Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-03-07

moving reformers, circulating Summer
fields, weeping Paysons, laundering White
fields, emancipating Washingtons.
Good or bad influence may skip one gen
/ GRAFTON or two generations, but it will b
sure to land in the third or fourth genera
tion, Just as the Ten Commandments
speaking of the visitation of God on fami
lies, says nothing about the second genera
tion, but entirely skips the second ant
speaks of the third and fourth generation
"Visiting the iniquities of the father upol
the third and fourth generations of then
that hate me-" Parental influence, righ
aud wrong. may jump over a generation
but it will come down further on as sure a
you sit there and I stand here. Timothy
ministry was projected by his grandmother
| Lois. There are men and women here, tht
sons and daughters of the Christian
| Church, who are such as a result of thu
conservation of great-great- -grandmothers
| Why, whom do you think the Lord is? You
talk as though His memory was weak. 81,
can no easier remember prayer five min
utes than he can five centuries. This az
plains what we often see-some man or wo
man distinguished for benevolencs wher
the father and mother were distinguished
penuriousness, or you see some young mai
or woman with bad father and a hard
mother come out gloriously for Christ and
make the church sob and shout and sing un
der his exhortations. We stand in corners
of the vestry and whisper over the matter
and say: "How is this, such great piety ir
sons and daughters of such parental worldli
ness and sin?' will explain it to you il
you will fetch me the old family Bible con
tanning the full record. Let some septua
geparian look with me clear upon the pags
OF births and marriages, and tell me whe
that woman was with the old-fashioneo
name of Jemima or Betsy or Mehitabel
Alb, there she is. the old grandmother OIL
the great-grandmother who had enough
religion to saturate century.
There she is, the dear old soul, Grand
mother Lois. In our beautiful Greenwood
(may we all sleep there when our work is
done, for when l get up in the resurrection
morning want my congregation all about
me)-in Greenwood there is the resting
place of George W. Bethune once minis
ter of Brooklyn Heights, his name never
spoken among intelligent Americans with
out suggesting two things-eloquence and
evangelism. In the same tomb sleeps his
grandmother, Isabella Graham, who was
the chief inspiration Of his ministry. You
are not surprised at the poetry and pathos
and pulpit power of the grandson when you
read of the faith and devotion of his won
derful ancestress. When you read this
letter, in which she poured out her widow
ed soul in longings for sons salvation,
you will not wonder that succeeding gene
rations have been blessed :
''NEw YORK, May 90, 1901.
"This day my only son left me in bitter
wringings of heart; he is again launched on
the ocean, Gods ocean. The Lord saved
him from shipwreck, brought him to my
home, and allowed me once more to indulge
my affections over him. He has been with
me but short time, and ill have l i'm
proved it he is gone from my sight and
my heart bursts with tumulous grief. Lord
have mercy on the widows son, the only
son of his mother
81 ask nothing in all this world for him !;
/ repeat my petition, save his soul alive,
give him salvation from sin. 1t is not the
danger of the seas that distresses me it is
not the hardships he must undergo; it is
not the dread of never seeing him more IN
this world it is because l cannot discern
the fnlfilment of the promise in him.
cannot discern the new birth nor its fruit,
but every symptom of captivity to satan,
the world and self-will. This, this is what
distresses me; and in connection with this
his being shut out from ordinances at dis
tance from Christians; shut up with those
who forget God, profane His name and
break His Sabbaths; men who often live
and die like beasts, yet are accountable
creatures, who must answer for every mo-
ment of time and every word, thought and
action. o Lord, many wonders hast thou
shown me Thy ways of dealing with me
and mine have not been common ones; add
this wonder to the rest. Call, convert, re-
generate and establish a sailor in the faith.
Lord, all things are possible with Thee;
glorify Thy son and extend His kingdom
by sea and land; take the prey from the
strong roll him over upon Thee. Many
friends try to comfort me; miserable COM
forters are they ALL Thou art the God OF
consolation; only confirm to me Thy pre-
cious word, on which thou causedst me to
hope in the day when Thou saidst me to
hope in the day when Thou saidst to me-
Leave thy fatherless children, will pre-.
serve them alive Only let this life be a
spiritual life and put blank in thy hand
as to all temporal things.
81 wait for thy salvation. Amen"
With such grandmother, would you
not have a right to expect George W
Bethune? and all the thousands converted
through his ministry may date the saving
power back to Isabella Graham.
God fill the earth and the heavens with
such grandmothers; we must some day gt
up and thank these dear old souls. Surely
God will let us go up and tell them of the
results of their influence. Among our first
questions in heaven will be, "Where is
grandmother They will point her out
for we would hardly know her even if we
had seen her on earth, SO bent over will
years once and there so straight, so dim o1
eye through the binding of earthly tears
and now her eye as clear as heaven, so full
of aches and pains once and now so agile
with celestial health, the wrinkles bloom
ing into carnation roses, and her step like
the roe on the mountains. Yes, mus
see her, my grandmother on my father'i
side, Mary Mccoy, descendant of the
Scotch. When l first spoke to an audi
ence in Glasgow, Scotland, and felt some
what diffident, being stranger, began by
telling them my grandmother was Scotch
welcome which made me feel as easy as
do here. | must see her.
You must see those women of the early
century, the answer Of whose prayers is il
your welfare to day. God bless all The
aged women up and down the land and ir
all lands What happy thing for Pompo
MUS Atticus to say when making the fune
raj address to his mother s'Though havt
resided with her sixty-seven years l Wa
never once reconciled to her, because there
never happened the least discord between
US, and consequently there was no need O.
reconciliation" Make it as easy for thu
old folks as you can. When they are sicl
get for them the best doctors. Give then
your arm when the streets are slippery
Stay with them all the time you can. Gt
home and see the old folks. Find the plact
for them in the hymn-book. Never b.
ashamed if they prefer styles of apparel &
little antiquated. Never say anything tha
implies that they are in the way. Make
the road for the last mile as smooth as you
can. Oh, my how you will miss he
when she is gone. would give the house
from over my head to see mother. 1 have
so many things l would like to tell her
things that have happened in the twenty
four years since she went away. Morning
noon, and night let us thank God for til,
good Influences that have come down from
good mothers all the way back. Timothy
don't forget your mother Eunice, and dom
forget your grandmother Lois. And hant
down to others this patrimony OF blessing
Pass along the coronets. Make religion ar
heirloom from generation to generation
n ~