The Brookhaven leader., 1891-10-29


last four thousand years, but forty
thousand, forty million, for trillioh,
forty quadrillion, forty quintillion.
For awhile I'VE WELD the trowel or
pound with the hammer or measure
with the yard-stick or write with the
pen, or experiment with the scientific
battery, or plan with the brain, and for
awhile the foot walks and the eye
sees and the ear hears and the tongue
speaks. All the good words or bad
words we speak are spread out into one
layer for pyramid. All the kind
deeds or malevolent deeds we do are
spread out into another layer. All the
Christian or unchristian example we
set is spread out in another layer.
All the indirect influences of our lives
are spread out in another layer.
Then the time soon comes when we put
down the implement of toll and pass
away, but the pyramid stands. The
twentieth century will not rock it
down, nor the thirtieth century, nor
the one hundredth century. The earth
quake that rocks this world to pieces
will not stop our influence for good or
evil. You modestly say: THAT is true
in regard to the great workers for good
or evil, and of gigantic geniuses, Mil
tonian or Talleyrandian, but not of me,
for live and work on a small scale"
Your business and mine is not to
build pyramid, but to be one of the
hundreds of thousands who shall ring
a towel, or pull a rope, or turn the
crank of a derrick, or cry Eye heave"
while lifting another block to it's eleva-
ton. Though it be seemingly small
work and brief work, it is work that
shall last forever. In the last day many
a man and woman whose work has
never been recognized on earth will
come to a special honor. The ecumen-
ical council, now in session at Washing
ton, it's delegates the honored repre-
of fifty million Methodists in
all parts of the earth, will at every ses-
sion do honor to the memory of John
Wesley, but l wonder if any of them
will think to twist a garland for the
memory of humble Peter Boiler, the
Moravian, who brought John Wes-
ley into the kingdom of God. re-
joice that all of the thousands who have
been toiling on the pyramid of right
eousness will at last be recognized and
warded-the mother who brought her
children to Christ, the Sabbath teacher
who brought her class to the knowl-
edge Of the truth, the unpretending
man who saved soul. Then the trowel
will be more honored than the scepter.
While there seems to be no practical
use for post-mortem, consideration later
than the time of ones great-grand-
children, yet no one wants to be for.
gotten as soon as the obsequies are
over. This pyramid which Isaiah says
is sign and a witness demonstrates
that neither limestone nor granite are
to keep one affectionately
remembered; neither can bronZe;ncitheT
can Parian marble; neither can Aber'
deem granite do the work. But there
is something out of which to build
an everlasting monument and that
will keep one freshly remembered
four thousand years; yea, forever
and ever. 1t does not stand in marble
yards. 1t is not to be purchased at
mourning stores. Yet it is to be found
in every eighborhood, plenty Of it, in.
quantities of it. 1t is tho
greatest stuff in the universe to build
monuments out of. l refer to the men,
cries of those to whom we can do
struggles we may alleviate, the memo
ries of those whose souls we may save.
All around Cairo and Memphis there
are the remains of pyramids that
have gone down under the
wearing away of time, and this
great pyramid OF which Isaiah in the
text speaks will vanish if the world
lasts long enough, and if the world
does not last then with the earth's dis
solution the pyramid will also dissolve.
But the memories of those with whom
we associate are indestructible. They
will be more vivid the other side of the
grave than this side. 1t is possible for
me to do you a good and for you to do
me good that will be vivid in memory
as many years after the world is burned
up as all the sands of the seashore, and
all the leaves of the forests, and all the
grass blades of the field, and all the
that aggregate multiplied by all the
figures that all the bookkeepers of all
time ever wrote.
AS in Egypt that December after
noon, 1889, exhausted in body. mind
and SOUL we mounted to return to
Cairo, we took our last look of the
pyramid at Gizeh. And you know
there js SOmathinp in the ain. toward
evening that seems productive of
solemn and tender emotion, and the
great pyramid seemed to be humanized
and with lips of stone it seemed to
speak and cry out: Hear me, man,
mortal and immortal! My voice ia
the voice of God He designed
me. Isaiah said 1 would be q
sign and a witness / saw Mosef
when he was lad. l witnessed the
long procession of the Israelites as they
started to cross the Red sea and
Pharaoh's host in pursuit of them. The
falcons and the eagles of many centuries
have brushed my brow. l stood here
when Cleopatra's barge landed with
her sorceries, and Hypatia for her
virtues was slain in yonder streets.
the Great, Sesostris and
Ptolemy admired my proportions.
Herodotus and Pliny sounded my
praise. am old, am very
old. For thousands of years 1 have
watched the coming and going of
generations. They tarry only little
while, but they make everlasting inn
preston. / bear on nv side the mark