Chapter 12
Section 12 of From Life to Life or How Our Preachers Die. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. From Life to Life or How Our Preachers Die by William Marion Weakley rev ellis heater rev lewis davis doctor of divinity rev r weaver rev lee fisher rev ellis heater
death loves a shining mark such was mr heater of parkersburg now west virginia conference though but a young man the testimony he left behind proved a rich legacy to his friends and has often been turned to good account by his fellow-workers in the gospel ministry to his father he expressed the desire that he might depart and be with christ when some of his family who had faithfully and lovingly watched at his bedside saw that he was dying they could no longer restrain their feelings and wept aloud this seemed to disturb him and caused him to rally for a few moments long enough to say be still let me alone i am going all is well his spirit with a bound burst its encumbering clay his tent that sunrise on the ground a darkened ruin lay
rev lewis davis doctor of divinity it shall come to pass that at evening time it shall be light the truth of this promise was realized by dr davis as the day of life drew to a close he found great pleasure in repeating the twenty-third psalm laying special stress on the first verse the lord is my shepherd i shall not want when asked by his wife if he had any message for his family he replied no everything is arranged for in answer to the question whether the saviour was precious he said oh yes how could it be otherwise a few hours before he died he was seen gazing upward most intently and lifting both hands he moved his fingers as if beckoning some one thus resting securely upon the divine rod and staff he passed quietly and safely through the valley of shadows and entered in triumph his long-sought home
saved to the uttermost jesus is near keeping me safely he casteth out fear trusting his promises how i am blest leaning upon him how sweet is my rest rev r weaver as mr weaver lay upon his pillow fully realizing that the night of death was approaching a flash of light pierced the clouds and fell upon his bed through the window turning his eyes toward the sun he said how nice to go home in the morning his faithful consort who found it so hard to give him up leaned over him when she saw the last moment had come and whispered good-bye i'll meet you in heaven yes said he and bring all the children with you two days later his daughter della when dying said i don't want to get well i want to go to papa whereupon her mother replied della you watch for us we'll all come as soon as we can oh how sweet it will be in that beautiful land so free from all sorrow and pain with songs on our lips and with harps in our hands to meet one another again
mr weaver's membership was an eerie conference rev lee fisher it is a fearful thing wrote mr fisher in his last letter to be a minister of the gospel and how dreadful it must be to desecrate so wholly a calling oh how earnest faithful pure-hearted pure-minded we ought to be i have been at the river's edge for several weeks and have seen as never before the necessity of a more sincere and consecrated life than most of us live When visited by Rev. U.P. Wardrop and S.T. Wallace, fellow ministers of Missouri Conference, he wept for joy and said,
I am now too weak to talk, but I can listen. I want you to tell me all about the work. After all his business affairs had been arranged, he said to his wife, Bring up my little boys to be men.
then in a few moments added i die as i have tried to live at peace with god and man a holy quiet reigns around a calm which life nor death destroys and nought disturbs that peace profound which his unfettered soul enjoys End of section 12
