The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-03-01

: Benerat1OD, just rs the len Command
nlents, speaking of the visitation of God
on families, says Eothing about the see
ond generation, but entirely skips the
second and speaks of the third and
| fourth generation: Visiting the inioui.
ties of the fathers upon the third and
fourth generations of them that hate
me-" Parental influence, right and
wrong, may jump over generation, but
| it will come down further on as sure az
you sit there and I stand here. Tim
othy's ministry was projected by his
Grandmother Lois. There are men and
women here, the sons and daughters of
the Christian church, who are such as a
result of the conservation of great-great-
grandmothers. Why, who do you think
the Lord is? You talk as though his
memory is weak. He can no easier
remember a prayer five minutes than
he can five centuries. This explains
| what we often see-some man or woman
distinguished for benevolence when the
father and mother were distinguished for
penuriousness, or you see some Young
man or woman, with bad father and a
hard mother, come out gloriously for
Christ and make the church sob and
shout and sing under their exhortations.
We stand in corners of the vestry and
whisper over>the matter and say: s.How
is this, such great piety in sons and
daughters of such parental worldi-
ness and sin?' 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 marriages, and
tell me who that woman was with the
old fashioned name of Jemima or Betsev
or Mehitabel. All, there she is, the old
grandmother or great grandmother, who
had enough religion to saturate GEN.
tury.
There she is, the dear old soul, Grand
mother Lois. In our beautiful Green
wood-may we all sleep there when our
work is done, for when get up in the
resurrection morning want my congre-
cation all about me-in Greenwood there
is the resting place of George w.
Bethune, once 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 in
spiration 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 sons sal
walton. you will not wonder that sue
ceeding generations have been blessed:
NEW YORK May 90, 1791.--This dsy 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
but a short time, and in have improved it; he
is gone from my sight and my heart bursts with
fTJr1 Of ord hove fka
widows son. 1.-THE only son of his MOTHER
ask nothing in all this world for him; repeat
my petition, save his soul alive, give him saliva
ton 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 cannot
discern the fulfllment of the promise In him. I
cannot discern the 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
lance from Christians shut up with those who
forget God profane his name and break his Sab
baths; mon 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. Oh 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 regenerate
and establish sailor In the faith. Lord all things
are possible with thee; glorify thy and
tend his kingdom by and land; take the prey
from the strong I roll him over upon thee
Many friends try to comfort me; miserable COM
forters are they all. Thou art the God of conso-
latioR; only confirm to me thy precious word on
which thou causedst to hope in the day
when thou saidst to me, Leave thy fatherless
children. will preserve them alive" Only let
this life be spiritual life and I put a blank In
thy hand as to all temporal things.
wait for thy salvation. Amen.
With such a grandmother would you
not have right to expect George w.
Bethune? and all the thousands converted
through his ministry may date the saw
ing 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 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 with years once and there SO
straight, SO dim of eye through the blind
ing of earthly tears and now her eye as
clear as heaven, SO full of aches and
pains once and now SO agile with celes-
tial health, the wrinkles blooming into
carnation roses, and her step like the roe
on the mountains. Yes, 1 must see her,
my grandmother on my fathers side,
Mary Mccoy, descendant of the Scotch
When / first spoke to an audience in
Glasgow, Scotland, and felt somewhat
dlffident, being stranger, began by
telling them my grandmother was a
Scotchwoman, and then there went up
a 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 whose
prayers is in your welfare today. God
bless all the aged women up and down
the land and in all lands! What happy
thing Pomponius Atticus to say when
making the funeral address of his mother:
Though have resided with her sixty
seven years was never once reconciled
to her, because there never happened the
least discord between us, and conse-
quently there was no need of reconcilia-
ton" Make 1t as easy for the old folks
as you cam When they are sick get
for them the best doctors. Give them
your arm when the streets are slippery
Stay with them all tho time you can.
Go-honae and see tho old folks. Find the
place for them in the hymn book. Never
be ashamed if they prefer styles Of apparel
n little antiquated Never say anything
that implies they are in the way. Make
the road for the last mile as smooth as
you can. Oh, myl how you viii miss
her when she is gone. would give the
house from over my head to see mother
I have so many things I 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