The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-05-27
SERMON

Preached by Rev. r. Gastavss EIswAId
at the Memorial Services for Mis-
Bessic Mote I'm Christinna M. r.
t'hsrca. susany Evcuisu, May i4th,
1893.
Luke 1, 70 70.
Sand thou. child, shalt be called the
prophet OF the Highest, for thou shalt
20 before the face OF the Lord to pre-
pare his ways through the tender
mercy OF our God. whereby the day
spring from on high has visited u.s."
As we look at these two passages we
find there several lessons. We look
upon bright light. We see the spark
as with the rapidity Of lightning, 1t
travels from the dynamo along the
wire igniting the carbon and we stand
In blaze Of glory. The light dlsap-
pears and as its brightness haa been
intense. SO Is the darkness. caused by
the disappearance Of the light. intense.
So is the darkness caused by tho de-
parture OF this noble young woman,
Miss Bessie Mote, felt by the sorrow
Ing friends now gathered here. While
her light was bright, yet 1t had that
soft, mellow glow peculiar alone to
ripened womanly christian love and
noble character.
J, "And thou. child" This. then. gives
rental love for the child. As babe Ia
laid In the mothers arms and growing
for days and weeks, becomes prat-
Ting child, playing about mothers
knee, and developing until 1t has
reached eighteen sum mers. that child
gives thought OF tllial love on the
one hand aud parental affection on the
other.
/ Thou, child. shalt be called the
!. prophet OF the Highest" In what man
ner shall this child speak the worGs OF
the future? In what manner shall this
. child lay open lives to the eyes OF the
world? We hold In our hands the book
OF the destiny OF any man, and Its
pages are written by the daily acts OF
! life. But how many pages has she
. written? Only eighteen pages written
and the rest sealed by the hand OF
Code love. But another thought takes
possession Of us. She has grown
Through those years. and time has
written for eighteen years his words
upon the pages OF Bessie's book, and
: then death has. from the close OF the
| eighteenth page. left 1t for US 10 sup.
,Iply what the end must be.
:, And thou, child, shalt be called the
prophet OF the highest" In what
,, manner? The prophet must have q
connection with a higher power with
the Highest. Did this young lady
. have this connection Do we know
: that In some mysterious manner,
there was golden thread binding her
life with that OF the Divine One. and
a linking 1t with the sunshine OF the b.
!, lyond? But now let us see. The proph.
!, etess Vt the Highest must have
elthe facts of the prophets with her.
II Is said by friends OF this young
= lady, that when they open
5 ed her valise, among the things che
had packed to take with her was Bi.
| BILE she had carried with her, with
/ places that were precious to her soul
turned down.
: Then Bessie had the prophecy with
her ever and by the power OF this pro
: phecy she was enabled to live a lite
that tells US at death the story che be-
4 gan here the story she shall tell and
t which shall be written throughout all
q the pages OF eternity. How sweet
i then is the thought that II we do His
: bidding. we will be in the great chaiu
!, OF God by and by.
For thou shalt then go before the
10 % OF the lord and prepare his ways.
flbut here comes to us the words OF the
rlprophet John, ''prepare 20 the ways
( lot the Lord, MAKO straight his paths
n Every one OF US is making a path IN
life, and wonder IL some OF US know
!, llf 80, now la the time to look circum'
. stances squnrely In the face.
1t Ii too late when death has set the
r seal, and tits too late to make straight
l. the ways OF the past but now make
straight the paths of the future. Had
a this young lady prepared the path oil
. llifef Did she 20 before to prepare his
:. !. ways, and give us from her life the
: sweet influence OF the Divine Ono?
A thought came TO me this after
n noon while viewing those Borrowing
J, friends, and while symputhlzing sc
e deeply with them, l wonder If tbs
memory Of the departed one. But no
, the memory Is not such q human de
!, Vice as thut- God has given US thi
Is faculty which all eternity canno
lerase. And now this thought appear
'rIthat we may not have done all W,
elcould for this one, so let us be up ant
1t doing, when kind word or generous
s Iact may drive the tear from the eye.
1t Is too late to stretch out tn
, hands with love when the daytime O
= life is gone. While we spread out tn
e lgarlands Of love and while our rose
l. land flowers are prctostations Of low
for the one who has died, We canno
u conceive the lesson OF it, and we can
D. mot understand how the wheels o
D. time fly down the hills of destiny. II
a called one TINT had prepared the way
1t Is to be gathered from this terribl
lesson, terrible 1t is. that yet We hav
y TO he tried 10y the way, then be pre-
y pared to be gathered with our faith
le lers." Let us see. Here is a youn,
lgirl who was dear to all around he,
l Bessie is gone. but does not her III
q prove TO us that God has fitted gold
!. len thread to the spindle OF mortalit
lonly to be woven into the loom Of i'm
mortality?
Y And this thread binds many heart
X I'm this community. When here yea
1t lago Bessie was gathered In one OF tn
II houses in this village to make gla'
s. the holiday time. JOY went around
Not thought OF sorrow. The glad
merry hearts could not see the gather
ling cloud OF death. when that tim
next year shall roll around will Their
10 be another break In the chain? Tn
next day, when one of her companion
n was leaving, she turned to her an
IF calling her by name said "good.byt
" ] hope you will have q good time.
AZ Lltll6 ulu Dbbblb LINK tiieH LIltt LIE
n lgood time would DO spent in eternity
= Sweet indeed this revelation shout
10 be, sweet to those hearts among tn
borrowing friends who would to.nigt
bathe her grave with their tears.
Her mother expressed 1t this aftel
70 noon when she said. "Oh, my darling
n / cannot let you 60" While we car
Is not call her back. the hands OF III
b blessed Saviour have made tie. way q
e. plain We can follow her.
c-l wonder, then. dear friends, that Q
Bessie went over with him to cite
nity's shore, wonder that as she pas
:. ed over through the gates OF jasper.
''' wonder II she did not leave those gate
D. just little ajar for you, and VOL
at der II those words you all spoke Il
nd lRethcr. not one year ago, shall not 9
1d ION In eternity.
tie We can but stand, then. and see thu
n. this day-epring OF Gods love ls vii
US, and through the tender mercy
her God lived so as to say to her d
lspairing friends, anchor" She
gone. but she is calling to You. callln
now. this hour. II you go away iro
nd your friends your hearts say, II hoI
Is to meet you again." II you hope
meet your friends on earth, do yo
ne not hope to meet Bessie In Heaven?
= SO, take this Lesson to your hearts.
=, have few more words to say
Oh you.
While her death was terrible al
NJ