The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1891-07-24

she had a kind word for us all, and
there were a few mementoes distrib-
uted among the children. and then she
told us now kind we must be to our fa-
Their in his loneliness, and then she
kissed US good-by and went asleep as
a child in a cradle" What made her so
composed2 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
the pang of parting was not
great? ''Oh," you say, s'she showered
upon us a wealth of affection; no
mother ever loved her children moro
than mother loved us; she shove Il
by the way she nursed us when we
were sick, and she toiled for us until
her strength gave out" What, then,
was it hat gave her composure in the
last hour ? 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 should all meet her
atlast 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
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 a Christian,
and give testimony in this cause
on trial. Uncover your heads,
put your hand on the old family Bis
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
lave heard with your own ears, is there
power in this Gospel to give calmness
and triumph in the last exigency?
The response m from all sides,
from young and old and middle
aged: I'VE are witnesses"
You see, my friends, l have not put.
before you an abstraction or a chimera,
or anything like guess work. &Lpre-
sent you affidavits of the best men and
women, living and dead. Two wit
nesses in court will establish a 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 Inc to afford
composure in the last hour
If 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.
come up and a 1--WE don't believe
that there is anything in that medi-
cine" .4yell," l say, have you tried
it?' "No, / never tried it, but 1 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 it?" 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 hour. We
will take their testimony as they cry:
''We are Witnesses
Prof. Henry, of Washington, discov-
cred a 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 a bright light beaming
on thee? "Where?" you say, where?
How can l find it?" Look along by the
line of the Cross of the Son of God. Do
you not see it trembling with all ten
derness and beaming with all hope? It
is the Star of Bethlehem.
Deep horror then my vitals froze.
Death struck 1 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 Christians
than it is to stay away from Christ and
Heaven. When Nine. Sontag began her
musical career she was Missed 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 Mime. Sontag, in
her glory, was riding through. the
streets of Berlin, when she saw a little
child, leading a 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. sgThat's my mother:
that's Amelia Steininger. 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." said Nine. Sontag,
land tell her an old acquaintance will
call on her this afternoon" The next
week In Berlin a vast assemblage gath
cred at a benefit for that poor blind
woman; and it was said hat Sontag
sang that night as she had never sung
before. And she took a skilled ~oculist,
who in vain tried to give eyesight to
the poor blind woman. Until the day
of Amelie Steininger's death Nine.
Sontag took care of her and her daugh-
ter after her. That was what the queen
of song did for her enemy. But, oh
hear a more thrilling story still. Blind,
immortal, poor and lost, thou who,
when the world and Christ were rivals
for thy heart, didst hiss thy Lord away
Christ cones now to give thee sight,
to give thee a home, to give thee Heaven.
With more than a Sontag's generosity.
He comes now to meet your need. With
more than a Sontag's music, He comes
to plead for thy deliverance-
OstentatIon at Funerals.
1t Is a sad commentary on a Christian