The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-07-15
In our sermons and in our lay exhor-

% 90 back TO some distinguished per
,onage-to John Knox or a Harriet
Newell. But want you for witnesses
[ want to know If you have ever seen
lnything to make you believe that the
,eligion OF Christ can give composure In
.he final hour. Now, in the courts, at
;orney, jury and Judge will never ad-
nit mere hearsay. They demand that
The witness must have seen with his
own eyes, or heard with his own ears,
and so am critical in my examination
Of you now; and want to know whether
you have seen on heard anything that
makes you believe that the religion OF
Christ gives conposure in the final
hour.
30, yes, you say, II saw my rather
and mother depart There was great
difference in their death-beds. Stand.
ing by the one we felt more veneraten.
By the other, there was more tender
ness" Before the one, you bowed, per-
haps, 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 hourp 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 upp 30, no. you say; mo;
I remember as though it were yester-
day; she had kind word for us all, and
there were few mementoes distributed
among the children, and then she told
US how kind we must be TO our father
in his loneliness, and then she kissed us
goodbye and went asleep as child In
cradle" What made herso composed?
Natural courage? "No." you say;
''mother was very nervous; when the
carriage inclined to the side Of the road,
she would cry out; she was always
rather weekly" What gave her COM
posure? Was 1t because she did not
care much for you, and the pang OF
parting was not great? co." you say,
''she showcred upon us wealth OF
! affection; 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,
then, was IL that gave hercomposure In
the last hour? Do not hide 1t. BE
frank, and let me know? 20, 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. II saw a
Christian brother die apd he triumphed." !"
Some one else will say, Il saw Chris
! tan 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
nothing 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 calmness and triumph In the last
exigency? The response comes from
all sides, from young and old and the
middle-aged: I'VE are witnessesr'
You see, my friends, have not put
before you an abstraction or chimera,
or anything like guess-work. present
You atfidavits Of the best men and
women, 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 testify
ing 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 10 you when
you are sick with appalling sickness, and
saw they had the same sickness, and
took a certain medicine, and II cured
them, you would probably take IL Now,
suppose ten other men should come NJ
and say, I'VE don't believe that there Il
ANYTHING in that medicine" "Well,'
saw. I'haye YOU tried it?" mo. never
tried IL, but don't believe there Is any
thing in it." OF course you discredii
their testimony. The skeptic may
come and say, There is no power In
your religion" Have You ever tried
it2" mo, no." "Then avauntp Let
me take the testimony of the millions OF
souls that have been converted TO God
and comforted in trial. and solaccd In
the last hour. We will take their testi-
mony as they cry, I'VE are witnessesP
Prof. Henry, OF Washington, discov'
covered new star, and the tidings sped
by submarine telegraph, and all the OBJ
seryatories Of Europe were watching
for the new star. o, nearer, looking oul
through the darkness OF thy soul, cansi
thou see bright light beaming on thee
"Where?" you say, ''where?" How car
find it?" Look along. by the line Of
the Cross Of the Son OF God. Do yoc
not see IL trembling with all tender
ness and beaming with all hope? II Il
the Star of Bethlehem
Deep horror then my yitais froze,
Death. struck ceased the tide 70 stem,
When suddenly star arose
Il was the Star OF Bethlehem.
o, hearers, get your eye on IL 1t Il
easier for You now TO become Christians
than IL Is TO stay away from Christ and
heaven. When Madame Sontag began
her musical career she was Kissed of
the stage at Vienna by the friends OF
her rival, Amelia Steininger, who had
already began TO decline through hei
dissipation. Years passed on, and one
day Madame Sontag, in her glory, wal
riding through the streets OF Berlin,
when she saw a little child leading q
blind woman, and she said: Come
here, my little child. come here. Who
Is that you are leading by the hand?'
And the little child replied: That's
my mother; that's Amelia Steininger.
she used TO be great singer, but she
lost her voice, and she cried SO
much about It that she lost her eye
sight" ''Glye my love TO her." saic
Madame Sontag, "and tell her an old ac
quaintance will call on her this after.
noon" The next week in Berlin vast
assemblagc gathered at a benefit for