The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-04-02

II
have come Of . depsavsd ancestry
then Il 10 your duty 10 brace your
self against the evil tendency by al
prayer and Christian determination, and
you are TO ind out what are the family
ffailties, and in arming the castle pot the
strongest guard 1t the weakest gate
With these smooth stones from the brook
hope TO strike you, not where David strucl
Goliath, in the head, but whore Nathan
struck David in the heart.
Whose con Art thou. thou youne man,
Some time. in the winter holiday, when
We are accustomed to gather our families
together. old times have cnme back again
and our thoughts have been set to the tune
Of "Auld Lang Syne." The old folks were
30 busy ct such times In making M happy,
and perhaps on less resource made theis
sons and daughters happier than yen on
larger resource are able to make your sons
and daughters happy. The snow lay two
feet above their graves. but they shook Oh
the white blankets and MINGLED in the
holiday festivities-the same wrinkles. the
same stoop Of shoulder under the weight
Of age, the same old style Of dress or coat,
4 i
hope you remember them before they went
away. II not. hope there are those who
have recited to you what they were, and
that there may be in your house some arti-
tfcle of dress or furniture with which you
associate their memories. l want to arouse
the most sacred memories Of your heart
while l make the impassioned interroga.
tory in regard to your pedigree-
Whose son art thou. thou young manf
First, accost all those who are de.
scended Of q 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 a little less than you deserved.
and perhaps a little more chastisement
would have been salutary. But you are
willing to acknowledge, think, that the
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 systematically. You have no
doubt about their destiny. You expect il
you ever get to heaven to meet them as
certainly as you expe It to meet the Lord
Jesus Christ.
That early association has been = charm
for you. There was time when you got
right up from Q 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. Trsuulous 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
testament. a vast estate of PRAYER and holy
example and Christian entreaty and glori-
Gus memory. The survivors Of the fam
lily gathered to hear the will read. and
this was to be kept, and that was to he
sold. and it was share and share alike.
something like this:
In the name OF God. amen, 7. being IT sound
mind. bequeath TO my children all my pray.
ers for their salvation; bequeath to them
the Chr stian religion which has been 90
much comfort to me, and I hope may be
eolace for them: bequesth 70 them n hope
Of reunion when che partinxs Of life are over;
share and share alike may they have In eter.
nal riches. I bequeath tn them the wish that
they may avoid my errors and copy any
thing that may have been worthy. In the
name OF the God who made M, and the
Christ who redeemed me. and the Holy Ghost
who santifies me, make this my last will
and testament. Witness NIL re hosts of
Heaven; witness. time: witness, eternity.
Signed, sealed and delivered In this our dy-
ing hour. FATHER AND MOTHER
You did not get that will proved at the
Office; bot take il out to-day
and read it to you: take IL out Of the |
alcoves OF your heart: I shake the dust of |
Of IL. ask you. Will You accept that in
heritsnce, or will you break the will. o |
ye OF Christian ancestry, you have . re- !.
sponsibilitv vast beyond all measurement! |
God will not let you on with just being ~
good ~ ordinary people when you had |
advantage. Ought not
hover planted in the hot-house be more
thrifty than flower planted outside in the
storm?
A father sets his son up in business. He
|
SO much for store fixtures, 80 much for
rent, 50 much for this. % much for that.
md all the items aggregated. and the
'ather expects the son to give an account.
-FOUR Heavenly Father charges against
Tou all the advantages Of q pious ancestry
80 many prayers, 80 much Christian sx.
nipple, so many kind entreatie<-all these
gracious influences one tremendous aggre-
rate, and he asks you for an account Of it.
Ought not you to be better than those who
lad no such advantages: Better have
,een founding picked up OF the city
Commons than with such magnificent in.
leritance Of conservation 70 turn ont in
differently.
Ought not you, my brother, to he better. |
laving had Christian nurture. than that
nan who can truly say this morning:
1.-THE first word / remember nv father
peaking to me was an oath: the first
ime l remember my father taking hold If
ne was in wrath; never saw Bible till
was ten years Of age. and then I was
old it was pack Of lies. The first twenty
ears of my life was associated with the
icious. I seemed to bs walled in by sin
nd DEATH"
Now, my brother, ought you not-I leave
as . matter Of fairness with you-onzht
on not b far better than Those who
ad no early Christian influence: Stand
,g as you do between the generation that
past and the generation that is to come. {
70 you going to pass the blessing on, '
: are you going to have your Lii. the
ulf in which that tide Of blessing ,
,an drop out Of sight forever. You D
re the trustees Of piety in that ancestral
ne, and are you going to augment or i