Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-09-13

Saladin, the great conqueror of his day
while dying, ordered that the tunic he had
| on him be carried after his death on his
smear at the head OF his army, and that then
| the soldier. ever and anon. should stop and
saw: "Behold all that Is left of Saladin, the
| emperor and conqueror! Or all the states
he conquered, of all tho wealth he accumu.
lated. nothing did he retain but this
| shroud." have no sympathy with such be-
havior. or such absurd demonstration. OF
| with much that we hear uttered in regard to
departure from this life to the next. There
is n commonsensical idea on this subject
that Won need to consider-there are only
two styles of departure. A thousand feet
underground. by light of torch, toilinc
in n miners shaft, q ledge OF rock may fall
upon us and we may die n miners death.
Far out at sea, falling from the slippery rat
| lines and broken on the halliards, We may
| die n sailors death. On mission OF mercy
| In hospital. amid broken bones ana reetnS
leprosies and raging fevers, we may die n
| philanthropist's death. On the felt OF
| battle. serving God and our country, sIuS5
through the heart, the gun carriage may
roll over US and we may die patriot 2
death. But, after all, there are only two
styles ofdeparture--the death otthe righteous
aud the death of the wic&e land we all
| want % die the fOrmer
God grant that when that hour comes Won
may be at home. You want the hand oil
your kindred in your hand. You want yout
| children to surround you. You want tho
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 u.s. But is that ALI? Can earthly
friends hold us up when the pillows OF death
come up to the girdle2 Can human voice
charm open heavens gate? Can human
hand pilot us through the narrows OF death
into heavens harbor2 Can any earth
ly friendship shield us from the
arrows of death and in the
hour when satan shall practice upon US his
Internal archery? No. no. no, mol Alaa,
poor soul, IL that is all! Better die In the
wilderness far from tres shadow and from
fountain, alone, vultures c'rcling through
the air waiting for our body. unknown TO
men, and TO have no burial, il only Christ
could say through the soltudeq. 81 will
never leave thee. l will never forsake thee"
From that pillow Of stone a 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 q heather temple. said: "Giory to Thee,
o God!' What did dying Wilberforce say to
his wife? "Come and sit beside me, and let
us talk of heaven. Inever knew what hap
piness was until found Christ" What did
dying Hannah More say2 "To goto heaven,
think what that is! To 90 to Christ, wh1
died that might live! Oh. glorious grave!
Oh, what glorious thing it is to die! o.,
the love Of Christ, the love Of Christ" What
did Mr.. Toplady, the grsat hymn maker, say
in his last hours? "Who can measure th)
depths of the Thrill heaven? Oh, the sun
shine that fills my soul! l shall soon be
gone, for surely no one can live in this
world after such glories as God has mani
tested to my SOUL"
What did the dying Janeway say? 81 eau
as easily die as close my eyes or turn my
head in sleep. Before u 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 shalt
ascribe riches. and honor. and glory AMI
majesty, AMI dominion unto -Go1 an1 Ia
Lamb" DR.. Taylor, condemned to burn at
the stake, on his way thither broke away
from the guardsmeD, and went bounding
and leaping and jumping toward tho fire,
glad to go to Jesus and TO die for Hin.
Or OUdrlOS mare, i'll ulS luol luOIlOHiT,
had such rapturous vision that he cried,
"Upward, upward, uqwarl" All 81
great was the peace Of Que Of Carist's
disciples that he put his finger upon th9
pulse in his wrist and counted it and OBJ
served it; and so great was his placditythat
after awhile he said. "StOppedI' an his lie
had ended here to begin in heaven. BIT
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 have fought the COOL
fight, l have flushed my course, have kept
the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me
crown of righteousness which the Lori,
the righteous Judge, Will give me in that
day, aud not to me only, but to all them that
love His appearlng!" Do you not see that
Christ is chief in dying alleviations?
Toward the last hour of our earthly resi-
dence we are speeding. When [ se1 tbs
sunset, say, zone day less to live" When
see the spring blossoms scattered, I say
"Auother season gone forever" When l
close the Bible on Sabbath night, say.
"Another Sabbath departed" When 1 bury
friend, l say, "Another earthly attraction
gone forever" What nimbe feet tho years
have! The roebucks and tAe lightnings run
not so fast. From decade to decade, from
sky to sky, they so at bound. There
is a place for US, whether marked or
not, where you and 1 will sleep The
last sleep. and the men are now liy-
ing who will, with solemn tread. carry US
to our resting place. Aye, it is known in
heaven whether our departure will be Il cor
onation or Punishment. Brighter than a
banqueting hall through which the light fe I
of the dancers go 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 Christi bohest, they Shall roll away the
stone.
So. also, Christ is chief of heaven. The
Bible distinctly says that Christ is the chlel
theme of the celestial ascriptiop, all the
thrones facing His throne. all tho palms
waved before His face, all the crowns down
at His feet. Cherubim to cherubim, seraphim
to seraphim, redeemed spirit to redeemed
spirit shall reclte the Saviour's earthly |
sacrifice.
Stand on some high hill OF heaven, |
and in all the radiant sweep the most |
glorious object will be Jesus. Nyriads |
gazing on the scars of His suffering. in |
silence first. afterward breaking forth |
into reclamation. The martyrs, all the |
purer for the flame through which they |
passed, will say, "This is the jesus for whom |
we died" The apostles, all the happier for |
he shipwreck and the scourging through |
which they went, will say, ''This is the Jesus
whom we preached at Corinth, and Cappa::
locia, and at Antioch, and at Jerusalem"
Little children cla1 in white will say, This |
s the Jesus who took us in His arms and |
blessed us, aud when the storms OF the world |
we're too cold and loud brought us into this |
,eautiful Mace" The multitude OF the |
,ereft will say, ''This is the Jesus who com. !,
orted us when our hearts broke" Many |
Who wandered clear off from God and |
"a -. In, INF rrrnrn vol L