The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-02

Ildu ana the departure OF an nnuel-
Diodorus. dying in chagrin because he
could not compose a joke equal to the
joke uttered at the other end Of his table
Ieuxis, dying III a fit of laughter at the
sketch of an aged wOman-a sketch made
by his own hand Mazarin. dying playing
cards, his friend holding his hands be
cause he was unable to hold them him
self. All that on one side, compared with
the departure Of the Scotch minister, who
said 10 his friends: II have no interest
rs 10 whether l live or die; if die. shall
be with the Lord, and if / live the Lord
I will be with me- Or the last words of
( Washington 1t is WELL Or the last
words OF Mcintosh, the learned aud the
great: Happy Or the last words Of
Hannah More. the Christian pOetess:
'Joy!' Or those thousands of Chris
tians who have gone, saying: Lord
/ Jesus receive my spirit Come, Lord
I Jesus, come quickly" 20, death. where
is thy sting, o, grave, where is thy vic
tory"
Behold the contrast. Behold the charm
of the one, behold the darkness of the
other Now, know it is very popular in
/ this day for young men 10 think there is
something more charming in skeptcism
I than in religion. They are ashamed of
the old-fashioned religion of the cross,
and they pride themselves on their free
! thinking on all these subjects. My young
| friends, l want to tell you what know
! from observation: that while skepticism
/ is a beautiful land at the start, it is the
great Sahara desert at the last
Years ago a minister's son went of
! from home to college. AtcOllege reformed
| the acquaintance of a young man whom l
shall call Ellison. Ellison was an infidel.
! Ellison scOfed at religion, and the minis
! ter's son soon learned from him the inf
/ deity, and when he went home on his
\ vacation broke his fathers heart by his
! denunciations of Christianity Time
! passed on and vacation came, and the
minister son went of to spend the vaca-
! ton, and was on Journey, and came to a
| hotel The hotel keeper said II am sorry
that tonight shall have to put you in
room adjoining one where there is
| a very sick and dying man. | can
| give you no other accommodation. " "Oh,"
| said the young college student and minis
| ter's son that will make no difference to
me except the matter Of sympathy with
anybody that is suffering" The young
| man retired to his room, but could not
| sleep. All night long he heard the groan-
ing OF the sick man, or the step of the
| watchers, and his soul tremb led. He
| thought to himself: Now, there is only
thin wall between me and a departing
| spirit How if Ellison should know how
| feel' How if Ellison should find out
| how my heart huttersi What if Ellison
knew my cepticism gave wayl" He slept
not. In the morning, coming down, he
| said to the hotel keeper: Flow is the
| sick man, ooh" said the hotel keeper,
'he is dead, poor fellow! The doctors
told US he could not last through the
night" well" said the young man,
what was the sick ones name; where is
he FROM" Well said the hotel keeper,
"he is from Providence College" "Prov-
idence College! what is his name?" "Elli-
SON" Ellison" Oh, how the young
man was stunned! 1t was his old college
mate-dead without any hope.
1t was many hours before the young
man could leave that hotel He got on
his horse and started homeward, and all
the way he heard something saying to
him: ''Deadl Lost! Dead Lostm He
came to no satisfaction until he entered
the Christian life, until he entered the
| Christian ministry, until he became one
of the most eminent missionaries of the
| Cross, the greatest Baptist missionary
the world has ever seen since the days of
| Paul-no superior to AdOniram Judson.
| Mighty on earth, mighty in heaven
AdOniram Judson. Which do you like
| the best. Judson'S skepticism Or Jud-
sons Christian life, Judson's suffering
for Christ's sake, Judsons almost mar
! tyrdOm? Oh, young man, take your
! choice between these two kinds of lives.
Your own heart tells you this morning the
Christian life is more admirable, more
peaceful, more comforta BILE, and more
beautiful.
Oh, if religion does so much for a man
on earth, what will it do for him in
heaven} That is the thought that comes
to me now. If a soldier can afford to
shout "Huzza - when he goes into battle,
how much more iubitantly he can afford
to shout ''Huzza !" when he has gained
| the victory If religion is so good a
thing to have here, how bright thing it
will be in heaven! ! want to see that
| young man when the glories of heaven
| have robed and crowned him | want to
| hear him sing when all huskiness of
! earthly colds is gone, and he rises up
with the great doxology. l want to
| know what standard he will carry when
marching under the arches of pearl in
/ the army of banners. | want to know
what company he will keep in the land
where they are all kings and queens for
ever and ever. If ] have induced one of
| you this morning to begin better life,
then | want to know it, l may not in this
world clasp hands with you in friendship,
l may not hear from your own lips the
story of temptation and sorrow, but
will clasp hands with you when the sea is
! passed and the gates are entered
That | might WOO you to a better life
| and that might show YOU the glories
with which God clothes his dear children
| IN heaven, ] wish / could this morning
swing back one of the twelve gates, that
there might dash upon your ear one shout
of the triumph, that there might fame
upon your eyes one blaze of the splendor.
Oh, when | speak of thai good land, you
involuntarily think of some one there
that you loved-father mother, brother
sister, or dear little child garnered al
ready. You want too know what they
are doing this morning. l will tell you
what they are doing Singing You
want to know what they wear. I will
tell you what they wear. Coronets of
triumph! You wonder why oft they look
to the gate of the temple and watch and
wait. l will tell why they watch and
wait, and look to the gate of the temple
For your coming! | shout up
ward the ne VS. to-day. for T
am sure some of you will repent
and start for heaven: oh, We bright
ones before the throne, your earthly
friends are coming. Angels posing mid
air, cry up the name! Gatekeeper of
heaven, send forward the tiding Watch
man on the battlements celestial, throw
the signal.'
oh, you say, ''religionI am going to
have; it is only a question of time. :"
My brother, l am afraid that you may
/ lose heaven the way Louis Philippe lost