The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-03-26

SJCoikhI, Dui DcCduS0 Etdll[C Lnt
truth that 1 stand before so many i'm.
mo-tal spirits. The probability is that
your body will at last find a scpulcher
in some of the cemeteries that surround
your town or city. There is no doubt
but that your obsequies will be decent
and respectful, and you will be able To
pillow your head under the maple, or
the Norway spruce, or the cypress or
the blossoming fir; but this spirit about
which Stephen prayed, what direction
will that take? What guide will escort
.tP What gate will open to receive it?
What cloud will be cleft for its path
way? After it has got beyond
the light of our sun, will there be
torches lighted for it the rest of
the way? viii the soul have to travel
through long deserts before it reaches
the good land? If we should lose our
pathway, will there be castle at
whose gate we may ask the
way to the city? 1t has two wings,
but 1T is in cage now. 1t is locked
fast to keep it; but let the door of this
cage open the least, and that soul is off.
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 fifty worlds at a
bound. And have no anxiety about
1t? Have you no anxiety about itP
do not care what you do with my
body when my soul is gone, or whether
you believe in cremation or inhuma-
ton | shall sleep just as well in
wrapping of sackcloth as in satin lined
with eagles down. But my soul, be-
fore this day passes, L will find out
where it will land. Thank God for the
intimation of my text that when we
\dic 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~.ve great
SaharaS of darkness, Jesus could
illume them. What though | get wea-
ry of the way, Christ could lift me on
His omnipotent shoulder. What though
there were chasms to cross, His hand
could transport me. Then let Ste
phen's prayer be my dying ltany:
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" 1t may
be that in that hour we will be too
feeble to say IA long prayer. 1t may be
in that hour we will not be able to say
the LORDS Prayer" fort has seven
petitions. Perhaps we may be too
feeble even to say the infant prayer
our mothers taught us, which John
Quincy Adams, 20 years of age, said |
every night when he put his head upon
his pillow:
Now lay me down To sleep
Ipray the Lord my soul 10 keep
We may be too feeble to employ eth
er of these familiar forms; but this
prayer of Stephen is so short, is SO con-
else, is SO earnest, is SO comprehensive,
we surely Will be able to say that:
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit Oh,
II that prayer is answered, how sweet
1t viii be to die! This world is clever
enough to us Perhaps it has treated
us great deal better than we deserve
to be treated; but if on the dying pill
low there should break the light of
that better world we shall have no
more regret about leaving a small
lark, damp house for one large, beau.
.Iful and capacious. That dying min.
ster in Philadelphia, some years ago,
beautifully depicted it, when in the
asst moment he threw up his hands
and cried out: Il move into the light"
Pass on now and | will show you one
more picture, and that is Stephen
sleep. With pathos and simplicity
peculiar to the Scriptures, the text says
# Stephen: He fell asleep" Oh
ou say, what place that was to
lecp! hard rock under him, stones
alling down upon him, the blood
the mob bowling.
What place it was to sleep!"
md yet my text takes that
ymbol of slumber to describe ,
is departure, SO sweet was it, SO {
ontentcd was it, SO peaceful was it. I
tcphen had lived a very laborious life. !
lis chief work had been to care for the ,
DOR. How many loaves of bread he q
attributed, how many bare feet he had c
indaled, how many cots of sickness and g
lstress he blessed with ministries of +,
indness and love, | do not know, but |
'om the way he lived, and the way he 6
reached, and the way he died, know
was laborious Christian. But :,
nat is all over now. He has -
ressed the cup to the last faint =
X lip. He has taken the last :,
lsult from his enemies. The last :
one to whose crushing weight he is :,
isceptible has been hurled. Stephen :,
dead The disciples come. They =
IKE him up. They wash away the :.
lood from the wounds They :,
raighten out the bruised limbs. They y
rush back the tangled hair from the !,
row, and then they pass around to :.
ok upon the calm countenance of him '.
no had lived for the poor and died for y
lie truth. Stephen asleep! =
Stephen asleep! | saw such an one. l.
fought all his days against poverty
I'd against abuse. They traduced his
iine. They ratified at the door knob I,
lille he was dying, with duns for rc
BITS he could not pay; yet the peace r,
God broodcd over his pillow, and sI
lille the world faded, Heaven dawned, n,
I'd the deepening twilight of earth's a.
ght was only the opening twilight of I;
eavens morn. Not sigh. Not a ~
ar, Not struggle! Hush! Ste ~
len asleep! ~
Asleep In Jesus, blessed sleep,
From WHICH none ever wake TO weep: -
A calm and uudisturhod rnnoso w