Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-22

scourge of New York society seventy
years ago, who had Christian ancestry,
while, on the other hand, some OF the best
men and women of this day are those who
have come OF an ancestry OF which 1t
would not be courteous to speak in their
presence.
The practical and useful object of this
sermon is to show to you that il you have
come of Christian ancestry, then you are
solemnly bound TO preserve and develop
the glorious inheritance; or, If you have
come of a depraved ancestry, then it is
your duty TO brace yourself against the
evil tendency by all prayer and Christian
determination, and you are to find out
what are the family frailties, and in arm
ing the castle put the strongest guard at
the weakest gate. With these smooth
stones from the brook Ihope TO strike you,
not where David struck Goliath, in the
head. but where Nathan struck David, IN
the heart. "Whose son art thou, thou
young manT
Sometime, in the winter holiday, when
we are accustomed 10 gather oar families
together, old times have come back again,
and our thoughts have been set to the
tune Of Aud Lang Syne. The old folks
were so busy at such times in making us
happy, and perhaps on less resource made
their sons aud daughters happier than you
Oil AdIktI EEhOuICE 1T - SUE ~ fhhht NVul
sons and daughters happy. Tue snow lay
two feet above their graves, but they
shook off the white blankets and mingled
in the nolidaF festivities 4the same
wrinkles. the same stoop Of shoulder I'M
der the weight ofage, the same old style Of
dress and coat, the same smile, the same
tones of voice. hope you remember
them before they went away. IL not,
hope there are those who have recited to
you what they were, and that there may be
in your house some article OF dress or furnl-
ture with which you associate their men,
cries. | want to arouse the most sacred
memories OF your heart while make the
impasSlened interrogatory in regard to
your pedigree:
"wbose son art thou, thou young
manY'
First, | accost all those who are de-
seconded OF a Christian ancestry. | do
not ask if your parents were perfect. Per-
haps there was sometimes too much blood
in their eye when they chastised you. But
from what know OF you, you got no more
than you deserved, and perhaps a little
more than you deserved, and perhaps a lit
tie more ehastisement would have been sal
utary. But you are willing to acknowledge,
Think, that they wanted 10 do right From
what you overheard in conversations and
from what you saw at the family altar
and at neighborhOod Obsequies, you know
that they had invited God into their heart
and life. There was something that sus-
tanned those old people systematically.
You have no doubt about their destiny.
You expect, il you ever get to heaven, to
meet them as certainly as you expect 10
meet the Lord Jesus Christ.
That early association has been a charm
for you. There was time when you got
right up from a house of iniquity and
walked out into the fresh air because YOU
thought your mother was looking at you.
You have never been very happy in sin
because Of sweet old face that would
present itself. Tremulous voices from the
past accOsted you until they were SEEM
ingly audible, and you looked around to
see who spoke. There was estate not men,
toned in the last will and testament
vast estate of prayer and holy example
and Christian entreaty and glorious men,
DRY. The survivors of the family gath
cred to hear the will read, aud this was to
be kept, and that was to be sold, and it
was share and share alike. But there
was an uEwritten will that read some
thing like this: "In the name OF
God amen. J, being Of sound
mind, bequeath to my children
all my prayers for their salvation; | be-
queath to them the Christian religion
which has been so much comfort to me,
and hope may be sOlsce tor them; | be-
queath TO them hope Of reunion when
the partings Of life are over; share and
share alike may they have in eternal
riches. / bequeath to them tue wish that
they may avoid my errors and copy any
thing that may have been worthy. I'm the
name of the God who made mes and the
Christ who redeemed me, and the Holy
Flhnaf w aonpff6ac NM a 10 mi "
last Will and testament w illness, all ye
hosts OF heaven. Witness, time9witness,
eternity. Signed. sealed aud delivered in
this our dying hour. Father and MOther.'
You did not get that will proved at the
Surrogate's office; but | take it out to-day
and | read it To yOu;I take 10 out OF the
alcoves OF your heart; shake the dust of
Of it, l ask you will you accept chat in
heritance, or Will you break the will? q
We OF Christian ancestry, you have a re-
spOnsibIlity vast beyond all measure
mentl God will not let you off with just
being as good as ordinary people when
you had such extraordinary advantage.
Ought not Hover planted in bot house
be more thrifty than "A flower planted out
side in the Storm Ought not u factory
turned by the Housatonic do more work
than factory turned by a thin and shall
low mountain stream? Ought not you OF
great early opportunity be better than
those who had cradle unblessedl
A father sets his son up in business.
He keeps an account Of all the expendi-
lures. SO much for store fixtures, so
much for rent, so much for this, so much
for that, and all the items aggregated, and
the father expects the son 70 give an ac-
count. Your Heavenly Father charges
against you all the advantages Ola plOus
ancestry-s0 many prayers, 80 much
Christian example, 50 many KIND entrea-
tles-all these gracious influences one
tremendous aggregate. and He asks you
for an account Of il. Ought not you 90
be better than those who had no such adj
vantages? Better haYe5been fOundling
picked up of the city commons than with
SUCH magnificent inheritance OF OOnsgcra-
ton TO turn out indifleyentiy.
Ought not you, my brother, TO be better.
having had Christian nurture, than that
man who can truly say this morning:
"The first word ! remember mg.ifather
speaking 10 me was an oath; thu tirst
time ] remember my father taking mold Of
me WAS In wrath; / never saw aBible till
l was 10 years OF age, aud chen wagt0ld
IL was pack Of lies. The FIRST ~ years
of my life l was associated with the vi
cious. ] seemed TO bel waited in by ein
and DEATH" Now, my bruther, oughtyOu
mott leave IL as matter0fl airnesss with
y0u-OuRht you not be far better man
those who had no early Christian influ-
ence! Standing az you do between the
generation that is past and the generation
that Is TO come, are you going % pass the
blessing on. or are you going 10 have your
life the gulf In which that tide OF blessing
LII