The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1886-05-07


tripetal. As when there is mighty tide
of good in q family that may be overcome
by determination to evil, as in the case OF
Aaron Burr, the libertine, who had for
father President Burr, the consecrated; as
in the case of Pierrepont Edwards, the
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 it would not
be courteous to speak in their presence.
The practical and useful object of this
sermon is to show to you that if you have
solemnly bound to preserve and develop
the glorious inheritance; or, il you
have come of a depraved ancestry,
then it is your duty to brace your
self against the evil tendency by all
prayer and Christian determination, and
you are to find out what are the family
frailties, and in arming the castle put the
strongest guard at the weakest gate.
With these smooth stones from the brook I
hope to strike you, not where David struck
Goliath. in the head, but where Nathan
Whose son art thou. thou Young man?
Some time, in the winter holiday, when
we are accustomed to gather our families
together, old times have come back again,
and our thoughts have been set to the tune
of "Auld Lang Syne." The old folks were
so busy at such times inpaking US happy,
and perhaps on less resource made their
sons and daughters happier than you on
larger resource are able to make your sons
and daughters happy. The SNOW lay two
feet above their graves, but they shook of
the white blankets and mingled in the
holiday festivities-.he same wrinkles, the
same stoop of shoulder under the weight
of age, the same old style of dress or coat,
the same smile, the same tones of voice.
hope you remember them before they went
away. If not, l hope there are those who
have recited to you what they were, and
that there may be in your house some arti-
ticle of dress or furniture with which you
associate their memories. want to arouse
the most sacred memories OF your heart
while make the impassioned interroga-
tory in regard to your pedigree
Whose SON art thou. thou young man?
First, accost all those who are de-
scended Of . Christian ancestry. I do
not ask il your parents were perfect.
Perhaps 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 per-
haps . little less than you deserved,
and perhaps little more chas.isement
would have been salutary. But you are
willing to acknowledge, I think, that they
wanted to do right. From what you
overheard in conversations and from what
you saw at the family altar and At neigh
borhood obsequies, you know that they
had invited God into their heart and life.
There was something that sustained those
old people supernaturally. You have no
you ever get to heaven to meet them ~
certainly as you expect to meet the Lord
Jesus Christ.
That early association has been . charm
for you. There was time when you got
right up from . 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 n sweet old face that
would present itself, Tremulous voices
from the past accosted you until they
were seemingly audible, and you looked
around to see who spoke. There was
estate not mentioned in the last will and
a vast estate of prayer and holy
and Christian entreaty and glori-
Gus memory. The survivors of the fam.
lily gathered to hear the win read, and
this was to be kept, and that was to be
sold, and it was share and share alike.
But there was an unwritten viii that read
like this:
In the name OF God. amen, j, being OF sound
mind, bequerth to my children all my pray
ers for their salvation; bequeAth TO them
the Chr stian religion which has been so
much comfort to me, and l hope may be
solace for them Il bequeath to them a hope
Of reunion when the nartinys OF life are over;
share and share alike may they have in eter.
nal riches. 1 bequeath TO them the wish that
they may avoid my errors AMI copy any
thing that may have been worthy. In the
name OF the God who made me, and the
Christ who redeemed me, and the Holy Ghost
Who santihes me. make this my last will
and testament. Witness. all ye hosts of
Heaven; witness, time: witness, eternity.
Signed, sealed anil deiiv cred In this our dy-
ing hour. FATHER AND MOTHER.
You did mot get that viii proved at the
Office; but l take it out to-day
and resd It to you; take II ont Of the
llcoves Of your heart; shake the dust Oh
II it, ask you, Will you accept that in.
heritance, or win you break the wini o
70 Of Christian ancestry, you have re-
vast beyo all measurement
God win not let you on with just being %
good as ordinary people when ron had
advantage. Ought mot
dower planted in the hot-house be more
thrifty than flower planted outside in the
storm! Ought not factory turned by the
Housatonic do more work than . factory
tusasd by . thin and shallow mountain
'tream! Ought not You Of great early op.
portunity be better than those who had
,radle unblessed!
A father sets his son mp in business. He
Keeps an account Of AL the expenditures.
30 much for store fixtures, 20 much for
-ent, 30 much Tor this, 90 much for that,
md all the items aggregated, and the
'ather expects the son to give an account.
Your Heavenly Father charges against
ron all the advantages Of pious ancestry