Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-01


falling from the slippery rstlines and
broken 81 tbs h@lyxrds. We NAY die
sailor's dessn- on mission II mercy II
hospital. AMID brokrss tses and r~eking
ieprosies and raging feseFs. We nlay die
3 philAnthropist's death. Ga the teld
Of battle. serving God and our country.
the gun carriage may roll over rs ana
We may die a patriots death. But, after
ali. there zrs eEsly two styles of depar-
ture: the death of the righteous and the
death Of the wicked. and We all want TO
die the former.
God grant that when that hour comes
yoa may be At homsi You want tho
hand Of your kindred In your hand. You
want your childrea ts surround YOU
You want the hight on your pillow from
eyes that have long reflected your love.
You want the room still. You do not
want any curious strangers standing
around watching you. You want your
kindred from sfar to hear your last
prayer. l think that is the wish Of all
of US. But is that all, Can earthly
friends hold US when the billows Of
death come up to the girdle! Can
human voice charm open hesv-
ems gates Can human hands pilot
Us through the narrows Of death
into heavens harbor? Can m earthly
friendship shield Us from the srrows of
death and in the hour when satan shall
practice upon US his Internal archery
No, no. NO. no. Alas! poor soul. if that
is all. Better die in the wilderness, far
from tree shadow and from fountain.
alone. vultures circling through the air
waiting for our body. unknown 10 men,
and TO have no burial, il only Christ
could say through tho solitudes, II will
never leave thee, will never forsake
thee" From that pillow of stone lad
der would soar heavenward, angels COM
ing and going; and across the solitude
and the barrenness would come the
sweet notes Of heavenly mipstrelsy.
DEATH SWEET TO THE CHRISTIAN.
Gordan Hall. far FROM home. dying in
the door of q heather temple, said,
''Glory to thee, 0 Godr' What did dy-
ing Wilberforce say TO his wife? "Ceme
and sit beside me and let as talk of
heaven. I never knew what happiness
was until l found Christ" What did dy-
ing Hannah More say? ITO 60 to heav-
en-; think what that isl To 60 to Christ,
who died that ! might live! Oh. glori-
Gus grave! Oh, what glorious thing il
il to diel Oh. the love Of Christ, the
love of Christi What did Mr. Toplady,
tho great hymn maker, say in his last
hour "Who can measure the depth Of
the third heaven? Oh, the sunshine that
fills my soul! shall soon be gone. for
surely no one can live in this world after
such glories as God has manifested to
my soul"
What did the dying Faneway say?
81 can as easily die as close my eyes or
turn my head In sleep. Before few
hours have passed shall stand on Mount
Zion with the one hundred and forty and
four Thousand, and with the just men
made perfect, and we shall ascribe
riches and honor and glory and majesty
and dominion unto God and the Lamb"
DR.. Taylor, condemned to burn at the
stake, ON his way thither broke away
from the guardsmen and went bounding
and leaping and jumping toward the
fire, glad to go to Jesus and to die for
him. Sir Charles Hare, IN his last mo-
ment, had such rapturous vision that be
cried, Upward, upward, upwardr'
And so great was the peace Of one Of
Christ's disciples that he put his fingers
upon the prlse in his wrist and counted
it and observed it. and 20 great was his
placidity that after awhile he said,
stopped" and his life had ended here
to begin il heaven. But grander than
that was the testimony of the worn out
first missionary when in the Mamar-
tine dungeon he cried: 81 am now ready
to be offered, and the time of my depar-
ture is at hand. have fought tho good
fight, have finished my course, have
kept the faith. Henceforth there IL laid
up for me q crown Of righteousness
which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
will give me in that day, and not to mo
only, but to all them that love his ap-
pearingr' Do you not see that Christ Is
above all in dying alleviations?
WE ARE FASTENING 10 THE GRAVE.
Toward the last hour of our earthly
residence We are speeding. When see
the sunset say, ''One day less to live. "
When l see the spring blossoms scat
tered say, Another season gone for
ever" When close this Bible on Sab
bath night | say, Another Sabbath de-
parted" When bury friend ! say,
Another earthly attraction gone for
ever" What nimble feet the years have!
The roebucks and the beginnings run not
40 fast. From decade to decade, from
sky to sky they go at q bound.
There is place for rs, whether
marked or not, where you and ! viii
sleep the last sleep. and the men are
now living who will with solemn tread
carry Us TO our resting place. Aye. 1t 10
known in heaven whether our departure
will be coronation or Punishment.
Brighter thin banqueting hall through
which the light feet Of the dancers go
up and down to the sound Of trumpeters
win be the sepulcher through whose
riffs the holy light Of heaven strea,neth.
God will watch you. He will send his
angels to guard your elumbering ground
until at Christ's behest they snail roll
away the stone.
So also Christ IL above all in heaven.
The Bible distinctly says that Christ is
the chief theme Of the celestial sscfip-
ton, all the thrones facing his throne,
all the palL-s waved before his face. all
the crowns down ut his feet Cherubim
e. cherubim. seraphim to seraphim, re-
deemed spirit TO redesfned spirit shan