The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1913-10-10
THE LESSON TO OTHERS

The last few weeks of the Rev. Irenaeus Trout before the end
ing of his earthly pilgrimage exhibited a faith in Jesus Christ and
an absolute confidence in the hope beyond the grave that furnishes
the world another of the many examples of the profit and worth OF
a fellowship with God in those hours when all human agencies fail
and when science has exhausted its skill.
A mans friends and loved ones can minister to him IN sickness;
they can comfort him in sorrow and relieve his physical distress,
but there is one path man must tread alone. Loved ones can go
with him to the brink that divides this lite from the next, Ut When
it is reached he must launch out into the dark unkn own and sepa-
rate himself from all that is near and dear in this life.
1t is at this dividing point where Jesus steps. in and takes the
arm of the expiring one and says, Fear not, for am witt thee.
The Psalmist David said. Yea, though walk through the valley OF
the shadow of death, will fear no evil" Mr.. Irouts acts and
words showed that he felt as confidently about his gong away as
David did. He talked cheerfuHy and resignedly to friends. He did
not act the part of one who had to make his peace with God and his
preparation fol-. the next world after he became i'll; he had acted the
part of the wise one and had already arranged that. He might have
been improvident, he might have been careless about some other
things, but certainly he was not improvident or careless about the
ONE thing-the most important thing in life, preparing tor death.
but what human being has not? He never surrendered to a weak
ness, but always arose from a conflict with a determination to press
onward and to fortify himself for another fray. SO W. who are left
behind should profit by what was good IN Mr.. Trout. he pracIced
the religion of ministering unto the needs of the sorrowlnS and the
distressed. This was and is undoubtedly pleasing to God-He wants
all of us to do that.
minister of the gospel of every branch of the Christian church is
endeavoring to do. There is nothing too good for that man who is
sacredly devotng himself to the Christian ministry-and We believe
a very large per cent, nearly all, of those who claim to be ministers
are meeting their duties as God gives them light to see and strength
TO perform them. The world owes the ministry a debt beyond what
we sometimes think it realizes, The ministry keeps alive the fires
of truth: they cultivate the Christian graces and cause man to stop
in the mad rush of secular affairs to take his latitude and longitude.
1t is a very rare exception that the earnest thinking man attends
upon religious worship and does not hear some truth that mirrors
his errors and causes him to mediate upon Gods good,
ness to him. The ministry needs more encouragement, the world
more of the true preachers, The minister's errors should be mini
mized and those qualities and attributes that make TOR ,gooo should
have the sincere encouragement and recognition OF all who realize
that it has pleased God to save the world thru the "foolishness of
preaching
deemed on the other shore. His was a faith that was joyous to live
by and consoling and assuring in the hour of death.