The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-11-09
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
The Vision and the Death of Ste
phen, the Martyr.
rive Beautiful Misunderstanding Into
Ueavrn-Ths stoning of the Ste
pehns of the Present Day
The Lost sheep.

Ueavrn-The Stontng of the Ste
pehns of the Present Day
The Lost sheep.
Rev. r. Dewitt Talmage selects the |
following discourse on Five Pictures
for publication this week. 1t Is based !
on the text.
Behold 1 see the heavens opened.-Acts
VII. 81
Stephen had been preaching a rous-
ing sermon, and the people could not
stand it. They resolved to do as men
would like to dom this day.
If they dared. with some plain preach
or of righteousness--killh him. The only
way to silence this man was to knock
the breath out of him. So they rushed
Stephen ont of the gates OF the city,
and with curse, and whoop. and bel
low, they brought him to the ch1r, as
was the custom when they wanted to
take away life by stoning Having
brought him to the edge of the cliff,
tlev pushed him off. After he had
fallen they came and looked down,
and, seeing that he was not yet dead,
they began to drop stones upon him,
stone after stone. Amid this horrible
rain of missiles, Stephen chambers up
on his knees and folds his hands,
while the blood drips from his tenn
ples; and then, looking up, he makes
two prayers-one for himself and one
for his murderers. 'Lord Jesus, re-
ceive my spirit;" that was for himself.
Lord, lay not this sin to their charge;
that was for his murderers. Then,
from pain and loss OF blood, he swooned
away and fell asleep.
Iwant to show you to-day five ptct-
ures.
Stephen gazing into Heaven. Stephen
looking ut Christ. Stephen stoned.
Stephen in his dying prayer. Stephen
asleep.
First, look at Stephen gazing into
Heaven. Before you take leap you
want to know where you are going to
land. Before you climb ladder you
want to know to what point the lad
der reaches. And it was right that
Stephen, within few moments OF
Heaven, should be gazing into it. We
would all do well to be found in the
same posture. There is enough in
Heaven to keep us gazing. A man OF
large wealth may have statnary In The
hall, and paintings in the sitting room.
and works of art in all parts OF tue
house, but he has the chief pictures in
the art gallery, and there hour after
bour Won walk with catalogue and
| glass and ever-increasing admiration.
| Well. Heaven is the gallery where God
has gathered the chief treasures OF
| His realm. The whole universe is His
| palace. In tie lower room where
we stop there are many adornments
tessellated floor OF amethyst, aud on
the winding cloud-stairs are stretched
| out canvas on which commingle azure
and purple, and saffron, and gold. Blu
Heaven is the gallery in which thu
chief glories are gathered. There arr
the brightest robes There are TIT
richest crowns. There are the high
est CIVILIZATIONS. St John says oil 1t
1.-The kings of the earth shall brini
their honor and glory into it." And
see the procession forming, and in TIT
line come all empires, and the star
spring up into an arch for the hosts t
march under. They keep step to tn
sound of earthquake and the pitch
avalanche from the mountains, an
the flag they besr is the flame OF
consuming world, and all Heave
turns out with harps and trumpet
and myriad-voicef acclamations
angelic dominions to welcome them II
and so the kings of the earth brin
their honor and glory into 1t. Do yo
wonder that good people often stant
like Stephen, looking into HEAVIER
We have many friends there.
There is not man so isolated in III
: but there is some one in Heaven wit
whom he once shook hands. As ma
gets older. the number of his celestl
acauaintances very rapidly multiple
We have not had one glimpse OF the
: since the night we kissed them goo
by. and they went away; but still
stand gazing at Heaven. As wht
some of our friends GO across the sc
. we stand on the dock, or on the stea
tug, and watch them. and after awhl
the hulk of the vessel disappears. al
|. there is only patch Of sail on the SIX
{ and soon that is gone, and they are
: ont of sight, and yet we stand lookil
G In the same directions; so when o
friends go away from us into the
e ture world we keep looking doy
u through the Narrows, and gazing al
u gazing as though we expected tn
Q they would come out and stand
some cloud, and give us one glimpse
d their blissful and TRANSPORTED faces
While you long to join their co
70 partnership, and the years and the ola
go with such tedium that they bre
l. your heart, and the vipers obtain, a
y sorrow. and bereavement keep gna
Is ing at your vitals, you will stand, u
h Stephen. gazing into Heaven. Y
ic wonder II they have changed 81
r you saw them last You wonder
lie they would recognize your face nc
y so changed has it been with trout
l. You wonder if, amid the myriad
lights they have. they care as mt
le for you as they used to when II
n gave you helping hand aud put tn
he shoulder under your burdens !
er wonder IL they look any older;
e; sometimes in the evening-tide, WI
as the house Is all quiet, yon wonder
YOU should call them by their
as name if they would not answer
en- perhaps sometimes you do make
experiment, and when no one but
4 81 yr