The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-04-21

tion. John Wesley was howled down
by the mob to whom he preached, and
they threw bricks at him, and they
denounced him, and they jostled him,
and they spat upon him, and yet to-
day, in all lands, he is admitted to be
the great father of Methodism Booths
bullet vacated the presidential chair;
but from that spot of coajulated blood
on the floor in the box of Fords the
ater there sprang up the new life Of
nation. Stephen stoned, but Stephen
alive
Pass on now and see Stephen in his
dying prayer. His first thought was
not how the stones hurt his head, nor
what would become of his body. His
first thought was about his spiris.
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" The
murderer standing on the trap-door,
the black cap being drawn over his
head before the execution, may grimace
about the future, but you and have
no shame in confessing some anxiety
about where we are going to come out.
You are not all body. There is within
you a soul. l see it CLEAN from your
your countenance. Sometimes l am
abashed before an audience, not
because l come under their physical
eyesight, but because l realize the
truth that l stand before SO many inn
mortal spirits. The probability is that
your body will at last find sepulcher
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
it? What gate will open to receive it?
| What cloud will be cleft for it's path
| way? After it has got beyond
the light of our sun, will there be
torches lighted for it the rest of
the way? Will the soul have to travel
through long deserts before it reaches
the good land? If we should lose our
pathway, will there be a castle at
whose gate we may ask the
way to the city? 1t has two wings,
but it is in a cage now. 1t is locked
fast to keep it; but let the door of this
cage open the least, and that soul is of.
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
bound. And have l no anxiety about
it? Have you no anxiety about it?
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 we'll in
wrapping Of sacEcloth as in satin lined
with eagles down. But my soul, be-
fore this day passes, | will find ont
where it will land. Thank God for the
intimation of my text that when we
die Jesus takes u.s. 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 l get wea-
ry of the way, Christ coald lift me on
His omnipotent shoulder. What though
there were chasms to cross, His hand
could transport me. Then let Ste
phens prayer b, my dying litany:
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" 1t may
be that 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
petitions. Perhaps we may be too
, feeble even to say the infant prayer
, our mothers taught us, which John
l Quincy Adams, 70 years OF age, said
2 every night when he put his head upon
his pillow:
Now lay me down to sleep,
D Ipray the Lord my soul to keep
. We may be too feeble to employ eth
l 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,
il that prayer is answered, how swee,
it will be to die! This world is clevel
, enough to us. Perhaps it has treated
us great deal better than we deserve
= to be treated; but if on the dying pill
r low there should break the light ot
that better world we shall have M
e more regret about leaving a small
: dark, damp house for one large, beau
l. tiful and capacious. That dying min
lister in Philadelphia. some years ago
, beautifully depicted it, when in tn
u last moment he threw up his hand
and cried out: II move into the light.
stephen asleep! ! saw such an one
1t He fought all his days against povert.
st and against abuse. They traduced hi
n name. They ratified at the door knoll
20 while he was dying. with duns TO
lie debts he could not pay; yet the peac
he of God brooded over his pillow, an
I'd while the world faded, Heaven dawned
I'd and the deepening twilight Of earth
es night was only the opening twilight Q
L Heavens morn. Not sigh. Not
d, tear. Not a struggle! Hush! Sts
IN phen asleep!
III Asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep,
e, From which none ever wa'se to weep;
ed calm and undisturb,i repos,,
II JTninjured by the last of foes.