Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-10-22


| suppose, came up and tried 10 help him,
and hey bathed the back part of the hand,
hoping the sinews and muscles would re-
lax. But no. "His hand clAve unto the
sword" Then they tried 70 pull open the
fingers and to pull back the thumb, but
no sooner were they pulled back than they
closed again, "and his hand clsye unto the
sword" But after awhile they were sue
cessful, and then they noticed that the
curve in the palm Of the hand corresponded
exactly with the curve Of the hilt "His
hand claye unto the sword"
You and | have seen it many a time.
There are in the United States today many
aged ministers OF the Gospel. They are too
feeble now to preach. In the church rec
ords the word opposite their names is
emeritus" or the words are, "a minister |
without charge" They were an heroic race.
They had small salaries and but few books, |
and they swan spring freshets to meet |
their appointments. But they did in their |
day a mighty work for God They took |
off more of the heads of Philistine iniquity |
than you could count from noon to sun |
down. You put that old minister Of the |
Gospel now into prayer meeting, or occa-
sional pulpit, or a sick room where there is |
| bOulc OuO W Uo COLuLOIbCuf ohu ~ ID buO
same old ring to his voice and the same old
story of pardon and peace and Christ and
heaven. His hand has so long clutched the
sword in Christian conflict he cannot drop
| it. His hand clave unto the sword"
THE AGED MINISTER'S FAITH.
l had in my parish in Philadelphia a
very aged man who in his early life had
been the companion and adviser of the
early presidents, Madison and Monroe. He
had welded vast influence, but l only
knew him as very aged man. The most
remarkable thing about him was his ardor
for Christ. When he could not stand up
in the meetings without propping he would
throw his arms around a pillar of the
church, and though his mind was partially
gone his love for Christ was SO great that
all were in deep respect and profound ad-
miration, and were moved when he spoke.
was called to see him die. l entered the
room, and he said, "Mr. Talmage, can
not speak to you now." He was in very
, pleasant delirium, as he imagined he had
an audience before him. He said, II must
tell these people to come to Christ and pre-
pare for heaven" And then in this pleas
ant delirium both arms lifted, this octo-
genarian preached Christ and told of the
glories of the world to come. There, lying
) on his dying pillow, his dying hand clave
to his sword.
Oh, if there ever was any one who had a
right to retire from the conflict it was old
!, Joshua. Soldiers come back from battle
have the names of the battles on their flags,
4 showing where they distinguished them
! selves, and it is a very appropriate inscrip-
4 tion. Look at the flag of old General
Joshual On it Jericho, Gideon, Hazar,
City of All, and instead of the stars
sprinkled on the flag the sun and the moon
: which stood still. There he is, one hun
dred and ten years old. Heis lying fat on
VI his back but he is preaching. His dying
. words are battle charge against idolatry
: and a rallying cry for the Lord of Hosts as
. he says, "Behold, this day 60 the way oi
y all the earth, and God hath not failed te
. fulfill his promise concerning Israel" Hi
u u dying hand clave unto the sword.
~ , There is the headless body of Paul on the
Il road to Ostea His great brain and hi
great heart have been severed. The elm
wood rods had stung him fearfully. Wher
the corn ship broke up he swan ashore
coming up drenched with the brine. Ever.
IN day since that day when the horse rearet
= under him in the suburbs of Damascus a
az the supernatural light fell, down to thi
r. day when he is sixty-eight years of age ant
nc old and decrepit from the prison cell o
10 the Mamertine, he has been outrageousl
an treated, and he is waiting'to die. How doe
q he spend his slast hoursP Telling the worl
,d how badly he feels, and describing th
in rheumatism that he got I'm prison, th
4 rheumatism affecting his limbs, or th
3. neuralgia piercing his temples, or the thirs
i. that fevers his tonguep Oh, no. His las
n. words rethe battle shout for Christendon
al II am now ready to be offered, and th
N time of my departure is at hand; hav
- fought the good fight" And 80 his dyin
hand clave unto the sword.
It was In the front room on the secon
floor that my father lay a-dying. 1t wa
Saturday morning, four o'clock. Just thre
b years before that day my mother had LEI
or him for the skies, and he had been hom
stl sick to join her company. He was eight.
an three years of age Ministers of the Gosp
ed came in to comfort him, but he comforte
". them. How wonderfully the words sounde
up out from his dying pillow, 81 have bee
We young and now am old, yet have nevt
10, seen the righteous forsaken, or his see
he begging bread" They bathed his broy
is and they bathed his hands, and they battle
ais his feet and they succeeded in straightel
he ing out the feet; but they did not succee
In bathing,open the hand so it would ste
he open. They bathed the hand open, but
of came shut They bathed it open again. bl
q ! itcame shut Whatwas the matter with ii
MS thumb and the fingers of that old hant
of Ahi it hadso long clutched the sword
to Christian conflict that "his hand clave un
an the sword.''
Ter SPIRITS OF THE MARTYRS.
he Ipreach this sermon as tonic. ! IVA
Did you to hold the truth with ineradicab