The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-05-24

g. The dsinterested pianthrophts WIN conee
Grated their abors to thecorrecton OF abuses, anu
the amelioration of humn want ard sorrow nave
often been the most misepresenttd and Viiineu oi
men, during their Datura lives st east, and II APP
probation and grstitud came at last,-if their
names were ever ceebraed in story and In song,
it was posthumous hopr quite UNDECIDED by the
silent dust, and whose lusc could not penetrate
the dull cold ear of dealt
4, Aud what shall wesay Of 81 e missionaries
who amidst privatious nd perils tolled SO long
without apparent success of the atriot statesmen
who wrung from the had OF tyranny the worlds
great charters and declsations of right; OF the
patriot soldiers who fell,u the field of duty, the
freedom for which they ought still unattained; OF
the retormers who th0uh the enemy came In like
food, lifted up the staldard of truth and held it
fast and high; of the Apostles whose career was
sketched by one of thir twn number in words
which seem to exhaust he vocabulary OF outrage
and wrong, when he tes of trouble, perplexlties,
stripes, prisons shipwecks. WEAKNESS, painful
ness, wa'chings, hunse, thirst. HASTINGS, cold,
nakedness buffetings fevilings and ends it all
with that epigramatic Inc, intense and vivid in its
revelation of indignation and scorn, when he says
eve are made as the 18th of the world, and the
off,couring of things" Such has been the cost
of the iuheri ance beqeathed to US by those who
m .intaiued the empire Of primo e in the world in
former ages.
into s tl, aG I.ss'. ne; s. is' siss
regard to the obligatio, w6icn Isis on us and the
privilege we enjoy Of Ding in our own generation,
and for those who shalcome after US work which
will liken US in purpos ateast if not in perform
ance, to the men "whose faith we Z" follow, con-
sidering the end of their conversation, Jesus
Christ" For with such examples to animate US,
with field of labor thus prepared for u.s. with OPP
portunties for efficient service such as were never
possessed at any former period, with the voice OF
| the Master ever sounding in our ears, and ever
summonipg US to be followers Of those who having
faithfully served their generation fell on sleep"
can we be idlers in tie field which the Lord hath
blessed? No, not if we are loyal to the Captain of
our salvation; not if we have been bought with a
price, not if we have hearts to feel.
The subject makes its own appeal, but were
permitted to refer to some reflections suggested by
it, l would say
1st. There are two opposite extremes into which
men fall in the contrasts they make between past
and present times. The one extreme is the narrow
conservatism of those whose dread of innovation,
united with blind reverence for antiquity, leads
them to cling only to the creeds and forms and in
situations which are halowed by time; and the
other extreme is the reckless radcasm of those
who through contempt for what they call the fos-
SLICED forms and stereotyped creeds of antiquity
would sweep away all the traditions and usages OF
the past, q1ite insensble to the tender grace and
beauty of the old ways in which the fathers stood
and the primitive paths in which they walked
quite unmindful of the obligations of the present
generation to the venerable systems of truth built
up by the tolls of earnest workers and hallowed by
the prayers and tears of holy men in ancient times
The error Of the one extremist consists in sup.
posing that there could have been any period in
the history of the past when human thought had
reached its goal or when human institutions had
attained their perfection. The mistake of the
other consists in his failure to recognize the fact
| that whatever progress modern society may have
made that progress cannot be ASSOCIATED from the
influence which all past generations have exerted
in making the present just what it is The reser
voir from which we drink is not self feeding
fountain, butts iiea by tle !wasers~ which have
flowed into it from many an ancient river. We are
neither to reject the teachings of the past because
they are old, nor to accept the dogmas o. the pre-
sent because they are new, but while we are tt
stand and ask for the old paths which the Fathers
trod, we are steadfastly to pursue the advancing
way which is ever growing brighter and more bal
lowed as it is marked by the footsteps of the piou
pilgrims of all generations.
ID When through age or disease, infrmities o.
body and mind admonish US that we have accom-
plshed as hireling our day, we will not look with
envy or dislike upon younger and stronger aborert
rising up around us as if they were poachers on oul
manor, or ntruders and usurpers in our little
kingdom. or as rivals Of our honors, but we vii
greet them as they come, with generous welcome
and words of hearty cheer thankful that the great
Head of the Church who links successive laborers
in an unbroken line through all the ages has raised
up those who with vigorous hand are ready to take
the weapons about to fall from our relaxing grasp,
and with voices loud and clear urge on the sacra
mental army, when our own have become too trem.
ulous and low to fire the hearts of the hosts Of God
with the old magnetic tone. "One generation
shall praise Thy works to another and shall declare
Thy mighty acts. 1.-THE Lords kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom, and His dominion endureth
throughout all generations. "
3rd. The faithful laborers Of the present day
need not be discouraged when they see how vast is
the work yet to be done, and with what little sue
cess they seem to perform their part of it. We
NAV be appalled, at the number and magnitude
of the obstacles to the progress of the truth even
in lands nominally Christian, arising from world-
ness, apathy, covetousness, cowardice, uncharta-
bleness, and unbelief; we may grow disheartened
when we look upon what is called moral map of
the world in which the Pagan portion of it is
shaded with dark lines; and the evangelical regions
distinguished by the whiteness of the page, as we
see that the latter look like little islands in vast.
black sea but the difficulties we have to en-.
counter are no greater than those which have been
heroicaly met by men of other tisnes whose advan-
tages we're inferior to ours. 81 and mighty as
is the enemy, his post ~ as time
wears on, and the pS! their
accomplishment. The AS dislodg-
ment continually multiply, ami lumber of those
who employ them. Every new id true interpre-
tation of the sacred text every discovery in arch
olopy; every light that is thrown on the accuracy
of the Mosaic records; every diesnterred stone and
deciphered inscription which gives confirmation to
any part OF Old Testament history every invcn-
ton in art, every fulflment Of prophecy; the ex-
posure of every false assumption of science the
overthrow of every false system of morals; the
rec6fcation Of every wrong and outrage and pjus-