The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1892-02-16

men, because we are strong and the
word Of God abideth in you aud We
have overcome the wicked one,'--I
John, III, IA.
When venerable man "has served
his generation and fallen on sleep and
been gathered to his Fathers" it is as
the falling of the faded leaf touched
by the frosts of winter, or the gather
ing of ripe sheaf into the granary
of the Great Husbandman. But as we
stand in this solemn presence with its
mysterious stiffness, when a young
man has been suddenly cut down, it
is as the "breaking of the strong staff
aud the beautiful rod" on which
other hearts and hopes had leaned.
His strong shoulders bore others bur-
dens, his willing heart and ready
hands were busy with kindly minis
tries for others. Living in an age all
athrob with vital issues, when the
soul of young manhood was reaching
out to grapple life's responsibilities,
such sudden taking off is as the
shifting of the harp strings that
bushes the psalm of life. And yet,
could some celestial power as that
which opened the vision of the
prophets servant quicken our sense,
we should know that this young life,
so far from being quenched, has
passed up into the unseen holy to
join in a diviner fellowship. We do
not "think it a thing incredible that
God should raise the dead" The
Lord, whose we are, and whom we
serve, is stronger than death and His
words come to us as grateful as far
off music, II am the resurrection and
the life"
Over the dark shadow that has
crossed the threshold of your home,
and shut your hearts within its gloom
is this blessed VOW of. promise,
"blessed are the dead that die in the
Lord" Our young friend realized
his need of a Savior and gave his
heart and life to the Lord Jesus, and
the memory Of this act is as a, halo
over the darkness of your sorrow.
Manhood is only really true and
noble when it is Christian, when the
life one lives in the flesh is the life
of faith in the Son of God. 7 have
never known man who at the hour
of death regretted that he was a
Christian. have never known
group of friends who, beside the
casket of departed one, wept be-
cause he was Christian. Whatever
the mistakes of his life may have
been, his confession of Christ before
men was no mistake.
"The glory of a young man is his
strength" Find young man who is
strong, not only in physical energies,
but in moral purpose and manly in
tegrity as well, strong in faith and
filial devotion, in whom Gods word
abides as the Shekinah of his soul
life, and you find one who can over
come the evil one, and walk in the
higher atmosphere of purity and
piety.
Every life, whether short or long, is
a probation, proving or testing what
we will make Of ourselves, whether
we will make the most and best, or
drift into the gross and vicious. To
have filled up the measure of obliga-
ton as a son, . brother and friend,
as this young man has done, is a
praiseworthy record. One who knew
and esteemed him as a friend said,
"those who knew him best had the
most implicit confidence in him, for
he was true to friendship and loyal to
right and duty" Blessed are they,
who, as some dear one passes out from
them, realize that his life was a
blessing and help. Let this memo
ry be as goodly oil to your heart
ache in this hour of sorrow.
Every life is also prediction, a
prophecy. Youth is the spring-time
of causes, the after life is the harvest
of consequences, and, as is the sowing,
so will the reaping be. A life of truth
fulness, fidelity and piety will beget
confidence and esteem in those about
you. You not only reap what you
sow, but more than you sow. ''You
sow thought and reap an act, sow an
act and reap habit, sow habit and
reap a character sow character and
reap destiny" "What / have writ
ten, / have written" is true of every
ones life record, and we cannot escape
that record.
fu- n ~