Morning journal and courier., 1890-09-15
DWIGHT PLACE CHURCH.

n
 Course of Special Evening Sermons
 -sSThe Ages Before the Flood'' the
 Subject of Last Nights Discourse.
 There was quite large congregation, considering the very indictment weather, at the Dwight Place church last evening, the occasion being the delivery by the pastor, Rev. Dr. Twitchell, of the first of a special series of Sunday evening lectures. The subject of last nights address was ''The Ages Before the Flood" The subject was ably handled by the speaker and was list ened to with rapt attention by the con- gregation present. Among other things Dr. Twitchell said The history of the human race is generally supposed to e1- tend over a period of about six thousand years. Some place it at even more, but be that as it may, man has been doing illustrious work in politics, business and religion through all these ages It would be interesting to go back to the creation of the world, and trace the various stages of mans advancement, but this we will not do, as such discussions would be more suited to students of antiquity than to a promiscuous congregation of Christian WOTSnlpperS. CoTCaln 1L IS that aILer WnaG has been termed the "fall of man," our \ first parents incurred the divine displeasure 1 and were driven from the Garden of Eden, ! but whether they went or what they did is not recorded in holy writ. It is, however, ex-
 tremely probable that they lost but little time in egdeavoring to secure forgiveness | from God for their sins. I fancy that
 Adam and Eve talked over their sin and
 asked forgiveness for it. They probably 1 soon began to offer sacrifices, and taught their children to do likewise. At any rate,
 we read that Cain and Abel offered sacri- fees. believe that the worship of God
 was observed in some form from the time of the first sin, either in sacrifices or in
 some other form of worship. A new
 source of sorrow and trouble was brought
 into the world by Abel's death, and it was
 then for the first time that the
 great mystery of life merging
 into death was introduced. What
 became of Abers bodys No record
 on this point is given Oriental tradition
 and Hebrew legends offer many beautiful
 suppositions but the more probable one
 would seem to be that Adam for long
 time was not aware as to what had become
 of his son, but after searching for him and
 worrying about him for many weary days
 returned to his work of tilling the soil. In the course of time, while engaged in this
 occupation, he turned up the remains oi
 Abel and knew that it was he The nat
 ural supposition is that Cain concealed the
 body of his brother, hoping thereby tc avoid the punishment for his act. Enoct
 was the oldest son of Cain and 'he walked
 with God" By this is meant exceptional
 ly sweet and pleasant conversation witt
 God. We read that "God took him.
 How, when or where? We have no record bu | hot bax &<> ;of,
 able company of angels. Enoch's year
 were few as compared with others in tha
 age, his years numbering but 365. At thu
 same period there were nine men who's
 average ages were 912 years. Some hav supposed that the longevity of this period
 was due to natural causes, but am of tn
 opinion that it was in order to people tn
 earth more rapidly than could have beel possible had a century been the limit of
 mans life then as now.
 ] Certain it is that an immense population
 was upon this earth of ours prior to tn time of the flood, and an eminent com , mentator conjectures that at that time tn s | earth was inhabited by twofold as man people as inhabit it to-day.
 Let us look for moment at the peopl
 of that age. They were absolutely ignoran
 of all arts and sciences. Man had little any knowledge of the world. Our first pal
 ents must have begun their life as children 7 | What they learned they were taught b 7 experience. The antediluvians made
 great advance in the arts of civilizs ton, but unfortunately their wickednes [ increased at the same time, until it culm l mated in crime of all sorts. The cause c this state of affairs was undoubtedly tn 3 intermarriage between the descendants c : Cain and those of Seth. The descendant , | of Cain sank lower and lower, until the1 l was idol worship, lust and icentiotsnes among them. The descendants of Seth, O \ the other hand, followed after God, but i the course of time both the professors C 2 l religion and the idolators were thrown tt ] gether, and both married and intermarTie6 ] The great lesson to be learned frol
 this subject is that morals and religion al
 both shaped and colored by the homes ( the people, In the olden times, from th
 effects of those marriages, the worship ( God gave way to idolatry. History repeat 8 itself. Many Christian has married ou J. side of the church and the result has beer
 in measure, the same. can tell you , takes great amount of courage and hert = o ism to offer the sacrifices upon the famil z altar when one only partakes of the sacr tt flee, and so in course of time it happen tt that they are omitted altogether. I war " U to say word in conclusion to parents. q Keep the fires of religion burning o ' the altars of your homes. Your childre " need it, and you need it yourselves. Whe1
 perhaps in the dim and shadewy futur, " your children shall be saved from all ev it will be by the recollection of the relie a ious training received at home. = Next Sunday evening the subject of tn
 will be 'Noah"