The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-27

entirely Skips the second, and speaks of the
third and fourth generation: VISITING the
iuiQuitieS of the fathers upon the third and
fourth generations of them that hate mo-
Parental influence, right and wrong, may
Jump over generation, but II VIII come
down further on as sure as You sit there and
stand here. TimothyS ministry was pro-
jected by his grandmother Lois. There ave
men and women here, the SONS and daugh-
ters OF the Christian church, who are such
as a result of the conservation of great
great grandmothelS. Why, vino do yoU
think the Lord is You talk as though His
memory was weak. He can no easier re-
member a prayer five minU.es than he can
five centuries. This plains what we often 500
some man or woman distinguished for be
nevolence when the father and mother werc
distinguished for penurousncss, on You see
some young man or woman with a bad
father and n hard mother come out gorl-
ouSly for Christ and make the church sob
and shout and sing uuder their eNhorta-
tlons We stand in corners of the Vestry
and whisper over the matter and say: ''How
Is this, such great piety IN sons and daught-
ers of such parental worldiineSs and sing
| will explain it to YOU if you will fetch me
the old family Bible containing the full
record. Let some septuagenarian look with
me clear upon the page of births and mar
riages, and tell me who that woman was
with the old-fashioned name of Jemima or
Betsy or Mehitabol. Ah there she is, the
old grandmother or great grandmother,
who had enough religion to saturate cen
tury.
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 get up in the reslErec-
ton morning want my congregation all
about me)--in Greenwood there is the rest
ing place of George w. Bethune once u
minister of Brooklyn Heights, his name
never spoken among intelligent Americans
without 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 wonderful ancestreSs. When you read
this letter, in which she poured out her
widowed soul in longings for "A sons saliva
tion, you will not wonder that succeeding
generations have been blessed:
New YoRK May 20, 1701.
This day my only son left me in bitter wiring
ings of heart; he is again launched on the
ocean Gods ocean. The Lord saved him from
shipwreck, brought him to my home and al
lowed me once more to indulge my affections
over him He has been with me but short
time, and i'll have improved IL; he is gone from
my sight and my heart bursts with tumultuous
grief. Lord have mercy on the widows son,
"the only son of his mother"
l ask nothing in all this world for him; | re
peat 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; 1t is not the dread Of never
seeing him more in this world; il is because
cannot discern the fulfllment of the promise in
him. | cannot discern the new birth nor its
fruit, but every symptom of captivity to
the world and anlf-NNiil This fbie
is what distresses me; and in connection with
this his being shut out from ordinances at a 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 moment OF time and every
word, thought and action. Q, Lord many won
ders 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 I'm 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 comforters are they all. Thou
art the God of consolation; only confirm TO me
Thy precious word, on which thou causedst me
TO hope in the day when Thou saidst to me-
Leave thy fatherless children, | will preserve
them alive" Only let this life be a spiritual
life and put blank in thy hand as to all tenn
poral things.
| wait for thy salvation. Amen.
With such a grandmother would you not
have a right TO expect a George w. Be
thune? 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 go
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 fl st
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 with years
once and tlere so straight, so dim of 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 blooming into
carnation roses, and her step like the roe on
the mountains. Yes, | must see her, my
grandmother on my fathers side, Mary Nc
Coy, descendant of the Scotch. When |
first spoke to an audience in Glasgow, Scot
land and felt somewhat diffident, being
stranger, / began by telling them my grand
mother was a Scotch woman, and then
there went up shout of welcome which
made me feel as easy as do here. | must
see her.
You must see those women of the early
nineteenth century and of the eighteenth
century, the answer of w hose prayers Is in
YOUR welfare to-day God bless all the
aged women up and down the land and in
all landsl What happy thing Pomponius
Atticus to say when making the funeral ad-
dress of his mother: Though | have re-
sided with her sixty-seven years / was never
once reconciled to her, because there never
happened the least discord between us, and
consequently there was no need of recon-
ciliationn Make it as easy for the old
folks as you can. When they are sick get
for them the best doctors. Give them your
arm when the streets are slippery. Stay
with them all the time you can, Go home
and see The old folks. Find the place for
Them in the hymn book. Never be ashamed
If they prefer styles of apparel little an
tlquated. Never say anything that i'm
plies they are in the way. Make the road
for the last mile as smooth as You can. Oh,
myl how you will miss her when she is
gone. | would give the house from over
my head TO see mother ! have so many
things ! would like TO tell her, things that
have happened in the twenty
four years since she went away. Morn
ing noon and night let us thank
God for the good influences that have come
down from good mothers all the way back
Timothy, don't forget your mother Eunice,
and don't forget your grandmother Lois.
And hand down TO others this patrimony of
blessing Pass along the coronets. Make
religion an heirloom from generation TO
generation Mothers of America, conse-
crate yourselves to God and you will help
consecrate all the ages followingl Do not