The Iola register., 1891-07-24

families and made him a psalm-singer?
Conversion by the Holy Spirit. There
are thousands of people here to-day who
are no more what they once were than a
water lily is a nightshade, or a morning
lark is a vulture, or day is night.
Now, II l should demand that all
those people here present who have felt
the converting power OF religion should
rise, so far from being ashamed they
would spring to their feet with more
alacrity than they ever sprang to the
dance, the tears mingling with their
exhilaration as they cried, 1--WE are
witnessesw And il they tried to sing
the old Gospel hymn they would break
down with emotion by the time they got
to the second line:
Ashamed OF Jesus, that dear friend
On whom my hopes OF heaven dependf
MOI When blush, be this my shame:
That no more revere his name,
Come, all We who have been out to
the grave to weep there come all, We
comforted souls get of 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 par
oxysm of grief? There comes up an
answer from comforted widowhood and
orphanage, and childlessness, saying,
"Aye, aye, we are Witnesses
Again l remark that we are witnesses
OF the fact that ksligion has power to
give composure in the last moment. l
shall never forget the first time that l
confronted death. We went across the
cornfields in the country. l was lead
by nv fathers hand, and we came to
the farmhouse where the bereavement
had come and we saw the crowd Of car
riages and wagons but there was one
carriage that especially attracted my
boyish attention, and it had black
plumes. | said: whats that? what's
that? Why those black tassels at the
top?" And after it was explained to me
| was lifted 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 inn
preston never forgot.
In our sermons and in our lay exhor-
tatiops we are very apt, when we want
to bring illustrations of dying triumph,
to go back to some distinguished per-
sonage-to a John Knox or a Harriet
Newell. But I want you for witnesses.
l want 10 know if 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 ad-
init mere hearsay. They demand that
the witness must have seen with his
own ewes, or heard with his own ears,
so am critical in my examination of
YOU now: and l 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. 20, yes," you say, 81 saw my
father and mother depart. There was
a great difference in their death beds.
Standing by the one we felt more ven-
Grafton. 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 like to go 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 it up?
30, no." you say: no: | remember as
though it were yesterday; she had a
kind word for Us all, and there were a
few mementoes distributed among the
children, and then she told us how kind
we must be to our father in his loneli-
ness. and then she kissed us goodby and
went to sleep as child in a cradle"
What made her so composed? Natural
courage? NO" you say, mother was
very nervous; when the carriage in
clined to the side of the road she would
cry out: she was always rather weakly"
What gave her composure? Was 1t be-
cause she did not care much for you.
and the pain of parting was not great?
90" YOU say, "she showered upon us
wealth of affection; and no mother ever
loved her children more 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 was it, then, that gave
her composure during the last hour?
Do not hide it. Be frank and let me
know. ''O," you say, ''it was because
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, 81 saw a
Christian brother die, and he tri-
umphed." And some one else. II saw
Christian sister die, and she triumphed."
Some one else Will say, 81 saw a Chris
tian daughter die, and she triumphed." ="
Come, all We who have seen the last
moments of Christian, and give testi-
mony in this cause on trial. Uncover
YOUR heads, put your hand 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 the truth, the whole truth and moth
ing but the truth. With what you have
seen with your own eyes and from what
YOU have heard with your own ears, is
there power in this Gospel to give calm
ness and triumph in the last exigency?
The response comes from all sides, from
young and old and middle aged: 1--WE
are Witnesses.
You see, my friends, l have not put
before you an abstraction or chimera
or ANYTHING like guess work. Ipresent
YOU affidavits of the best men and wo-
men living and dead. Two witnesses
In court will establish fact. Here are
not two witnesses, but millions OF wit
nesses 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.
{ II ten men should come to you when
you are sick with appalling sickness and
say they had the same sickness and took
a certain medicine and it cured them,
you would probably take it. Now, sup.
pose ten other men should come up and
say. 1--WE don't believe there is anything
in that medicine" "WeI, | say,
have you tried it?" ''No, 1 never tried
| it. but don't believe there is anything
in it OF course you discredit their
testimony. The sceptic may come and
say, There is no power in YOUR relig-
ion" Have you ever tried it?' No,
no." Then avauntm Let me take the