The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-08-17

Again, EeuldTh UuaI SuElSu - oooSo oh
in dying alleviations. Ihave not any SYM
pathy with the morbidity abroad about our
demise. The Emperor Of Constantinople
arranged that on the day Of his coronation
the stonemason should come and consult him
about his tombstone that after awhile he
would need. And there are men who are
monomaniacal on the subject Of departure
from this life by death, and the more they
think OF it the less they are prepared to go.
This is an unmanhneSs not worthy OF you,
| not worthy Of me.
Saladin, cne greatest conqueror OF his
day. while dying, ordered the tunic he had
on him to be carried after his death on q
spear at the head of his army, and taen the
soldier, ever and anon, should stop and say:
"Behold. all that is left of Saladin, the
Emperor and conqueror. Or all the States
lated, nothing did he retain but this
shroud." I have no sympathy with such
behavior or such absurd demonstration or
with much that we hear uttered in regard
to departure from this life to the next. Inere
is a commonsensical idea on this subject
that you and need to consider-that there
are only two styles of departure.
A thousand feet underground, by hight OF
torch, toiling in miners shaft a ledge or
rock NAV fall upon US and we may die
miners DEATH Far out to sea, falling from
the slippery ratlines and broken on the hal.
yards, we may die a sailors death. On
mission OF mercy in hospital, amid broken
bones and reeking leprosies and raging
fever, we may die philanthrooist's death.
On the field Of battle. serving God and our
country, the gun carriage may roll over US
and we may die patriots death. But,
after all, there are only two styles Of de-
parture; 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 you
may be at home! You want the hand Of
your kindred in your hand. You want your
children to surround you. You want the
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 afar to hear
your last prayer. I think that is the wish
of all of US. But is that all? Can earthly
friends hold US when the pillows OF death
come up to the girdle! Can human voice
charm open heavens gate? Can human
hands pilot us throug gh the narrows OF death
into heavens harbor' Can an earthly
friendship shield US from the arrows 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 to men, and to have no
BURIAL il only Christ could say through the
solirudes, II will never leave thee, I will
stone a ladder would scar heavenward,
angels coming and going; and across the
solitude and the barrenuess would come the
sweet notes OF heavenly mlnstrelsy.
Toward the last hour OF our earthly resi-
dencs we are speeding. When see the sun
set say. ''One day less to live" When
see the spring blossoms scattered say, "An-
other season gone forever" When l close
this Bible on Sabbath night say, Another
Isay. Another earthly attraction gone for
ever" What nimole feet the years have!
The roebucks and the lightninzs run go
fast. From decade tn decade, from sky 70
sky they go at bound.
There is place for us, whether marked
or not, where you and will sleep the lasj
sleep, and the men are now living who will
with solemn tread carry us TO our resting
place. Aye, tits known in heaven whether
our departure will be coronation or ban.
ishment. Brighter than banqueting ball
tarough which the light feet OF tne dancers
90 up and down to the sound Of trumpeters
will be the sepulchre through whose riffs
the holy light Of heaven streameth. God
will watch you. he will send His angels to
guard your slumbering ground until at
Christ's behest they shall roll away the
stone.
So also Christ Is above all in heaven.
The Bible distinctly says that Christ Is the
chief theme Of the celestial ascription, all
the thrones facing His throne, all the palms
waved before His face. all the crowns down
at His feet. Cherubim to cherubim, sera-
phiru to seraphim, redeemed spirit to re-
deemed spirit shall recite the Saviour's
earthly sacrifice.
Stand on some high hill of heaven and in
all the radiant sweep the most glorious OBJ
ject will be Jesus Myriads gazing on the
afterward breaking forth into acclamaIion-
The martyrs all the purer for the fame
through which they passed, will say, This
is Jesus, for whom we died." The apostles,
all the happier for the shipwreck and the
scourging through which they went, will say,
"This is the Jesus whom we preached
at .Corinth, and at Cappadocia, and at
Antioch, and at Jerusalem" Little children
clad in white will say, This is the Jesus
who took us in His arms and blessed us, and
when the storms OF the world were too cold
and loud brought US into this beautiful
place" The multitudes of the berett will
saw. '1This is the Jesus who comforted Us
when our hearts broke" Many wno had
wandered clear of from God and plunged
into vagabondism. but saved by grace, VIII
say: 'Tnis is the Jesus who pardoned us. We
were guilty and He made Us white Us snow"
Mercy boundless, grace unparalleled. And
then, after each one has recited his peculiar
deliverances and peculiar mercies, recited
them as by solo, all the voices will come TO-
gether in great chorus. which shall make
the arches echo and re-echo with the eternal
reverberstion Of gladness and peace and tri-
umpn.
Edward was 80 anxious to 60 to the
| Holy Land that when he was about to ex-
| pire he bequeathed S16O,OOU to have his
heart, after his decease, taken to the Holy
Land in Asia Minor, and his request was
| complied with. But there are hundreds to-
day whose hearts are already in the holy
land Of heaven. Where your treasures are
there are your hearts also. John Buuyan,
| of whom spoke at the opening of the dis.
course. caug ht glimpse OF that place, and
in his quaint way he said: ''And l heard in
my dream, and 10! the bells of the city rang
agaiu for joy; and as they opened the gates
to let in the men l looked in after them, and
10! the city shone like the sun, and there
were streets of gold, and men walked on
them, harps in their hands, to sing praises
with all, and after that they shut up the
gates, which when had seen wishe1 my.
self among them"