The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-05-16

we're not limited in Their abominati0Ds
Yea, that generation which passed of
within tha last 25 years had their bereav-
meGts. their temptations, their struggles
their disappoln meGts, their seccesses,
their f.,lUras, their gladDesses and their
griefo, like these two generai!ous now IN
SIGHT ;hat iu advance and that following
But the 25 years between 1869 and 1894
how uouca they saa! How much they
discovered! How much the, felt. Wit6iD
that time they have performed the mira
c!es cfthe telepbone and the photograph.
From The Gbscrvatcries Olner worlds
have been seen to heave III sight. SIX
presidents ofthe Uplted States have bfeo
lnaugurated Transatlantic voyage ab'
brevia'ed from 10 days to 81. Chicago
and New York, ouca three Gays apart,
now only "a hours by the vestihnle
limited. Two edGI iopal railroads have
been brilt 10 the Pacific. France has
passed from monarchy to republicanism.
Many Of the cities have nearl? doubled
their populations. During that genera.
tiou the Chief surviving heroes OF The CIV
Il war have gone INTO the epcampment
Of the grave. The chief physicians, at
torneys, orators, merchants, havs passed
eff the earth or are!n retirement waiting
for transition. O.her men IN editorial
chairs, in pulplts, II governors man.
sions, in legislative, senatorial aud con-
gressicnaI halls.
There are not 10 men or women on
the earth now prominent aho were prom
iuent 25 wears ago. TIE crew OF this
old ship ola world is all changed. OH.
ers at the helm, others on The ''lookout"
Others climbing the iatlines. Tina IS
doctor who with potent anodyne has
gut al entire generation into sound
sleep. Time, like another Cromwell,
has roughly prorogued parliament and
With icOroclasm driven nearly all the
rulers except one queen from their high
places. So far as observed that gen.
Grafton, for the most part they did their
best. Ghastly exceptions, bu: 80 tar as
| knew 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 1t. We are
indebted to them for the fact that they
prepared the way for our coming. Elgh-
teen hundred and ninety-tOur reverentlY
and gratefully salutes 1869. '6ae gen
Grafton passeth away and another gene
ration cometh."
There are fathers and mothers here
whom baptized in their infancy. There
is not one person in this ctucch's noard
Of session or trus .ees who were here
wh~n came. Here and there in this
vast assembly is one parson who heard
my opening sermon IN Brooklyn, out
not more than oGe person in every 500
nov present. Of the II persons WHO
gave me unanimous call when I came
ONLY three, believe are living.
But this sernon is not dirge. 1t IL ao
anthem. While this world is appropri-
ate as temporary stay, or an eternal
residence it would be dead failure It
would be dreadful sentence # our race
were doomed foreman here 600 WIN
iecs and 600 summers. God keeps
US here just long enough to give US an
appetite for heaven. Had we been barn
II celestial realms We you'd not have
been able TO appreciate the bliss. l.
needs : good many rough blasts in this
world to qaalitV Us 10 properly estimate
be superb climate Of that good land
where il is never too cold or too hos too
cloudy or too glaring. Heaven will be
more to US than to those supernai be
iDgs whO were never tempted or sick or
bereaved or tried or disappointed. So
you may well take my text out of the
minor key and set it to tune in the ma
ior key. 'One generation passeth away
and snoJher generation cometh." "
Nothing can rob us of the satisfaction
thst uncounted thousands Of the genera
tiop just passed were converted comfort
ed and harvested for heaven b7 this
church, whether in the present building
or the three preceding bull dings in
which they worsHipped. The two great
organs of the previous churches went
down II the memorable fires, but the
multltudInous songs thsy led year after
YEAR were not recalled or Injured. There
is no power in earth or hell to kill
halleluiah. It is impossible to arrest a
bosanna. What satisfaction to know
that there are many thousands in glory
on whose eternal welfare this church
wrought nightly! Nothing can undo
that work. They have ascended, the
multitudcs wno served God in that gen.
Grafton. That chapter is gloriously ems
ed. But that generation has left its
impression on this generation,
4 sailor was dying on shipboard, and
be said to his mates: my lads, l can
only think Of one passage Of Scripture,
1.-The soul that sinneth, II shall die, and
that keeps ringing in my ears. The
soul that sinneth, 1t shall die Can't
you think Of something else inathe Bible
to cheer me up?" Well, sailors are kind
and they tried to think Of some other
passage Of Scripture with which to COD
sole their dying comrade, but they could
not. Oae of them said: "Let u5 call
the cabin boy. His mother was q
Christian, and I guess be has a Bible" I"
The cabin boy was called up, and the
dying sailor asked him if be had a Bible.
He said, YES" But he could not e&-
actly 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 bottom Of bis
trunk and brought out the Bible, and his
mother had marked passage that just
fitted the dying sailors case, "The
blood of Jesus Christ, bis Son, cleanseth
from all sin" That helped the sailor
to die IN peace. So one generation helpc
another, and good things written or sad
or done are reproduced long afterward.
During Tie passing Of the last genera
ton some peculiar events have untolded
One day while resting at Sharon Springs
n. VI think it was jn 1870, the year
after my settlement in Brooklyn-aud
while walking in the park of that place !
found myself asking the question -
wonder If there IS any special mission
for me to execute IL this world? II there
is, may God show it to me-" There
soon came to me grea. desire to preach
the gospel thrOu b tie secular printing