Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-03-19
.ACCOMAU- C. IT, VA SATURDAY MARCH 49, 1885,

open the least and that soul is on.
Eagles wing could not catch it. The
lightnings are not swift enough to take
up with it. When the soul leaves the
body, it takes so worlds at bound.
And have no anxiety about it? Have
you no anxiety about it?
Stephens Prayer.
do not care what you do with my
body when my soul is gone, or whether
you believe in cremation or inhuma-
tion. l shall sleep just as well in a
wrapping of snckcloth as in satin lined
with eagles down. But my soul-before
this day passes will find out where it
will land. Thank God for the intima-
ton of my text, that when we die Jesus
takes us. That answers all questions for
me. What though there were massive
bars between here and the city of light,
Jesus could remove them. What though
there were great Saharas of darkness,
Jesus could illume them. What
though 1 get weary on the way. Christ
GOULD lift me on his omniputent Shout
der. What though there were cbasms to
GROSS his hand could transport me-.
Then let Stephens prayer be my dying
litany, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. y
1t may DO in that hour we will be too
feeble to say long prayer. 1t may be
in that hour we will not be able to say
the Lords Prayer, for it has seven Pc
titions. Perhaps we may be too feeble
even to say the infant prayer our moth
ers taught US, which John Quincy Ad-
ans, 10 years of age, said every night
when he put his head upon his pillow:
Now lay mo down to sleep.
prny tho Lord my soul 10 keep.
We may be too feeble to employ Ell
ther of these familiar forms, but this
prayer of Stephen is so short, is so con-
else, is so earnest, is go comprehensive,
we surely will be able to say that
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" Oh,
if that prayer is answered, how sweet
it will be to die This world is clover
enough to US. Perhaps it has treated US
q great deal better than we deserve to
be treated. but if on the dying pillow
there should break the light of that bet
ter world we shall have no more regret
about leaving a small, dark, damp
house for one large, beautiful and cara
cious. That dying minister i'll Philade)-
phia, some years ago, beautifully de-
picted it when in the last moment he
threw I'D his hands and cried out, 81
move into the light. u
A Working Christian.
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 Stephen, HE 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 u place it was
to slcep!'' And yet my text takes that
symbol of slumber to describe his dc.
parture, so sweet was it, SO oontented
was it, so peaceful was it. Stephen had
lived vliy laborious life. His chief
work bad been to care for the poor.
How many leaves of bread be distribut-
ed, how mary bare feet he had sandal
ed, how many cots of sickness and dis
tress he blessed with ministries of kind
ness and love, do not know, but from
the way be lived, and the way be
preached, and the way he died know
he was laborious Christian. But that
is all over now. He has pressed the cup
to the last fainting lip. He has taken
the last insult from his enemies. The
last stone to whose crushing weight be
is susceptible has been hurled. Stephen
is dead. The disciples 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 for
the poor and died for the truth. Stephen
asleepl
have seen the sea driven with the
hurricane until the tangled foam caught
in the rigging, and wave rising above
wave seemed as if about to storm the
heavens, and then have seen the tempest
drop, and the waves crouch, and every
thing become smooth and FURNISHED
rs though camping place for the glories
of heaven. So have seen man whose
life has been tossed and driven coming
down at lust to an infinite calm in
which there was the hush of heaven g
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 be was dying with duns for debts
be could not pny yet the peace Of God
brooded over his pillow, and while the
world faded heaven dawned, and the
deepening twilight of earth s night was
only the opening twilight Of heaven
morn. Not a sigh; not a tear not a
struggle. Hush Stephen asleepl
At tho Last.
1 have not the faculty to tell the
weather. can never tell by the setting
sun whether there will be drought or
not. l cannot tell By the blowing of the
wind whether it Will be fair weather or
foul on the morrow. But can prophesy,
and will prophesy, what weather II
will be when you. the Christian, come
to die. You may have it very rough
now. It may be this week one annoy
ancc, the next another annoyance. 1t
may be this year one bereavement, the
next another bereavement Before this
year has passed you may have to beg fol-
bread or ask for scuttle of coal or
pair of shoes, but at the last Christ will
come in and darkness will go out, and
though there may be no hand to close
your eyes. and no breast on which to rest
your dying head, and no candle to lift
the night, the odors Of Gods hanging
Garden will repale Your soul, and 81