The Red Cloud chief., 1894-05-11
THE PASSING THRONG
4 GREAT DAY IN THE HISTORY OF
THE TABERNACLE.

ApHVoHiNu HustDTNte-hu Itn-
quent, appropriate DEMONSTRATING
to Twenty-Five Million Souls.
BROOKLYN, May 8.-This was a great
day in the history of the Brooklyn Tab
ernacle. The figures in flowers back of
the platform-1S69 and lS04-indicat.
ed Rev. DIR. Talmage's time of coming
to Brooklyn and the present celebration
and were introductory to the great meet.
ings in honor Of DIR. Talmago's pastor.
ate to take place on the following Thurs.
day and Friday, presided over by the
mayor Of the city and the ex-secrctary of
the navy, General Tracy, and to BE- par.
ticipated in by senators and governors
and prominent men from north, south,
east and west. The subject Of the SER
mon today was ''The Generations, +" the
text being Ecclesiastcs 1, A.. Zone gon-
Grafton passeth away, and another gener-
alton cometh."
According to the longevity Of people
in their particular century has q gener.
alton been called 100 years, or 90 years,
or 80 years. BY common consent in our
nineteenth century a generation is fixed
OF 90 years.
The largest procession that eyer NOV
ed is the procession of years, and the
greatest army that ever marched is the
army Of generations. In each genera
ton there are about nine full regiments
Of days. These 8, 1875 days in each gener.
alton march with wonderful precision.
They never break ranks. They never
ground arms. They never pitch tents.
They never halt. They are never off on
furloukh. They came out Of the eterni-
ty past, and they move on toward the
eternity future. They GROSS rivers with
out any bridge or boats. The 600 i'm
mortals Of the Crimea dashing into them
cause no confusion. They move as rap.
idly at midnight as Mt midnoon. Their
haversacks are full Of good bread and
bitter aloes, clusters Of richest vintage
and bottles Of agonizing tears. With q
regular tread that no order Of "dou-
Bile quick can hasten or obstacle can
slacken, their tramp is on and on and
ON and ON while mountains crumble
and pyramids die. zone generation
passeth, and another generation com
eth"
A Generation.
This is my twenty fifth anniversary
sermon-1S60 and 1894. 1t is 25 years
since I 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 q
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 coming in sight
who our predecessors were. Biography
tell it. Autobiography can
not tell it. Biographies are generally
written by special friends of the depart
ed-perhaps by wife or son or daughter
and they only tell the good things. Thu
b%iographers Of one of the first presi
dents Of the United States make no rec
ord Of the presidents account books
now in the archives ut the capitol
which I have seen, telling how mucl
no lost or gained daily at the gaming
table. The b%iographers of II Of TIN
early secretaries of the United State
never described tho scene that day wit
messed when the secretary was carries
dead drunk from the state apartment
to his own home. Autobiography
written by the man himself, and no ON
would record for future times his owl
weaknesses and moral deficits. Thos
who keep diaries put down only thing
that read we'll. No man or woman tina
over lived would dare to make full rec
ord Of all the thoughts and words Of
lifetime. We who saw and heard muc
Of the generation marching just ahea
Of us are far moro able than any boo
to describe accurately to our successor
who our predecessors wero. Very muc
like ourselves, thank you. Human III
ture In them very much like human nj
ture In us. At our time Of life they wei
very much like we now are. AT tn
time they were In their teens they WEI
very much like you are in your teen'
and at the time they were in their twei
tics they were very much like you al
in your twenties, Human nature got a
awful twist under u fruit tree in Edei
and though the grace Of God does muc
to straighten things every new gene
alton has the Same twist, and the san
work of strengthening out has to DO dol
over again.
Twenty-Five Years Back.
A mother in the country districts, G.
pecting tho neighbors at her table
some gala night, had with her OWL ham
arranged everything in taste, and as 81
was about to turn from 1t to receive h
guests saw her little child by accide
upset q pitcher all over the white clio
and soil everything, and tho moth
lifted her hand to slap the child, b
she suddenly remembered the tin
when q little child herself, in h
fathers house, where they had {
. ways before been used to candles on t
purchase of a lamp. which was a mt
> ter of rarity and pride, she took 1t
her hands and dropped it., crashing in
pieces, and looking up in her fathel
lan.,I ~,