Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-12-10

is true that, frcm the nature of the case,
vast interests are thus entrusted to the
new generation, and vast undeveloped
plans in the progress Of human affairs
for which past generations have lived,
are thus committed to them to be car
ried out by them, and to be perfected by
item, il is also true that there is a vast
field on which they may originate their
own plans, and mature their own de-
signs.
1t is fact OH which aged men cannot
close their eyes il they would, that there
is progress in human affairs that the
world is advancing that the past is not
to measure, 10 bind, or to govern, the
future aud that all that future is TO be
in the hands of the coming generations.
Those generations will have their own
plans they will work out their own
schemes in their own way they will
respect old maxims, old plans, and old
ways of doing things, only so far as they
may conduce to the promotion of their
own plans, and contribute TO their own
designs. They will found their own col
leges and endow Their own seminaries /;
will make their own laws, and carry out,
in Church and State, their own purposes
in their own way. The present genera
tion has substituted moving machines
TOR scythes; reaping.machines for sickles;
sewing-machines for the needle the use
Of steam for sails on the water rail-
road cars for Conestoga wagons aud Troy
stages on land and the magnetic tele-
graph for the slow mode OF conveying
intelligence by poa-h Jrses. The next
generation may make similar advances,
and bring about similar changes in hui
man affairs. Men bit stand in their own
light who obstinately refuse these means
OF abridging labor aod adding practically
to the length of life, and if they do not
keep up with the age. the age will drop
them, and will steadily move on. What
is true in regard TO the physical condi-
tion of the world, is also true in regard
10 its moral aud spiritual condition. Old
men have their own notions in respect
TO the best ways Of preaching the gospel,
and advancing the interests of religion.
They might desire to see those methods
perpetuated TO the end of time, and they
may look with alarm on the fact that
their own plans are set aside, and new
ones are substituted in their room. To
their conservative apprehension the
church may be in danger of ruin, and all
these changes may be to their minds II
proof that religion is likely to die out
altogether.
A reference to single change which
has been introduced scarcely a genera
tion ago, may illustrate this point. The
establishment of Sunday schools has pro-
1uced very material, and it may be, a
Uiai, revolution 10 the mode of spread
ing and prepetuatIng religion. 1t is a
development of the present century it
is the outgrowth Of the progress OF hui
man affairs it is that in the church which
corresponds with the movement of the
world in other matters-the railIo Dad, the
steamboat, the magnetic telegraph The
condition of secular affairs was to be ad-
justed to the latte er the condition of the
church to. the former Both enter into
the state of human affairs now both
will live; each will, in their respective
spheres, exert an important influence on
The world. may return to this again.
The feelings which an aged man will in
fact be likely TO have toward these insti.
tutions of II new generation, it is not
lifiicult to describe; what bis feelings
should be, it is as little difficult to deter
mine. Three things pertain to the for
mer of these points:
/ He will be little likely to enter into
them with interest, with spirit, with
faith, or with hope. lie will probably
see in them only departure from the
rules and modes of doing things by which
his own life has been regulated, without
seeing the reasons for the change, and
this will be likely to be aggravated by
the fact that his aid and his counsel will
no longer be sought, or that, in language
which he has not understood before, Ian
guage to him now full of Significance
he will be dropped by the coming gen
Grafton. His own plans and schemes
have passed away, and as they are for
gotten, so it is not strange that he HIM
self should be forgotten also.
He will be in great danger of max
ing opposition to those plans, and of re-
garding them as unwise, or dangerous to
truth and to the best interests of relig-
on. His hope of the success of religion
in the world rested on the success Ot
plans in which he was principal agent,
and which he perhaps originated. These
plans are new. They are as yet untried.
They are, to his apprehension, of doubt
full wisdom, and will be doubtful in the
result. His own plans were, in his view,
sure in their result, these are not as yet
certain. II is not strange, therefore, that
old men are often found arrayed in OPP
position TO new plans, to new measures,
to new opinions-to what are called i'm
provemenLs in the arts of life, and to
notifications of opinions as bearing on
religion, on morals, and on political al
fairs.
8 The aged man, in these circumstan-
ces, will be likely to regard the world as
retrograding as becoming worse. by
all in which it differs from what it was
in his early days; by all the changes
which have occurred in opinion and in
the mode of doing things, he will regard
the world as having declined, and as
tending to universal prevalence OF ire
ligion and immortality. In proportion
as that idea takes possession OF his mind,
he will become gloomy, dissatisfied, COM
planning, difponding. A dark cloud. to
his view, will be seen to be settling
down ON human affairs, and as he has, by