The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-05-09


their populations. During that genera
ton the chief surviving heroes of the
civil war have gone into the encampment
OF the grave. The chief physicians, at
torneys, orators, merchants, have passed
Off the earth or are il retirement wait
ing for transition. Other men in edi-
torial chairs, in pulpits, in governors
mansions. In legislative, senatorial and
congressional halls.
There are not ten men or women on
the earth now prominent who were
prominent twenty-five years ago. The
crew Of this old ship of a world is all
changed. Others at the helm, others on
the lookout" others climbing the rat
lines. Time is a doctor who with potent
anodyne has put an entire generation
into sound sleep. Time, like another
Cromwell, has roughly prorouged parlia-
ment and with iconoclasm driven nearly
all the rulers except one queen from
their high places. So far as 1 observed
that generation, for the most part they
did their best. Chastity exceptions, but
so far as 1 l1new them they did quite
well, and many of them gloriously well.
They were born at the right time, and
they died at the right time. They left
the world better than they found it. We
are indebted 10 them for the fact that
they prepared the way for our coming.
Eighteen hundred and ninety-four rev.
erently and gratefully salutes 1869.
other generation cometh."
An Anthem.
There are fathers and mothers here
whom baptized in their infancy. There
is not one person in this church's board
Of session or trustees who was here
when 1 came. Here and there in this
vast assembly is one person who heard
my opening sermon in Brooklyn, not
more than one person in every 500 now
present. OF the seventeen persons who
gave me unanimous call when / came
only three. l believe, are living.
But this sermon is not a dirge. II is
an anthem. While this world is appro-
pirate as temporary stay, as an eternal
residence il would be a dead failure. II
would be a dreadful sentence if our race
were doomed TO remain here 1000 win
tiers and 1000 summers. God keeps US
here just long enough 10 give US an
appetite for heaven. Had we been born
IN celestial realms we would not have
been able 10 appreciate the bliss. II
needs a good many rough blasts in this
world TO qualify us 10 properly estimate
the superb climate of that good land
where ii is never too cold or too hot, too
cloudy or too glaring. Heaven will be
more TO US than TO those supernal beings
who were never tempted or sick or
tried or disappointed. So you may well
take my text out of the minor key and
set il TO some tune in the major key,
"One generation passeth away and an
other generation cometh."
Nothing can rob us of the satisfaction
that uncOunted thousands Of the genera
ton just past were converted, comforted
and harvested for heaven by this church,
whether in the present building or the
three preceding buildings in which they
worshiped. The two great organs of the
churches N no
memorable fires, but the multitudinous
songs they led year after year were not
recalled or injured. There is no power
in earth or hell to kill a halleluiah. II
is impossible 10 arrest a hosanna.
What r satisfaction to know that there
are many thousands in glory on whose
eternal welfare this church wrought
mightily Nothing can undo that work.
They have assembled. the multitudes who
served God in that generation. That
chapter is gloriously ended But that
generation has left its impression upon
this generation.
A sailor was dying on shipboard, and
he said TO his mates: MY lads. 1 can
only think Of the passage of scripture,
The soul that sinneth, it shall die and
that keeps ringing in my ears. The soul
that sinneth. it shall die. Can't you
think Of something else in the bible to
cheer me up2" Well. sailors are kind.
passage Of scripture with which to cen
sole their dying comrade. but they could
not. One Of them said: Let us call
up the cabin boy. His mother was a
Christian. and I guess he has a bible. -
The cabin boy was called up. and the
dying sailor asked him if he had a
bible. He said. Yes" But he could
not exactly find it, and the dying sailor
scolded HIM and said, "Ain't you
ashamed of yourself not to read your
bible?" So the boy explored the bot
tom Of his trunk and brought out the
bible. and his mother had marked a pas
sage that just fitted the dying sailors
case, THE blood of Jesus Christ. his Son.
cleanseth from all sin" That helped
the sailor to die in piece. SO one genera
ton helps another. and good things writ
ten or said or done are reproduced long
afterward.
Gods Answer TO Prayer.
During the passing of the last genera
ton some peculiar events have unfolded.
One day while resting at Sharon Springs.
n. " think it was in 1870. the year
after my settlement in Brooklyn-and
while walking in the park of that place.
1 found myself asking the question: II
wonder If there is any special mission
for me to execute in this world? If there
is. may God show it TO me-" There soon
came upon me a great desire to preach
the gospel through the secular printing
press. 1 realized that the vast majority
of people, even in Christian lands never
enter church. and that il would be an
opportunity Of usefulness infinite IL that
door of publication were opened And
so l recorded that prayer In a blank
book and offered the prayer day In and
day out until the answer came, though
in way different from that which |
had expected, for 1t came through the
misrepresentation and persecution of en-
emies, and / have TO record il for the
encouragement of all ministers of the
gospel who are misrepresented that if
the misrepresentation be virulent
enough, and bitter enough, and continu-
GUS enough, there is nothing that so
widens ones field Of usefulness as hostile
attack, If you are really doing the Lord's
work The bigger the lie told about me
the bigger the demand to see and hear
what / really was doing. From one
stage Of Sermonic publication to another
the work has gone on until week by
week and for about twenty-three years
/ have had the world for my audience
as no man ever had. and today more so
than at any other time. The syndicates
inform me that my sermons go now to
about 25,OOO,OOO Of people in all lands. /
mention this not i'm vain boast but as
a testimony to the fact that God answers
prayer. Would God / had better occu-
pied the field and been more consecrated
TO the work! May God forgive me for
lack of service in the past and double
and quadruple and quintuple my work
in future.
In this my quarter century sermon I
record the fact that side by side with the