Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 February 1885 — Bishop Wiley’s Death. [ARTICLE]

Bishop Wiley’s Death.

The last words of a good man are always of interest, and the circumstances of the death of the late Bishop W’.tev r -jder his last words peculiarly so. PI e B -hop. who f.»r many years had ma e Ci‘i<-in ati his hom<\ died at Pooch *v % • Dint, Jiov.oni.er 23 1 last, bui th*- d. * t i|s of bis death were nut received n t'i s e uutry until last week. In tie \Ve**te'n Ohrtstian Auv Rev. N - J. Plumb give* a ve;y intere-tirg account of the BUb >p’* sickness and death. Mi. Plumb 1 ves in a house built upon the site wtiere stood the Xltouse winch Bishop Witey o ca led when} a missionary at Foochow u> er thirty yeais ago; and when he met Mrs. Piumb at the door his miad went back to his earlier years, anti as be took her hand he pathetically exclaimed, ‘Home, my old ininic.’ Bear t< * lii'*t wee the memories ofihts old home, f ■ fr *m it, were buried (tie wife of his vomit and i.is first child. Me iinmediati took his bed, and never was able to leave t. Oonevrn'ni? his las' visit to G'lii ia, licsti l: ‘I felt I mn-t make this last journey to visit mj tiH-si.uiH. 1 hoper! to do licit, and yi»n my fri n is in he south one ■ more; then I could have > onsi tered tny work of forty year onnd-d up ard tinsakeci.’ He wa- destine! iyeiv the Methodist Missionary Rlsbo.i >r bit- was the only one who had ever had a n i-s nniry’sox* jeiieiitv. Warn herealiz d that his life Vits a m 'St ended, and tnat he oouid live but a levv days longer, he said to Mr P utn •: My wish is to go ho ne and do ten years service, but the Lord’s will be done I it is simply a question of life or deal!., that does not weigh heavily on my mind Thirty-three years ago I came here, and now I think I may as well remain here aid fln;sh my work. I think it might be ago >ti thin git > have the on who for -erne reaon ins been called u.e Missionary Bishop of China to die to r•. 1 have some pleasurable thoughts about dyinu where my work beir*u. It I die I will die in the same faith in which l have ived. I have been a licensed preacher in the Methodist church for forty year-, and I’ftve ahvi \e tried to do my dut’. I h ive not been a joyous preacher or a joyous creature, but I have been a peaceful, happy,' hopeful Christian. I am at peace with God and man. I have never b-eu an etiemv to man. aud ) do not know tliar any man ;:an ever been an enemy to nie. I have never intended to barm any one, and I have no ku wledge ol any *>ne, ever having done me any ba m. With a little rnodi.iculion 1 can say > oat Paul said at liis > eud, I have louglit a hard fight;’ I won’t go as far as Paul, ‘I have fought a hard fight, 1 nave kept the tilth, I have finished my work, and henceforth’— here lie broKe off. leuvinj* the quotation incompe.te, but immediately adding. My fa t i is in the same Christ for whom I have Jived ana worked, and the same Oil. ist t r >ugh vnii im I hope to obtain eternal life. My faith is not as strong as Paul’s. Paui saw more than I hav*-. 1 believe in tne Lord Jesus Christ as the navior of the world. I believe in Lite Apostle’s Creed I believe there rs no redemption lor the w.,rld e.tc *pt in the Lo*'d Jesus Christ. I imy,. liwed a ohiistian *»»r lorty'.year-, and when i onI w ill die a toil i-tia ’ Shorty beio e lie died bo said to Mr. Plumb, ‘I am dying. [ cannot live 1 want to go home to neaveo ’ The las! S'-ni lie was fee no ro utter was. ■Lei me go.’ Ilodied ton minutes be Idle 4 o'clock, Snt'j" ,:v • r ruoou, No Vein * 'ct . t-81. ix, ; ,i. ,j i . v , ,vh- larg • ly a'fentlid by nai.iv snini foreigners, and tiie services weie conducted in both the English and GDtm .-e lwnguag .s The pall bearers were all native mtuis-t'-rs, clolhtd in white alttr the customs of the people whom the Bishop hail ordained upon a previous visit tiis body was laid beside that of his fir-t wife anil child.— Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.