Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-01-05

need not REMIND me OF the awIui wars
since the opening of the year l Of our
Christian era, for il the earth has been
again and again lacerateG into an Acel-
DANA. through improved weaponry OF
death and more rapidity of fire, Prus-
sian hreeehloader, which in 1866
startled the nations with unprecedeut-
ed havoc, eclipsed by contrivances that
can sweep vaster numbers TO death by
ore volley, and biography adding 10
cunnery new facilities for slaughter by
instantly ordering armies TO where
they can do the most wholesale murder
II say IL all this woe has beea wrought,
how much worse would il have been IL
the Christlv revelation had not been
let down from Heaven on iive-runged
ladder of musical scale, aud there had
been no preaching Of good will all M
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
manager
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 llerodic de-
tectives and the clubs with which they
woulS hav~ Seshra the Babes life out
when | say that without the life that
began that night in Bethlehem the
world would have had no illumined
deathbeds. Before he lime of Christ
good people closed their earthly lives
in peace while depending upon the
Christ 10 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 filed with the best singers OF
world where they all sing, but | cannot
read that there was anything more
than quieting guess that came to
those before Christ deathbeds. Job
said something bordering on the CONT
dent. but il was mixed up with story
of Skin worms" that would destroy his
body. abraham and Jacob had little
light on the dying pillow, but, CON-
pared with the after Christ deathbeds,
it was like the dim tallow candle Of old
beside the modern cluster of lights
electric know Elijah went up in
memorable manner, but il was terri
bic way to go. IA whirlwind of fire that
must have been splendid to look at by
those who stood on the banks of the
IL, l,tt Syk 10 nt = ~ n
required more nerve than you and !
ever had, to be placid occupant Of y
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 halleluahs has
galloped through the dying visions OF
the last 1000 years save 100! Peaceful
deathbcds in the years Il. c.! Trium-
plant deathbeds, for the most part, re-
served for the years \. d.! BEHOLD the
deathbcds of the Wesleys, of the Dodd-
ridges, of the Leigh Richmonds, of the
Edward paysons, of Nara, the convert
ed heather chieftain, crying in his last
moments: The canoe is in the sea.
The sails are spread. She is ready for
the gale. | have a good pilot TO guide
me. My outside man and my inside
man differ. Let 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
10 the communion table, saying: Il
am going 10 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 i'll" or Prince Albert,
quoting with his last breath: Rock
of Ages cleft for me, let me hide my
self in thee!" or 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: "a am a Chris
tian, prepared TO die. Rally round the
flag! Rally round the fag!" OF John
Brown, of Haddington, who said: 81
desire to depart and be with Christ,
and though have lived co 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. | 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 il Is He
that sweetens Heaven. sweetens Scrip
ture, sweetens ordinances. sweetens
earth, sweetens trial" or John Jane
UNIV sayiuu in HE last moments. ~