The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-05
THE CHURCHES.
nA Tewksbury breaches
N the Oldest Man.
10 or METHusELAH's AGE
S. xopgcst, But the Best Life Is
rss.,-gev. Roderick steh-
hips First sermon.

"a .hurrh Rev. George a. Iewksbury
Ian interesting New Years SER
aMethuselah. Following is the
~ in full:
=. ~ .lays az Methuselah were nine
~ Z. .sxty and nine years: and he died
q f:ss.
4 4 tus lie, we are at once iee TO say;
e1si,,de that the right of Methuselah
ssIIed s.theoldest man cannot easily
l'se.e~sed The longest life, so far as
D .s'sserd OF Scripture goes, ever reached
ssrtal mssl. -
q Ise = sss5 orv as ours? This we have no
g ao,,bt. Various difficulties at
ss.et ms ii we attempt TO think. as
ssve done, that these years were
.s ~ than solar Thus, to apply
~ ..s;nr;Y,le to the years after the hood.
X - hefore--as we Justly think, If
~ &c II AT alive should md that the
~ ecIa acea ct which Abraham died
',s vrars Strictly the ancient year
80 days shorter than ours, and no
a. The ancients made all their
~ of thirty days each. The other
.ss,s respects the authenticity of the
~ This. TOO, seems not TO be within
.ssln az doubt. The most ancient ira
s..ss and the earliest secular histories
. accord with Scripture in affirming
~rcat longevity OF the antedeluyian
AZ Josephus having given a state
"a n this in detail adds. Il have for
E<.<sses 70 what | have said. all
y. have written antiquities, both among
4. Greeks ard barbarians, for even Ma
.,.sc rho wrote the Egyptian history,
4 4; Berosns. who collected the Chaldean
& DEMENT'S. assent to what | here say.
800 also. and Hecateus. and. besides
- Ephorus and Nicolaus, relate that
4. snrients lived a thousand years.
;s<ss accounts probably had their source
t-s5ifions coming down from remote
srsx irsssnuch as testimony is given of
- joncryltv in the records of China and
5;sdastan. The Chinese annals. which
smmenee at the time Of the aood, make
AZ term Of life of the eight generations
taor;nr Noah of about the same length
4 he record in Genesis.
WAT. then. was the reason of this fact !?
h nav in mart have a natural basis in the
.ic;ral yigor of the human frame, not vet
1ssriorated from the certain physical eff
- AZ sin. Yet ii bears distinct provi-
l1s,isl aspect. being intended especially,
sno. solely, for the more rapid peopling
i,he earth, an end which we may readily
( = sould be secured by this provision.
( What. now, is the purpose for which |
IN your attention 10 this fact, as Illus
|ksted in the case of MethuseIah? Surely
I,bould not be justified in causing you to
|sp this sacred hour of the first Sab
/hth evening of the new year in this
Iyu, we're ii not that would thus bring
Ipmt to you some important lesson, which
4 the same time should be in harmony
With, sud gain added emphasis from, the
|sw rear itself
4 In endeayoring to do this remind you
lint Of the simple record which we have of
Nsihuselah, as, indeed, of most of the
cher early patriarchs. Having been told
dhis birth, as the son of Enoch, we are
hM that "Methuselah lived a hundred
dfhty and seven years and begot Lameeh.
and Meihuselah lived after he hegot LAM
I'D seven hundred eighty and two years,
md begot sons and daughters. And all
he dsys of Methuselah were nine hundred
|fIty and nine years. and he died. This
bali that we have said of him. His name
) mentioned in its place in one or two
hss Of genealogy subsequently given IN
|tae Bible, but the sole and simple record
concerning him is one of length of life.
Therefore secondly, remind you of the
Principle according to which every life
Quality. not OF quantity. The question is
lot how long a person has lived. but how
/ be hiss iiyed-leaye out the s'long.n Ii is
VERY well, perhaps, to place upon the tomb
Hones Of the dead their ages, yet this is
mot the important thing, though the
|anly thing that in all cases, without
respect of persons, ;, it is safe u suitable
10 think of so inscribing. Not in its
kngth, bat in that which is put into il,
does life, In its essential meaning and
merit, stand. 1t is this question of quality
which win form the chief question of the
ma Judgment. All that is told US in Scrip
hle OF that great transaction centers IN
hls idea. The principle receives the ready
Endorsement OF our own thought. 1t Is
he criterion by which we ourselves judge
Men. In our observation of what we may
gu the river system of human life-every
lle sireaEn--it is not the mere length OF
ne stream, but its breadth and depth, and
NE qnaiity OF the water forming IL, which
We take into account Therefore, when
fe read OF Methusclah that he lived SOS
years, and ind no more than this record OF
nm, we say-judging him by his record,
Is every man must be judged--this is not
enough. 1t does not Indicate anything
hiaiiye 70 that sphere of truth within
nhieh our knowledge must needs enter
him.
:, Thirdly, what must that quality be !
mere We do not commit ourselves 10 any
sFeclai Judgment in respect 10 what was
ne quality of Methuseiah's life. This we
ahos; He had a good father
iaai father being Enoch, who
Walked with God. and whose godly
wax II was Methuselah's privilege e
zee so years. He stood in the line of Seth.
snkh, as compared with that of Cain
usoed IN the previous chapter, has been
supposed, though with questionable fair
aess' we may think, in view OF late events,
y represent the larger degree Of pious and
a = feeling. Yet he stood the eighth
9 lias line from Adam, being the grand.
amer Of Noah, the hero of the hood, and
sslng Dot until the same year in which the
.ooo came and We may reasonably sup
~ That the wickedneSS which brought
- inst catastrophe had been slowly grow
.ag through the long course Of years pre-
wing. Also bearing in mind that names
scee largely given ia those days with ref
.1eace to their symbolic meaning, we may
4NtA tA4t ASAAS t4i1t tttt A4kAAt NV
alaseAah was a name of purely secular
s.snlAeanee, meaning "a man of the dart. ,
y O the arrow" Nevertheless, while
ssauiitting the remark OF Starke, that "Nc
eae 81 the patriarehS reached thousand
ssea.s, Tor that number is type of the per.
'se1;oh 10 which no man in this life can
.s.aaa, We may give Methuselah the ben.
- The doubt, and. by the prompting
w OF respect for his age and OF charity
M1f presume that he was at least fairly
49, yielding himself 70 a greater or less
aegfee 10 the religious traditions of his an.
's Y But. however this may have been
y lsci, It Is what 1t should have been.
7. 49,, not evil. ont hearts promptly say,
,Tsgaid DC the quality Of every ones life,
sns Is the vital distinction. 4 life com.
- With pure elements and divine vir-
80, MAT inearnates God, that is charged
al TIE powers Of heaven, and emitS
SD N sparks Of holy ire. whereby the
.oaas OF men are vitaiized with new
IS sfgy-this is the true idea. Or TO state
-, truth in the special form IN which il
,flsles 70 Us, the more there Is Of Chist III
- NE. IN His redeemlng, regenerSting