Life's Last Hours

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 24, 1858

Life's Last Hours.

Life's last hours are grand testing hours. Death tries all our principles, and lays bare all our foundation. Many have acted the hypocrite in life, who were forced to be honest in the hour of death ; and many who seemed all fair and right for heaven, have had to declare that they had only been self-deceived.

A gentleman of renown was on his dying bed, when a friend, near at hand, spoke of the Saviour. "As to the Bible," he replied, "it may be true; I do not know." "What then are your prospects?" he was asked. He replied in whispers, which indeed were thunders, "Very dark—very dark." "But have you no light from the Sun of Righteousness ? Have you done justice to the Bible?" "Perhaps not," he replied, "but it is now too late—too late."

A mother who had laughed at religion and religious people, was seen restless and miserable on her bed of death. She desired that her children should be called—they came ; in broken accents she addressed them : "My children, I have been leading you in the wrong road all your life ; I now find the broad road ends in destruction ; I did not believe it before. O ! seek to serve God, and try to find the gate to heaven, though you may never meet your mother there." Her lips were closed forever, while the household looked on terror-struck. Mother ! Father ! would you die thus ? O no ! Then point to heaven, and lead the way.