The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1895-09-20
THE LONDONDERRY SITTER


world we shall have no more regret
than about leaving small dark, damp
house for che large, beautiful and oapa.
cimis, That dying minister In Philadel-
phia, some years ago, beautifully de-
picted it when, in the last moment, he
threw up his hands and cried out, ~
move into the hghtf
A Peaceful Sleep.
Pass ON now, and will show You one
more picture, and that is Stephen asleep
With pathos and simplicity peculiar
to the Scriptures the text says of Ste
phen, "He fell asleep" "Oh," you
say, "what place that was to sleepl
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 de-
parture, so sweet was it, so eontented
was it, so peaceful was it. Stephen had
lived very laborious life. His chief
work had been to care for the poor. How
many loaves of bread he had distribut-
ed, how many bare feet he had san
daled, how many cots of sickness and
distress he had blessed with ministries
Of kindness and love, do not know.
Yet from the way he lived, and the way
he preached, and the way he died, !
know he was H0laborious Christian,
But that is all over now. He has pressed
tho cup to the last fainting lip. He has
taken the last insult from his enemies.
The last stone to whose crushing weight
he is susceptible has been hurled Ste
phen is dead The disciples come.
They take him up They wash away
the blood from the wounds They
straighten ont 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 for the poor and died for
the truth. Stephen asleep!
have seen the sea driven with the
hurricane until the tang led foam caught
III the rigging, and wave rising above
wave seemed as if about to storm the
heavens and then have seen the tenn
pest drop, and the waves crouch, and
everything become smooth aud bur
nished as though a camping place for
the glories Of heaven. So / have seen a
man whose life has been tossed and
driven coming down at last to an inf
mite calm in which there was hush of
heavens lullaby. Stephen asleepl
saw such one He fought all his
days against poverty and against abuse.
They traduced his name They ratified
at the doorknob while he was dying
with duns for debts he could not pay.
Yet the peace of God b1ooded over his
pillow, and while the world faded heav-
en- dawned, and the deepening twilight
Of earth's night was only the opening
twilight of heavens morn. Not sigh.
Not tear, Not struggle Hush !!
Stephen asleep.
have not the faculty as many have
to tell the weather l can never tell by
the setting sun whether there will be
drought OF not. / cannot tell by the
blowing of the wind whether it will be
fair weather or foul on the morrow. But
I can prophesy and will prophesy what
weather it will be when you, the Chris
tan, come to die. You may have it very
rough now. 1t may be this week one
annoyance, the next another annoyance
1t may be this year one bereavement,
the next another bereavement. But at
the last Christ will come in, and dark
ness will go out. And though there may
be no hand to close your eyes, and no
breast Oh which to rest your dying head,
and no candle TO lift tho night. <ha
gale your soul, and at your bedside will
halt the chariots of the king. No more
rents to pay, no more agony because
-four has gone up, no more struggle with
1.-THE world, the flesh and the devil, T"
but peace-long, deep, everlasting
peace Stephen asleep!
Asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep,
From which none ever wake to weep;
calm and undisturbed repose,
Uninjured by the last of foes.
Asleep in Jesus far frol. tnee
Thy kindred and thy graves may be,
But there is still blessed sleep,
From which none ever wake to weep.
You have seen enough for one day.
No one can successfully examine more
than five pictures in day. Therefore
we stop, having seen this cluster Of di-
vine Raphaels-Stephen gazing into
heaven, Stephen looking at Christ,
Stephen stoned, Stephen in his dying
prayer, Stephen asleep.