The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-07-17

thing 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
difference in their deathbeds. Stand
ing by the one we felt more veneration.
BY the other there was more tender
ness" Before the one you bowed per
haps in awe. In the other case you
felt as II you would like to go along
with her How did they feel in that
last hourl How did they seem to acta
Were they very much frightenedl Did
they take hold Of this world with both
hands as though they did not want to
give it up2 sob, no." you say, ''no; !
remember as though it were yesterday
she had a 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
goodby and went asleep as child in a
/ cradle" What made her so composed1
Natural couragea
mo" you say; mother was very
nervous; when the carriage inclined to
the side of the road she would cry out;
she was always rather weakly" What
gave her composurel Was it because
she did not care much for you, and the
pang of parting was not create "Oh,"
you say, ''she showered 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 it that gave
her composure in the last hour2 Do
not hide it. Be frank and let me know.
"Oh," you say, lit 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 would all meet her at last at the
foot of the throne"
UNBELIEvERs HAVE NEVER TASTED IT.
Here are people who say, II saw a
Christian brother die, and he tri-
umphed." And some one else, II saw
Christian sister die, and she tri-
umphed." Some one else will say, Il
saw Christian daughter die, and she
triumphed." Come, all we who have
seen the last moments of a Christian,
and give testimony 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 what you have heard
with your own ears, is there power in
this Gospel to give calmness and tri-
umph in the last exigency? The re-
Spouse comes from all sides, from young
and old and middle aged, "We are wit
nessesw
You see, my friends, have not put
before you an abstraction or a chimera,
or anything like guesswork. present
you af1davits Of the best men and
women, living and dead. Two wit
nesses in court will establish fact.
Here are not two witnesses, but mil
lions 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 com
posure 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, suppose ten other men
should cofhe up and say, 1--WE don't be-
lieve that there is anything in that med
icine." well" say, "have you tried
itw mo, never tried it, but I don't
believe there is anything in It," OF
course you discredit their testimony.
The skeptic may come and say, There
is no power in your religion" Have
you ever tried it2' mo, no." Then
avaunt" Let me take the testimony
of the millions of souls that have been
converted to God, and comforted in
trial and solaced in the last hcur We
will take their testimony as they cry,
1--WE are witnesses"
Professor Henry, of Washington, dis
covered new star, and the tidings sped
by submarine telegraph, and all the OBJ
servatories 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
thee9 "Where2" you say, ''where9
How can I find ita" Look 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,
Death struck ceased the tide to stem,
When suddenly a star arose
1t was the Star of Bethlehem.
Oh, hearers, get your eye on it 1t
is easier for you now to become Chris
tians than it is to stay away from
Christ and heaven When Madame
Sontag began her musical career she
was Kissed off 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 Madame Son
tag, in her glory, was riding through
the streets of Berlin, when she saw a
little child leading blind woman, and
she said: Come here, my little child,
come here Who is that you are lead
ing by the handf' And the little child
replied: "That's my mother; that's
Amelia Stelninger. She used to be a
great singer, but she lost her voice and
she cried so much about it that she lost
her eyesight." Give my love to her, y
said Madame Sontag and tell her an
old acquaintance will call on her this
afternoon.
The next week in Berlin a vast as
semblage gathered at a benefit for that