Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-05-10

A discourse Appropriate to the Genera
tons Past, Present and Those to Come.
The Distinguished Pastor Announces the
Scope of His Coming Vacation.
BROOKLYN, May 6.--Ths was a great
day in the history of the Brooklyn Taber-
nacle. The figures in flowers back of the
platform, 1869 and 1894, indicated Rev.
DR.. Talmage's time of coming to Brooklyn
and the present celebration, and were in
troductory to the great meetings in honor
of DR. Talmage's pastorate to take place
on the following Thursday and Friday,
presided over by the mayor of the city and
Eek Secretary Of the Navy General Tracy,
and to be participated In by senators and
governors and prominent men from north,
youth, cast and west The subject of the
sermon today was The Generations, the
text being ECclcsiastcs /, I, "One genera
ton psssth away, and another generation
comcth."
According to the longevity of people in
their particular century has a generation
been called 100 years, or 80 years, or 30
Years BY common consent in our nine
tecnth century a generation is fixed at %
years.
The largest procession that ever moved
Is the procession of years, and the greatest
army that ever marched is the army of
generations. In each generation there are
about nine full regiments of days. These
G,125 days in each generation march with
wonderful precision. They never break
ranks. They never ground arms. They
never pitch tents. They never halt. They
are never off on furlcugh. They came out
OF the eternity past, and they move on to-
ri = no +e tv 6, nj
without any bridge or boats, The 800 i'm
mortals of the Crimca dashng into them
cause no confusion. They move as rapidly
at midnight as at midnoon. Their haver
sacks are full of good bread and bitter
aloes, clusters of richest vintage and bot
tics Of agonizing tears With a regular
tread that no order of "double quick con
hasten, or obstacle can slackcn, their tramp
is on and on and on and on while noun
tains crumble and pyramids die. lone
generation passcth, and another generation
cometh.
An Anniversary.
This is my twenty fifth anniversary ser
mon, 1868 and 1894. 1t is % years since
assumed the Brooklyn pastorate A whole
generation has passed. Three generations
we have known-that which preceded our
own, that which is now at the front and
the one coming on. We are at the heels
of our predecessors, and our successors are
at our heels. What generation it was
that preceded us! We who are now in the
'front.' regiment are the only ones competent
to tell the new generation just now COM
Ing in sight who our predecessors were.
Biography cannot tell it, Autobiogra-
phies cannot tell it. Biographies are gen
orally written by special friends of the
departed, perhaps by wife or son or daugh-
ter, and they only tell the good things.
The biographers of one of the first presi-
dents of the United States make no record
Of the presidents account books, now in
the archives at the capitol, which ] have
seen, telling how much he lost or gained
daily at The gaming table. The biographers
OF one of the early secretaries of the United
states never described the scene that day
witnessed When the secretary was carried
uead drunk from the state apartments to
ms own nome. AUTOBIOGRAPHY Is written
by the man himself, ana no one would
record Tor future times ms own Weaknesses
ana moral denclts. those who keep diaries
put down only things that read well. No
man or woman that ever lved would dare
10 make lu!l record OF all the thoughts ana
words OF llellhe' we VINO saw ana
heard 1huch OF the generation marching
JusU aheau OF us are lar more able imam
any hook TO describe accurately to our sue
cesSors VINO our predecessors We're very
much Ike ourselves, thank you. human
nature IN thelh very much IKE human ma
1ure In US AT our time OF lie they We're
very much ike we now are. Az the time
they were IN their teens they were very
much IKE you who are III your teens, and
at the tllhe they were III their twentles
they were very much llko you VINO are N
your twentIeS' Human nature got an aw-
ilil tWls' uhuer lrult Tree In Euen, ana
though the grace OF TOD does much to
stralghteh things every new generation
mas the same TWIST, ana the same work OF
strengthening out has TO be done over
again
"'aii'e al hi''oES'
A mother in tho country districts ex-
pecting the neighbors at her table on soma
gala night had with her own hands ar
ranged everything in taste, and as she was
about to turn from 1t to receive her guests
saw her little child by accident upset a