The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-09-18

while dying, ordered that the tunlc ne mad
on him be carried after his death on his
spear at the head of his army, and that then
| the soldier, ever and anon. should stop ana
say: "Behold all that Is left of Saladin, the
emperor and conoueror. OF all tho states
he conquered, of all the wealth he accumu-
lated, nothing did he retain but this
shroud." I have no sympathy with such be-
hayior or such absurd demonstration, or
with much that we hear uttered In regard to
departure from this life to the next. There
is a commonsensical idea on this subject
that YOU need to consider-there are only
two STYLES Of departure. A thousand feet
underground, by light OF torch, toiling
in a miners shaft, ledge OF rock may fall
upon us, and we may die miners death.
Far out at sea. falling from the slippery rat
lines and broken on the halliards, we may
die q sailors death. On mission of mercy
in hospital amid broken bones and reeking
leprosies and raging fevers, We may die a
philanthropist's death. On the field OF
battle, serving God and our country, slugs
through the heart, the gun carriage may
roll over us, and we may die patriots
death. But, after ALL there are only two
STYLES ofdeparture-the death ofthe righteous
and the death of the wicked-and We all
want to die the former.
God grant that when that hour comes you
NAV be at home. You want the hand or
YOUR kindred in your hand. You want your
children to surround you. You want the
light on your pillow from eyes that have
long reflected your love. You want your
room still. You do not want any curious
strangers standing around watching you.
You want your kindred from afar to hear
your last prayer. think that is the wish
of all of us. But is that all? Can earthly
friends hold Us up when the billows OF death
come up to the girdle? Can human voice
charm open heavens gate? Can human
hand pilot US through the narrows Of death
into heavens harbor? Can any earth
" friendship shish shield us US from io the the
hour when satan shall practice upon us his
internal archery. No; no, no, no! Alas,
poor soul, If that is all! Better die In the
wilderness far from tree shadow and from
fountain, alone, vultures circling through
the air waiting for our body, unknown to
men. and to have no burial, if only Christ
could say through the solitudes. II will
never leave thee. will never forsake thee"
From that pillow of stone ladder would
soar heavenward. angels coming and going,
and across the solitude and the barrenness
would come the sweet notes OF heavenly
minstrelsy.
Gordon Hall. far from home. dying in door
OF heather temple, said: "Glory to Thee,
O God:" What did dying Wilberforce say to
his wife? "Come and sit beside me. and let
US talk of heaven. 1never knew what hap
piness was until found Christ" What did
dying Hannah More say? ITO goto heaven,
think what that is! To go to Christ, who
died that might live! Oh. glorious grave!
Oh, what glorious thing it is to die! On,
the love of Christ, the love Of Christi What
did Mr. Toplady, the great hymn maker, say
in his last hours? "Who can measure the
depths of the third heaven? Oh, the sun
shine that fills my soul! I shall soon be
gone, for surely no one can live in this
world after such glories as God has mani
tested to my souln'
What did the dying Janeway say? "I can
as easily die as close my eyes or turn my
head in sleep. Before few hours have
passed shall stand on Mount Zion with the
one hundred and forty and four thousandand
with the just men made perfect. and we shall
ascribe riches, and honor, and glory, and
majesty, and dominion unto God and the
Lamb" DR.. Taylor, condemned to burn at
the stake on his way thther broke away
from the guardsmen, and went bounding
and leaping and jumping toward the fire,
glad to go to Jesus, and 10 die for Him.
Sir Charles Hare, In his last moments,
had such rapturous vision that he cried,
"Upward, upward, upward!' And SO
great was the peace of one OF Chr1st's
disciples that he put his finger upon the
pulse in his wrist and counted It and OBJ
served it; and so great was his placidity that
after awhile he said. "Stopped!' and his life
had ended here to begin in heaven. But
grander than that was the testimony OF the
worn out first missionary, when, in the
Mamertine dungeon, he cried, II am now
ready to be offered, and the time OF my de-
parture is at hand; I have fought the good
fight. I have finished my course, l have kept
the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me
a crown of righteousness which the Lord,
day, and not to me only, but to allthem that
love His appearing!" Do you not see that
Christ is chief in dying alleviations?
Toward the last hour of our earthly resi-
dence we are speeding. When I see the
sunset. say, "One day less to live." When
Isee the spring blossoms scattered, say,
"Another season gone forever" When
close the Bible on Sabbath night, say.
another Sabbath departed" When I bury
a friend. I say, another earthly attraction
gone forever" What nimble feet tho years
have! The roebucks and the lightnings run
not so fast. From decade to decade, from
sky to sky, they so at bound. There
is place for US, whether marked or
not, where you and 1 will sleep the
last sleep, and the men are now hv.
ing who will, with solemn tread. carry us
to our resting place. Aye, 1t is known IN
heaven whether our departure will be cor.
onation or banishment. Brighter than a
banuueting hail through which the light feet
of the dancers 60 up and down to the sound
Of trumpeters will be the sepulcher through
whose riffs the holy light of heaven stream
eth. God will watch you. He will send His
angels to guard your slumbering dust until,
at Christ's behest, they shall roll away the
stone.
So, also, Christ is chief Of heaven. The
Bible distinctly says that Christ Is the CHIEF
theme of the celestial ascription, all the
thrones facing His throne, all the palms
waved before His face. all the crowns down
at His feet. Cherubim to cherubim, seraphim
to seraphim, redeemed spirit to redeemed
spirit shall recite the Saviour's earthly
sacrifice.
Stand on some nigh hill of heaven,
and in all the radiant sweep the most
glorious object will be Jesus. Myriads
gazing on the scars of His suffering, IN
Silence first. afterward breaking forth
into accamation. The martyrs, all the
passed. will say, "This is the Jesus for whom
we died" The apostles, all the happier for
tho shipwreck and the scourging through
which they went, will say, This is the Jesus
whom we preached at Corinth, and Cappa
docia, and at Antioch, and at Jerusalem
Little children Clad IN white Will say, "lnis
is the Jesus who took us in His arms and
blessed US, and when the storms of the world
were too cold and loud brought US into this
beautiful place." The multitude Of the
bereft will say, This is the Jesus who com.
forted US when our hearts broke" Many
who wandered clear off from God and
plunged into vagabondism, but were saved
by grace. will say This is the Jesus who
rardoned US. We were lost on the noun
tans, and He brought US home. We were
guilty. and He has made us white as snow"