The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-01-21

since the opening Of the year of our
Christian era, for il the earth has been
again and again lacerated into an Acel-
dana. through improved weaponry Of
death and more rapidity of fire, Prus-
sian breechloader. which in 1865
startled the nations with unprecedent-
ed havoc. eclipsed by contrivances that
can sweep vaster numbers TO death by
one volley. and telegraphy adding TO
gunnery new facilities for slaughter by
instantly ordering armies to where
they can do the most wholesale murder
i say if all this woe has been wrought,
how much worse would it have been IL
the Christly revelation had not been
let down from Heaven on tive-runged
ladder of musical scale, and there had
been no preaching of good will all up
and down Christendom for 10 CEN
turtles! The Bethlehem manger has
given the most potent suggestion of
peace the world has ever received. The
cavalry horses cannot eat out of that
manger.
take another step forward in show
ing the narrow escape you and | had
and the world had in the secretion of
Christ's birthplace from the Herodic de-
tectives and the clubs with which they
would have dashed the Babes life out
when l say thatSwithout the life that
began that night in Bethlehem the
world would have had no illumined
deathbeds. Before the time of Christ
good people closed their earthly lives
in peace while depending upon the
Christ to come, and there were ante
diluvian saints. and Assyrian saints.
and Egyptian saints and Grecian saints,
and Jerusalem saints long before the
clouds above Bethlehem became bal
cony filled with the best singers OF
world where they all sing. but cannot
read that there was anything more
than a quieting guess that came to
those before Christ deathbeds. Job
said something bordering on the conf
dent. but it was mixed up with story
of skin worms" that would destroy his
body. Abraham and Jacob had little
light on the dying pillow, but. COM
pared with the after Christ death beds,
! it was like the dim tallow candle of old
beside the modern cluster of lights
electric. / know Elijah went up in
memorable manner, but ii was terri
BILE way to goa whirlwind of fire that
must have been splendid to look at by
| those who stood on the banks of the
Jordan, but it was style of ascent that
required more nerve than you and |
ever had, to be placid occupant OF q
chariot drawn by such a wild team.
The triumphant deathbeds, as far as
know. were the after Christ deathbeds.
What procession of hosannas have
marched through the dying room Of the
saints Of the last 10 centuries! What
cavalcade of mounted halleluiahs has
galloped through the dying visions of
the last 1000 years save 100! Peaceful
deathbeds in the years b. c.! Trium-
plant deathbeds, for the most part, re-
served for the years A. D.! Behold the
deathbeds of the Wesleys, of the Dodd-
ridges, of the Leigh Richmonds, of the
Edward Paysons, of Vara. the convert
ed heather chieftain, crying in his last
moments: 1.-The canoe Is in the sea.
The sails are spread. She is ready for
the gale. have good pilot to guide
ME. My outside nan and my inside
man differ. Lei the. one rot till the
trumpet shall sound. but let my soul
wing her way to the throne of Jesus"
Of dying John Fletcher, who entered
his pulpit to preach, though his doc
tors forbade him, and then descended
TO the communion table, saying: Il
am going to throw myself under the
wings of the cherubim before the mercy
seat" thousands of people few days
after following him to the grave, sing
ing:
With heavenly weapons he. has fought
The battles of the Lord,
Finished his course and kept the faith
And gained the great reward.
Of Pastor Emile Cook, the great
French evangelist, who sat in my
church in Brooklyn one Sunday morn.
ing, and in few days shipwrecked and
dying after his wife had said to him:
God will help you, my dear; He will
give you peace" replying: But have
it-peace, have lit" OF Prince Albert,
quoting with his last breath: Rock
of Ages cleft for me. let me hide N.Y.
!. self in thee!" Of the dying soldier who
had been shot through the mouth and
could not talk. and when the chaplain
approached him, motioned for pencil
and paper and wrote: II am Chris
tian, prepared to die. Rally round the
flag! Rally round the flag!" OF John
Brown, of Haddington, who said: Il
desire to depart and be with Christ,
aud, though have lived so years very
comfortably in this world, would
turn my back upon you all to be with
Christ. There is no one like Christ
no one like Christ. l have been
looking at Him these many years, and
never yet could find any fault in Him
but was of my own making though he
has seen 10000 faults in me. oh, what
must He be in Himself when it is He
that sweetens Heaven, sweetens Scrip
ture, sweetens ordinances, sweetens
earth, sweetens trial." OF John Jane
way, saying in his last moments: Il
have done with prayer and with all
ordinances. Before few hours are