The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-07-29

tions we arc very apt when we want
to bring illustrations Of dying triumph,
TO 90 back to some distinguished per.
sonage to John Knox or Harriet
Newell. But want Asu for witnesses.
l want to know il you have ever seen
anything to make you helieve that tho
religion of Christ can give composure
in the final hour. Nov, in the courts,
attorney, jury and Judge will never adj
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 CIR heard anything that
makes you believe that the religion OF
Christ gives composure in the final
hour.
ION, yes. you say, II saw my fathe'
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; "no 1
remember as though it were yesterday
She had kind word for all, and ther-
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 an
clined to the side of the road she would
cry out. She was always rather weak
w." What gave her the courage? Was
it because she did not care much fol
You, and the pang 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
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, ut 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: II saw q
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: II
saw 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. ycur own eaxs, II theirs
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: "We
are witnesses"
You see, my friends, have not put
before you an abstraction or chimera,
or anything like guess work. present
you affidavits of the best men and WON.
en-, living and dead. Two witnesses in
court will establish fact. Here are
not.two witnesses, but millions of wit.
nesses on earth and in Heaven testify
ing that there is power in this religion
to convert the SOUL to give comfort in
trouble, and to afford composure in the
last hour.
If ten men should como 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
come up and say, 1--WE don't believe
that there is any thing in that medi.
cine" WELL" ] say, have you tried
it9" "No. never tried it, but don't
believe that there is any thing in it. "
OF course you discrcdit their testimony.
The skeptic may come and say, There
is no power in your religion" Have
you ever tried it?'' "No, no." Then
avauntr' 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.
I'VE are witnessesr'
/. Oh, hearers get your eye on il. It 4
easier for you now to become Christians
than h is to stray away from Christ and
Heaven. When Nine. Sontag began her
musical career she was Kissed off the
stage at Vienna by the friends of her ri
val, Amelia Steininger, who had already
begun to decline through her dissipa-
tion. Years passed on, and one day Nine.
Sontag, in her glory, was riding through
the streets of Berlin, when she saw Y
little child leading blind woman, and
she said: Come here, my little child,
come here. Who is that you arc lead
ing by the hand?' And the little child
replied: "That's my mother; that's
Amelia Steininger. She used to be q
great singer, but she lost her voice, and
she cried so much about it that she lost
her eyesight" give my love to her, v