The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-28

stand before Won q monument Of Gods amazing
mercy and goodness forever blessed be His holy
name; all l have and all / am concentrate to
Jesus, my Savior and my Cod Oh, the power
of ancestral prayer. Hear 1t! Hear 1t!
Second-But turn for moment to those who
had evil percentages; and want to tell you that
the highest thrones in heaven, and the mightiest
triumphs, and the brightest crowns will be for
those who had evil parentage, but who. BY the
grace OF God, conquered. As useful. as splendid
gentleman as know of to-day had for a father
man who died disappearing God until the
neighbors had to put their fingers in their ears
to shut out the horror. One of the most conse-
Grated and useful Christian ministers Of to-day
vas born of a drunken horse jockey. The tide
OF evil is tremendous in some families. 1t is like
Niagara rapids; and yet men have chung to
rock and been rescued
There is a family In New York whose wealth
has rolled up into many millions that was
founded by man who. after he had vast estate,
sent back paper of tacks because they
were two cents more than he expect
ed. Grip, and grind, and gouge in the
fourth generation-I suppose it will be grip, and
GRIND, and gouge in the twentieth generation.
The thirst for intoxicants has burned down
through the arteries of hundred and fifty years.
Pugnacity or combativeness characterizes other
families. Sometimes one form of evil, sometimes
another form Of evil. But it may be resisted.
1t the family frality be avarice cultivate unset
fshness and charity, and teach your children
never to eat an apple without offering somebody
else half of it. Is the family frailty combatve--
ness, keep out of the company of quick-tempered
people, and never answer IN lmpertinent ques-
ton until you have counted hundred botn
ways, and after you have written an angry let
ter keep it a week before you send it, and then
burn it up! Is the family frailty timidlty and
cowardice, cultivate backbone, read the biogra-
ply of brave men like Joshua or Paul, and see
if you cannot get little iron in your blood.
Find out what the family frailty Is, and set
bOdv mind and soul n battla array
/ think the genealogical table was put in the
first chapter of the New Testament, not only to
show our Lords pedigree but to show that
man may rise up In an ancestral line and beat
back successfully all the influence of bad hered-
ity See in that genealogical table that good
King Asa came of vile King Alba. See in that
genealogical table that Joseph and Mary and the
most illustrlous Being that ever touched our
world, or ever will touch it. had in their ances-
trail line scandalous Rehoboam, and Thamar,
and Bathsheba. Ii this world is ever to be Eden
ized-and it will be--all the infected families of
the earth are to be regenerated, and there Will
be some one arise in each family line and open
new genealogical table. There will be some
Joseph in the line to reverse the evil influence OF
Rehoboam, and there will be some Mary in
the line to reverse the evil influence OF
Bathsheba. Perhaps the star of hope may
point down to your manger Perhaps you are to
be the hero or the heroine that is to put down
the brakes, and stop that long train of genealog-
zeal tendencies, and switch it off on another
track from that on which it has been running for
a century. You do that and will promise you
as fine palace as the architects of heaven can
build, the archway inscribed with the words,
More than Conqueror."
But whatever your heredity, let me say, you
may be sons and daughters of the Lord God AL
mighty. Estranged children from the home
stead, come back through the open gate OF adop-
ton. There is royal blood IN our veins. There
are crowns on our escutcheon. Our Father is
King. Our Brother is King. We may be kings
and queens unto God forever Come aud sit
down on the ivory bench of the palace. Come
and wash in the fountains that fall into the ba-
SINS or crystal and alabaster Come and look
out Of the upholstered window upon gardens OF
aza..eea and amaranth. Hear the full burst of
the orchestra w::;:iie you Asnouet with potcntates
and victors. Oh, when the text sweeps back
ward, let it not stop at the cradle that rocked
your infancy, but at the cradle that rocked the
first world and when the text sweeps forward
let it not stop at your grave, but at the throne
on which you may reign forever and ever
Whose son art thou. thou young mani" Son of
God! Heir of Immortality! Take your inherit
ance!