The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1891-08-14


nor a grave" Come, all ye who have
been out 10 The grave to weep there
come all We comforted souls, get up on
your knees Is there no power in the
Gospel TO soothe the heart? is there
no power in this religion to quiet the
worst paroxysm of grief? There comes
up an answer from the comforted wild
owhood. and orphanage, and childless-
ness, saying: "Ay, ay. we are
witnesses. Again, / remark that
we are witnesses Of the fact that
religion has power TO give compos-
ure in the last moment / shall never
forget the first time confronted death.
We went across the corn-felds in the
country. / was led by my fathers
hand, and we came to a farmhouse
where the bereavement had come and
we saw the crowd Of wagons and car
riages: but there was one carriage that
especially attracted my boyish atten-
ton. 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 be-
fore had departed in triumph. The
whole scene made an impression new
er forgot.
In our sermons and in our lay exhorta-
tions we are very apt, when we want
to bring illustrations of dying triumph,
to 90 back to some distinguished per-
sonage-to a John Knox or Harriet
Newell. But want you for witnesses.
/ 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,
attorney, jury and judge will never ad-
init mere heresay. 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 or heard anything that
makes you believe that the religion of
Christ gives composure in the final
hour.
"Oh, yes" you say, ~ saw my father
and mother depart. There was great
difference in their death beds Stand
ing by 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?
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? oh, no." you say; mo. l
remember as though it were yesterday.
She had kind word for 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 good-by and went to sleep as a
child in a cradle. What made
her so composed? Natural cour-
age? 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 weak
~" What gave her the courage? Was
il because she did not care much for
you, and the papg of parting was not
great? oh" you say, "she showered
upon us a wealth Of affection; no moth
er 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
gaze 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, st 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
Christian brother die. and he tri-
umphed." And some one else, II saw
a 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
hands 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 an sides, from
young and old and middle-aged: "We
are witnesses"
You see, my friends, have not put
before you an abstraction or a chimera,
or anything like guess work. present
yon affidavits of the best men and wom-
en-, living and dead. Two witnesses in