Democratic messenger., 1904-06-25

every shaggy NAMED Bengal king,
must die Il violent death. So dies the
dog; hut. thank God. so does not die the
Christian.
Sometimes tits true that the body of
man may die the death of n dog. but
the Christian has hope in his death.
Though his body perish in battle or in
accident. though il may be- crushed or
burned. SO that il cannot be recognized.
his soul is safe. lie has the conscious
ness that Christ is able 10 keep that
which has been committed TO him and
whatever may befall the body the soul
will be preserved.
John Il. Cough in one of his wonder
full lectures gives Il description of the
remarkable escape of his father. who
was IN old English soldier. from dying
a horrible death. II was during the
famous Franco English war of 1909.
when the british troops were retreat
ing before lightning horsed Marshal
Soult. Hungry and faint and sick
from exposure and lack of food and
also from loss of blnud from Il wound
in the chest. young Cough staggered
along with his regiment as long as he
could and then fell by the roadside to
die. lie must die" said his son. 1T
seemed inevitable that he must die.
Suddenly. as lie lay upon the ground,
a large bird of prey. with II red neck
growing out of II ruiile of feathers.
came swapping along. almost touching
my fathers body with it's wings. and
then. circling up. it alighted on a point
of rock and turned its blood red eye
on its intended victim. As my father
saw that horrible thing watching and
waiting To tear him in pieces. even be-
fore life was extinct, ii so filled him
with horror that he cried: i cannot
endure this. When am unable to
drive that fearful thing away. 1t will
be tearing my flesh He rose to his
feet and crawled and struggled on till
safety The death which menaced
that wounded man is the death which
awaits the eastern dog When he is
incapable Of defending himself he Is
torn to pieces. Men. too. have per-
ishpd through the vindictive passions
of their fellows. Some have been cru
Gifted. as was Christ: some have been
stoned, as was Stephen: some have
been beheadcl. ns was Paul: some have
been burned at the stake. as were Rid
ley and I.atimcr But how different
was their future from that of the dog
From out those crushed and mutilated
bodies the martyr spirits have gone
up. redeemed and glorified. to dwell
forever before the throne.
A Legend of King solomon.
o We morials. destined L. live for
ever either in bliss ar i'm misery. does
not the offer that Christ makes you
stir your desire for salvation: Accept
his proTcrcl gift. and then. he your
end what il may. your being rooted
up from this world. with its bitter
fruits of sorrow and pain and misery.
will mean nothing more than your be-
ing transplantrd into that supernal
garden in which you will grow and
flourish and bear fruit to the honor
and glory of God There is an old leg
end that when King Solomon was n
boy one day he begged his teacher to
show him u miracle. Nathan thrust
therein little seed. Immediately that
seed began TO sprout. While the lad
looked on the two little green leaves
grew into round stem. Then the
stem swciled ont with the trunk of n
large tree. Then the tree. like the
candlcsticks of the altars." and the
birds of the air few into those branch
es and builtied there their nests and
reared their young. While he looked
the blossoms grew upon that tree. and
then those blossoms We're changed into
the deep rich red fruit which blushed
like the glow Of the setting sun. That
ts merely legend. but there Is II real
miracle which can he worked in your
lives infinitely greater than young Sol
ONION Is supposed TO have seen.
The seed Of eternal life planted by
the Holy Spirit i'm your heart can
change your whole nature. Instead of
tfIose qualities which degrade you to
the level of the hrutcs. instead Of the
sinful propensities which distort and
deform your being there shall grow
from that divine seed IL plant of beauty.
graceful and glorious with heavenly
lovcliness and eternal in ever develop
ing life "Ye shall be like tree plant
ed by the rivers of water that bringeth
forth it's fruit i'm it's season. and what
soever yc do, III shall prosper" What
is your choice? Will you live life of
beauty and usefulness. II life patterned
on that divine life which Christ lived
on earth. ending in Il triumphant rcsur-
rection. or will you choose the wick
edncss. the vice. the corruption. Of the
world. feeding like the eastern dog on
the carrion Of life and becoming in
nature like him? Remember. If We live
after the flesh We shall die. and from
that abode of bliss. where there are
joys forever more, you will be excluded
with all whose natures have grown
fierce and cruel and debased with
out are dogs"
ICopyright. 1901. by Louis Elopsch.l
More Hindrnnce Than Help.
Bishop David ii. Greer of New York
.Ixs IL a..