The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-09-21

On the day of his death Stephen spoke oe-
fore few people in the sanhedrin: This
Sabbath morning he addresses Chrl5ten-
dom. Paul, the apostle, stood on Mars
hill addressing a handful OF philosophers
who knew net so much about science as
modern schoolgirl. To-day he talks to all
the millions Of Christendom about the FoaS
ders Of justification and the glories, Of the
resurrection: John Wesley YRS. hoWleq
down By the mob to whom be r1eesAed; ana a
they threw bricks st him, and they ds,,
nouncsd him. end they iostlsd. htm. and
they spat upon him. and yet to-~ay, IN All
lands he Is admitted to b. tie great iather
Of Methodism. Booths bullet Vacatcd the
Presidential chair, but from. that spet OF
coasu1ared nIood on me noor IN 1ae poI oI
Fords Theatre there sprane up the ne" i1e
Of Nation. Stephen stoned. but ssePhen
alive.
Pass on now and see Stephen in his dying
prayer. His first thought was not how the
stones hurt his head. nor what would be-
come of his body His first thought was
about his spirit ''Lord Jesus receive my
spirit" TIE murderer standing on the trap
door. the HACK cap being drawn over his
head be'ora the execution, may grinace
about The future. bat you and have no
sbamo in confas*ng SONS anxiety. ABOUT
where We are going TO come out. icu afe
rot al body. There Is within you soi1!.
Isee il Sleam f-oT your eyes to-day, and l
see it irrd1iat:iy your counteDance. 5one-
times I am ahashel before an audiences
rot because I come under your physical
cyesight, but because realize the truth
that I stand before so many immoral
spirits. The probability is that your b"dy
viii al lasi find sepulcher in some Of she
hot fhie pitI,
no doubt that your obsecuie5 will be decent
and respectful. and ycu will be able to Pillow
your head under the maple, or the Norway
spruce. or the cypress. or the blossoming fir,
but this spirit about which Stephen prayed,
what direction will that take? What guide
will escort if? What gate will open 10 re-
ceiveit? What cloud will be cleft for its
pathway After it has got beyond The light
Of our sun will there bs torches lighted Tor
1t the rest OF the way?
Will the soul have to travel through long
deserts hef, it reaches the good lanG? II
VIC should lose our pathway will there be Il
castle at whose gate we may ask the Way 70
the city? Oh, ttis mysterious spirit within
us! It has Two wings, but it Is in cage ooF
It is locked fast to keep 1t, but let the door
Of this cage ope1 the least, and thet soul ls
off, Eagles wing could not catch it. The
with it. When the soul leaves the body It
takes fifty worlds ut bound. And havs
10 anxiety about it? Have you no anxiety
about II?
lido not care what you do WITH my body
when my soul is gone. or whether you be-
lieve iu cremation or inhumatioD. J. shall
sleep Just as we'll in e wrapping Of sackcloth
us in satin lined with eagles down: But ny
soUl--before close this discourse viii ird
ont where it will lan'. Thank God for the
intimation OF my text that when we die
Jesustakes US. That answers all questions
for mo. What though there were massive
Jesus could remove them: Hhnt
though there were great Saharas of
darkness, Jesus could illume them.
What though set weary on the way, Christ
could lift me or Els onnipotent shoulder.
What though there we're chssms to cross,
His hand could transport me. Then let
Stephens prayer be my dying litany. "Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit 1t may be in that
hour we will be too feeble to say loag
prayer It may be in that hour we will not
be able to say the Lords Prayer. for 1t has
seven petitions. Perhaps we may DC too fee
bic even to suy the infant prayer our mothers
taught US. which john Quincy Adams seT-
enty wears OF age. said every night when he
put his head upon nc pillow:
Now lay me down to sleep,
pray the Lord my soul to keep.
We may be too feeble to employ either Of
thcse familiar forms, but this prayer Of
Stephen is so short. is so concise. is SO earn
est, is go comprehensive, we surely will he
able to say that, lord Jesus, receive my
spirit" Oh, If that prayer is answered, nov
sweet Il will be to die! This world Is clever
enough 10 us. Perhaps 1t has treated ,1s a
great deal better than we deserved to he
treated, but if on the dying pillow there shall
break the light Of that better world We shall
have no more regret than about leaving 8
small. dark, damp house for one large, heau-
tiful and capacious. That dying minister IN
philadelphia. some years ago, beautifully
depicted it when, in the last moment, he
threw up his hands and cried out. II move
into tho llght!'
Pass on now. and l will SHOW you ore
more picture. and that is Stephen asleep.
With pathos and simplicity peculiar to the
Scriptures the text says Of Stephen, RIA fell
asleep" "Oh," you say, "what place that
was to sleep! A hard rock under him,
stones falling down upon him. the blood
streaming; the mob bowling What place
it was to Sleep And yet my text takes that
symbol of slumber to describe his departure,
so sweet was 1t, so contented was it, so
peaceful ws.s 1t. Stephen had lived a very
laborous life. His chief work mad been to
care for the poor. How many loaves Of
bread he had distributed, how many bare
feet he had sandaled, how many cots OF sick
nes. and distress he had blessed with minis
| tries of kindness. and love, I do not know.
Yet from the way he lived, and the way he
preached, and the way he died, know be
was & labo-ious Christian. But that Is ell
over now. He has pressed the cup to the
last fatnting lip. BE has taken the last IL
suit from bis enemies. The last stone 70
whose crushing weight he is susceptible has
been hurled. Stephen Is dead. The dis
ciples come. They take him up. They wash
away the blood from the wounds. They
straighten out the bruised limbs. They
brush back the tangled hair from the brow,
and then they pass around to look upon the
calm countenance Of him who had lived foI
the poor and died for the truth. Stephen
asleep!
have seen the sea driven with the hurri-
cane until the tangled foam caught in the
rigging, and wave rising above wave seemed
as if about to storm the heavens. and then I
have seen the tempest drop. and the waves
crouch. and everything become smooth and
FURNISHED as though a camping place for the
| glories of heaven. So I have seen Il man
whose life has been tossed and driven COM
! ing down at last to an Infinite calm III which
there was a hush OF heavens lullaby.
Stephen asleep!
I saw such one. He fought all his days
against poverty and against abuse. They
traduced his name. They ratified at the
doorknob while he Ha5 dying with duns for
depts he could not pay. Yet the peace Of
God lrooded over his pillow. aud while the
world faded heaven dawned. and the deep
! eniuy twilight of cnrth'S night was only the
opening twilight Of heavens morn. Not II
sigh. Not a tear. Not g. struggle. Hush!
Stephen asleep.
Ihave not the faculty As many have to tell
the weather. can never tell by the setting
...hathts,: tia=a zriIl L., dro,, cxht Or