The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-08-18

g. Witnesses were required to cast the first
stone. This law was intended to make wit
nesses the more conscientious; since, If they
proved the accused guilty, they became practi-
cally the executioners.
a. Asleep. Sir Thomas Browne said: sleep
is Deaths younger brother. aud so like him
that never dare trust him without my pray
ers"
| Had the human race proved sinless we would
have probably passed from earthly life literally
as if falling asleep. So Hcsiod, referring to the
| Golden Age. when all beings were pure, wrote:
And when they died.
| Twas but ms If they were o'ercOme by sleep
| SHAKESPEARE in the Tempest had the idea of
| death as sleep:
"The cloud-capt towers. the gorgeous palaces.
The solemn temples the great globe itself.
Yea, all IL inbcriis shall dissolve;
And like this nnsubsantiai pageant faded,
Leave not q rack behind. We are such stuff
AS dreams are made Of aHd-our little life
Is rounded with n sleep"
We are not however, to consider our condi-
| ton after death one of Inconsistencies. The
| Faith prevails and the Church will keep on
| singing over the righteous.
| Asleep In Jesus-blessed sleep!
calm and uudisur repose,
Unbroken by the last OF foes"
| Sleep is refreshing at the end Of the working
hours Life is regarded as day and death as
a rest.
s. The look of st. Stephen into Heaven was
an Offset to the terrible scene at hand. 1t
served him as did the vision of horses and
chariots Elisha. (See 2 XII, 10
| 9. Hebrews used to bury their dead at once.
| T. We have in the case Of st. Stephen the
| doctrine of forgiveness wonderfully magnifed.
| Sir Philip Sidney said The truly great man
is as apt to forgive as his power is able to re-
venge."
| The Apostles Greed has clause, II believe
a.. t. I'LL Stx.,N
| Christians believe not only in the doctrine God
| will forgive, but also the duty Of human for
| giveness.
| The dying words of Cranmer were exactly
| those used by st. Stephen. Charles J., i'll
dying interview with Archbishop Juxton,
| said to him, Remember" He had refer
ence to wish he had expressed to the
| Archbishop to the effect the said Primate
charge Charles II. to forgive the murderers of
| his father Charles u. Maria Antoinette thus
| prayed: Lord enlighten and soften the hearts
| of my executioners. Adieu, forever, my dear
children. / go to your father"
8. Standing. Tvs. So So Rev. J. Z. Ken
| drick. D. d.. says: at is very significant that
| he is here described as standing as if having
risen in eager sympathy with his suffering dis
| ciple. to be ready to snccor and receive him
| when the short struggle should be over"
6. Last Words
! Unusual interest attaches to the first and the
| last The final words of st. Stephen were.
Lord, lay not this sin to their charge" Just
| before, and to be counted among the last words
| of the martyr. was this commentator of his
| soul into the hands of Almighty God: Lord
| Jesus receive my spirit" The final words of
| Christ before death were, Father, into Thy
hands l commend my spirit. (St Luke.
| 90 49,
Rev. J. e. Kendrick notes. on ST. Stephens
receive my spirit: This is eminently
| prayer for the dying hour and as such has
| been more frequently used than any other.
! Polycarp, Huss, Luther, Columbus, Cromwell,
and thousands less distinguished have uttered
it with their expiring breath"
| The Youths Companion once said, editoraly.
| "The last words of dying mon possess an in
| terest which is far beyond that merited by their
! significance. Webster's l still live!' has been
| more frequently quoted than any sentence
| from his eloquent speeches. A court of Justice
will receive as evidence the last words of one
who knows that he is dying. Do not these and
| similar facts suggest that we all instinctively
| believe that DEATH when close at hand, stimu-
| lates to insight and truthfulness?"
| An unnamed writer has the following:
| Psychologists may question the importance of
| dying utterances. but in our opinion there is
| an eternal significance in this condensed elo-
| quence."
| We notice some last words similar to those of
our Savior and of st. Stephen, probably, in
fact suggested by these two:
| Michael Angelo" My soul | resign to God
my body to the earth, and my worldly posses
| sions to my friends"
| Columbus" Into Thy hands, o Lord, l COM
| mend my spirit" So Cranmer and Hooker.
Edward VI" Lord, take my spirit"
| Herbert" Now, Lord, receive my SOUL"
| Thomas Jefferson resign my soul to God
and my daughter to my country"
| Mary Queen of Scots-"O Lord, in Thee
I iptn de
| my spirit"
Tasso-" Into Thy hands, 0 Lord"
7. Lessons.
We call attention to only one--that of for
gveness. while ago a citizen of Lincoln,
Neb, made trip to California on purpose to
see an old enemy of his executed.
In 1856 John Fave's etiigy. after being ex-
posed along several streets of Dartmouth, was at
length burned, Flavel at the same time praying
for the town. Informed of the indignity, he
prayed. :" Lord. forgive them, for they know not
what they do"
DIR. Binney taught the author Of that tract,
once so famous, Come to Jesus" Newman
Hail. severe lesson. The Rev. Mr. Hall had
| been harshly criticized for some reason, and
wrote a very caustic reply, intending to pub
lish it. but first he read it to Dr. Binney. The
Doctor asked him if he had yet given the PAM
phet title. "No. have not" replied DIR.
Hail. Perhaps you can assist me in that mat
ter" Then DR.. Binney said, in deliberate
way. "Whie you were reading some of those
hard hits it occurred to me that this would be
a good title: Go to the Devil by the author
of Come to Jesus"
According to Necker, women have great
ad Vantage in the matter of dealing with in
, iuries received. That author said: Women do
not often have it in their power to give like
men, but they forgive like angels"
There may have been a bit of sarcasm or
touch of feminine considerateness or a spasm
of gallantry, or possibly an indirect thrust in
this statement. Al any rate whoever possesses
in goodly degree a disposition to deal merci-
fully with offenders; to respond to efforts of
the erring to regain his friendship: who will
not stand on his dignity before repented wrong
who will be quick to see the least tendency
at reenting; who in certain cases will even
prefer forgiveness; who, if erring, seeks for
giyeness, and, if injured. is willing to forgive
such person shows the world the power of a
holy religion.
THE NATTON1L TRIBUNE'.S portrait
cards are the biggest thing out Sec advertise
meat IN another cOlumn.