tr.umphed.' Come all We wno have seen
the last moment of a 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 OF
high heaven that you will tell thu truth. the
whole truth and nothing but the TRUTH
With what you have seen with your own
eyes and what YOU have hearl with your
own ears, is there power i'll this Gospel TO
give calnness and triumph in the last exig-
ency: The Response comes from ali sides,
from young and old aud middle aged, I'VE
are witnesses.
You see, my friends | have not put before
you any abstraction or chimera, or any
thing like guess work. | present you aftda-
Wits of the best men and women, living and
dead Two witnesses in court will establish
a fact Here are not two witnesses. but
millions Of witnesses on earth and in heaven
testifying that there is power in this
religion 70 convert the soul, 20 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 AMI say they
had the same sickness and took a certain
medicine and 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 itY'
mo, never tried it, but l don't believe
there is anything in it," OF course you dis
credit their testimony. The skeptic may
come and say: There is no power in your
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 comforte1 in
trial and solaced in the last hour. We will
take their testimony as they cry, I'VE are
witnesses
Professor Henry, of Washington. discov-
cred new star, and the tidings sped By
submarine telegraph, and all the observa-
tories Of Europe were watching for that
new star Oh, nearer, looking out through
the DARKNESS OF thy soul, canst thou see
bright light beaming on thee? ''Where:'
you say, ''wiereg How can / find it% Loo
along by the line of the Cross of the Son OF
God. Do you not see it trembling with all
tenderness and beaming with all hope, 1t
is the Star of Bethlehem.
Deep horror then my vItals froze,
Deathstruck ceased the tide to stem,
When suddenly star arose
II was the Star of Bethlehem.
Oh. hearers, get your eye on it. 1t is easier
for you now to become Christians than it is
to stay away from Christ and heaven. When
Nine. Sontag began her musical career she
was Missed of the stage at Vienna by the
friends OF her rival, Amelia Steininger, who
had already begun TO decline through her
dissipation. Years passed on, and one day
Nine. Sontag, in her glory, was riding
through the streets of Berlin, when she saw
little child leading bliai woman, AMI she
said Come here, my little child, come
here. Who is that you are leading by the
han1" And the little child replied: That's
my mother, that's Amelia S.eininger She
used to be a great singer. but she lost her
voice, and she cried 50 mucl about it that
she lost her eyesight" Give my love to
her. said Mime. Sontag ''and tell her an
old acquaintance will call on her this after
nOon.'
The next week in Berlin vast assemblage
gathered at a benefit for that poor blind
woman, aud it was said that Sontag sang
that night as she hal never sung before.
And she took skilled oculist, who in vain
tired to give eyesi0ht To the moor blind