The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-04-24

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| The grdy slind 10 of the last enemu apus
| protected into the ROOM
was si:.hlng rapidly. He was conscious,
however, and at Philips quiet question
concerning his peace with God a smile
passed over his face, and he moved his
lips. Philip understood him. A sud-
den thought occurred to Philip. He
opened the basket, took out the bread
and wine, set them on the small table
and said:
! disciple of Jesus, would you like to
partake of the blessed communion
once more before you see the King in
i
The CLEAN of satisfaction in the
mans eyes told Philip enough. The
sexton said In low voice, He be-
longed to the southern Episcopal
church in Virginia" Something in the
wistful look of the sexton gave Philip
an inspiration for what followed.
Brother" he said, turning to the
Il hot ;e, I,
tism and partaking of the communion? ?
Yes, this is Christ's church wherever
his true disciples are.''
Then the sexton brought a basin Of
water and as he kneeled down by the
side of the bed Philip baptized him
with the words: Il baptize thee,
Henry, my brother, disciple of Jesus.
into the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Ghost!
| Amen"
"Amen," murmured the man on the
bed. =
And Philip, still standing as he was,
bowed his head, saying, BLESSED Lord
Jesus, accept these children of thine,
bless this new disciple, and unite our
hearts in love for thee and thy king
dom as we remember thee now in this
service"
He took the bread and said: Take,
eat. This is my body, broken for you.
In the name of the Master, who said
these words, eat, remembering his love
for u.s.
The dying man could not lift his
/ hopd fo toko tho broad from tho pla 70
Philip gently placed a crumb between
his lips. The sexton, still kneeling,
partook and, bowling his head between
his hands, sobbed. Philip poured out
the wine and said, "In the name Of the
Lord Jesus, this cup is the new tesla
ment in his blood shed for all mankind
for the remission of SINS" He carried
the cup to the lips of the man and then
gave to the sexton. The smile on the
dying mans face died. The gray
shadow of the last enemy was project
ed into the room from the setting sun
of deaths approaching twilight. The
son of the old slave master was going
to meet the mother of the man who
was born into the darkness of slavery,
but born again into the light of God
Perhaps, perhaps, he thought, who
knows but the first news he would
bring to her would be the news of that
communion? Certain it is that his
hand moved vaguely over the blanket
1t slipped over the edge of the bed
and fell upon the bowed head of the
sexton and remained there as if in ben
ediction. And so the shadow deepened
and at last it was like unto nothing
else known to the sons Of men on
earth, and the spirit leaped out of its
clay tenement with the breath of the
communion wine still on the lips OF
the frail, perishable body.
Philip reverently raised the arm and
laid it on the bed. The sexton rose
and, while the tears rolled over his
face, he gazed long into the counte
nance of the son of his old master. NJ
| division of race now; no false and self
ish prejudice here. Come, let the
neighbors of the dead come in to dt
the last sad offices to the casket, fol
the soul of this disciple is in the man
sions of glory, and it shall hunger NJ
more, neither thirst any more, neithel
i tut udI hutSS VI uSdth CNCl oSdAi
smite it, for it shall live forever in thu
| light Of that Lamb of God who CAV,
himself for the remission of sins ant
the life everlasting.
Philip did what he could on such al
occasion. 1t was not an unusual even
altogether. He had prayed by man.
poor creature in the clutch of the las
enemy, and he was familiar with hi
face in the tenements. But this partic
, ular scene had a meaning and left al
, impression different from. any he hat
, known before. When finally he was a
liberty to go home for little rest be
, fore the evening service, he found him
self more than usually tired and sol
rowful. Mrs. Strong noticed it as h
, came In. She made him lie down an
urged him to give up his evening sery
ice.
mo, no, Sarah! l can't do that!
, am prepared. 1 must preach! I'll ge
a nap, and then I'll feel better" h
said.
p Mrs. Strong shook her head, but Phi
t ip was determined. He slept little
\ ate little lunch, and when the tim
of service came he went up to tn