Morning journal and courier., 1886-08-16
A AFORmER PASTOR,

A FORM EEK PASIOHs
 Our Inheritance And Its Redemption
 A sermon by ReV.H.C. HOvey, DID,,
 Yesterday At The Second Church,
 Fair Haven.
 The pulpit of the Second Congregational church has been occupied for the last three Sundays by former pastor, whose eight years of successful labor here greatly endear- ed him to the people, as has been manifested in many ways during this vacation visit. Dr. Hovey's home is now in the city of Minne- apolis, where he has charge of one of the most rapidly growing churches, having re- ceived about 225 members during the last three years. The preachers theme yesterday morning led him to speak in glowing terms of our country, and especially of the marvel ous Mort Invest.
 Text:-Jeremiah 32:S. "For the right of inheritanceis is thine, and the redemption is thine." After few introductory remarks concerning some of the peculiar ideas held by the Hebrews as to real estate, and which occasioned the assurance given in the text. Dr. Hovey gave an account of pioneer work done by the early home missionaries in the broad Mississippi valley, quoting some of their remarkable predictions which have been more than fulfilled; and then proceed ed in substance as follows:
 The present generation can hardly do better than to drink deep draughts from the same fountain that refreshed the fathers. It still is true, and with thousand fold signi6 canoe, that the West is Q vast empire ot ma terial resources, mental prowess, with brave hearts and free institutions, rushing on with a rapidity of progress never witnessed before. And if this rising empire shall be redeemed for Christ the inheritance will be the most glorious under the sun. It was predicted by a home missionary fifty years ago that by this time the Mississippi valley would hold fifty millions of inhabitants, and would boast one hundred millions by the end of the cen tury, and would eventually have as many as three hundred millions Before calling that extravagant compare it with the statement made by, the Encyclopedia Britannia that of the natural resources of America were fully developed it would sustain 5, 600 millions, or five times as many people as the entire num- Der now inhaDiting the globe" To some the deluge of immigration seems terrific. Their watchword is America for Americansl" They would shut the door against the mil lions, the door that God has opened so wide. But it is too late. According to Dr. Riggs there are now ,264 different languages and dialects spoken more or less in America. The Lord has brought the whole world to our SQOTeS. :" ualk or anO y0G Gnere are 5000, 900 Germans in the United States; of Ireland, and yet there are more Irish in New York city than in Dublin; of Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and yet the myriads of Scandinavia are peo- bling the fertile Northwest; of Africa, and yet we have within our borders 7,0oo, 900 of African descent. The Indians, instead of dying out, are increasing; and the Chinese, instead of going, keep on coming. When we boast of our fifty-five millions of inhabit- ants it is well to remember that about twenty one millions of them are foreigners or the immediate offspring of foreigners. These already hold the balance of power in many of our large cities and decide for us as to our laws and rulers. In other words, they do now, or soon will, hold the destiny of this republic in their hands. It has been said that every great city sleeps on a volcano. If that be so the only barrier against disaster is the benign energy of the gospel. Fierce out bursts may be expected until Christianity achieves it's permanent results.
 Consider the fact that every man of all these millions conceives that he has right full inheritance among us, and instead of try ing to hold it back from him let our prayer be for it's redemption in the highest. There is land enough and to spare, an abundance of remunerative toll and bread for every hungry mouth. Yet it grieves the phil anthropist to see how many are actually kept out of their inheritance. How many are steeped to their lips in povertyl How often is the chalice poisoned by ignorance and vice! What courage it takes to come from the bogs of Ireland, or the fastnesses of Norway, and carve out new homes in the new world. After journeying extensively through the new West, my conviction is that there are heroes and heroines in log cabins, sod houses and claim shanties. Theirs is largely all unwritten history, yet it is all known to God. He sees that when the prairies shall have been embellished with golden sheaves, the grana1ies filled with colossal harvests and the cataracts harnessed to mills for grinding grain into flour, more belongs to our inheritance than this material wealth. Let us help men to redeem their best inheritance. No advantage can accrue to them or to us by having any of them bound by the triple chain of poverty, ignor- ance and vice. There is plenitude of pardon for every shining soul, largest happiness for every heart bowed down with sorrow, eter- nal freedom for every prisoner of despair. There is an evil heritage as we'll as that which is good. Somebody is going to inherit every gambling den, and rumshop and haunt of infany. But let us look on the bright side, | on which shines the light of a broadening l Christianity. The car of Juggernaut still | rolls on, but no longer mangles human be- l applied. And thus everywhere moral and l religious brakes should be applied to error, and iniouity. Commercial | thrift and scientific progress should be | matched by religious activity and enter | prise. No man holds quit-claim from God. I Those whom kind providence blesses with mama from the skies and water from the 1 living rock should help those who are under l the crowd or struggling amid the sea. l Canaan had value only as the l of it's religious history. And so l with our modern culture; it will be evanes- | cent except as the setting of spiritual cul- | lure. Try to help other people into their | glorious inheritance. Do not say that they 1 must struggle alone. You were helped; help l others in turn. Will anyone ever be sorry | in heaven that he once helped poor man on 1 earth, put the cup of intellectual blessing to | the thirsty lip of ignorance, fed a starving, l soul with the bread of life? The Master has said: "Inasmuch as ye did it not to the least | of these, my brethren, ye did it not to me-"
 One inheritance is, after all, largely held | in common. Connecticut needs California, | and Maine is linked to Minnesota, Georgia l helps Illinois, and Florida has associations | with Oregon. The world that now is, is | tributary to the world that is to come; and | the meek who, according to the Saviuur's | promise shall inherit the earth, shall also | share the inheritance of the saints in | heaven.