The Bossier banner., 1891-09-17
The whole scene made an

umph, to go back to some distinguished
personage-to a John Knox or Harriet
Newell. But l want you for witnesses.
l want to 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 at
torney, jury and judge will never admit
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 l want to know whether
| you have seen or heard anything that
makes you believe that the religion OF
Christ gives com posure in the final hour.
"Oh, yes, you say, 81 saw my father
and mother depart. There was a great
difference in their death beds. 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 if you would like to go along
with her. How did they feel in that
last hour? How did they seem to act?
We're they very much frightened? Did
they take hold of this world with both
hands as though they did not want to
give it up? 'Oh, no., you say; mo,
remem be7 as though it were yesterday;
she had kind word for us all, and
there were few mementoes distrib-
uted among the children, and then she
told us how kind we must be to our fa-
ther in his loneliness, and then she
kissed us good-by and went asleep as
a child in cradle" What made her so
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 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 showered
upon us a 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 hour? Do not hide it. Be frank,
and let me know. "Oh, you say, 1T
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 tri-
umphed." Some one else will say: 81
saw a Christian daughter die, and she
triumphed." Come, all We who have
seen the last moments of Christian,
and give testimony in this cause
on trial. Uncover your heads,
put your hand on the old family Bi-
bic, 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 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. 1 pre-
sent you affidavits of the best men and
women, living and dead Two wit
nesses in court will establish a fact.
Dere are not two witnesses, but mil
Ions of witnesses on. earth and il
Heaven testifying that there is power
in this religion to convert the soul, tc
give comfort in trouble and to afford
composure in the last hour.
Prof. Henry, of Washington, discov.
cred new star, and the tidings sped
by submarine telegraph, and all the OBJ.
servatories of Europe were watching
for that new star. Oh, hearer, looking
out through the darkness of thv soul.
canst thou see a bright light beaminp
on thee? "Where?" you say, "where:
How can find it?" Look along by the
line of the Cross of tGe Son of God. Dc
you not.see it trembling with all ten
derness and beaming with all hope? II
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 j:
easier for you now to become Christian,
than it is to stay away from Christ and
Heaven. When Nine. Sontag began hel
musical career she was hissed off the
stage at Vienna by the friends of hel
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 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 hand ?'' And the little
child replied. That's my mother
that's Amelia Steininger. She used tc
be great singer, but she lost her voice,
and she cried so much about il
that she lost her eyesight." Give
my love to her." said Mime. Sontag,
land tell her an old acquaintance will