Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-05-12

candles saw the same sins that are now
found under the electric lights. Homo
spun was just as proud as is the mod
en- fashion plate. Twenty-Five years
ven, % centuries-have not changed
Human nature a particle. I say this for
! the encouragement of those who think
that u times ~monopolize all the Atom
inations of the ages.
One minute after Adam got outside
of paradise he was just like you, o
mani Ono step after Eve left the gate
she was just like you, 0 woman! All
the faults and vices are many times CEN
te~rarians. Yea, the cities Sodom, Go
morrah, Pompeii, Herculaneum, He'll
opolis and ancient Memphis were as
much worse than our modern cities as
you might expect from the fact that
the modern cities have somewhat yield
ed to tho restraints of Christianity,
while those ancient cities were not linn
tied in their denominations
Great Works Accomplished.
Yea, that generation which passed off
within the last 25 years had their be-
reavements, their temptations, their
struggles, their disappointments, their
successes, their failures, their gladness-
es and their griefs, like these two gen.
erations now in sight, that in advance
and that following. But the rs years
between 1859 and 1S94-how much
they saw! How much they discovered!
How much they feltl Within that time
have been performed the miracles Of
the telephone and the monograph.
From the ~observatories other worlds
have been seen to heave in sight. Six
presidents of the United States have
been inaugurated. Transatlantic voyage
abbreviated from 10 days to 81. Chi
cago and New York, once three days
apart, now only "a hours by the vesti-
bule limited. Two additional railroads
have been built to the Pacific. France
has passed from monarchy to republic
anism. Many of the cities have nearly
doubled their populations. During that
generation the chief surviving heroes
of the civil wal have gone into the en-
campment of the grave. The chief ply
sicians, attorneys, orators, merchants,
have passed off the earth or are in re-
tllNilAtilt waiting iOl ldlisltlOu. OIlcE
men in editorial chairs, in pulpits, in
governors mansions, in Legislative, SEN
atorial and congressional halls.
There are not 10 men or women on
earth now prominent who were promi-
nent 25 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 ratlines. Time is o
doctor who, with potent anodyne, has
put al entire generation into sound
sleep. Time, like another Cromwell, has
roughly p~rorogued parliament, and with
iconoclasm driven nearly all the rulers
except one queen from their high places.
So far as l observed that generation,
for the most part they did their best.
CHASTITY exceptions, but so far as I 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 it. We are indebted to
them for the fact that they prepared the
way for our coming. Eighteen hundred
and rinety-four reverently and CRATE
fully salutes 1869. Zone generation
passeth away, and another generation
conleth."
There are fathers and mothers here
whom l baptized in their infancy.
There is not Il person in this church's
board Of session or trustees who was
here when | came. Here and there in
this vast assembly is one person who
heard my opening sermon in Brooklyn,
but not more than one person in every
500 now present. OF the II persons who
gave me a unanimous call when 1 came,
only three, l believe, arc living.
The Major Key.
But this sernlcn is not a dirge. 1t is
an anthem. While this world is appro-
pirate as Il temporary stay, as an eter-
nal residence it would be a dead fail
ure. 1t would be q dreadful sentence if
our race were doomed to remain here a
thousand winters and q thousand sum-
mers. God Keeps us here just long
enough to give us an appetite for heav-
en-. Had we been born in celestial realms
we would not have been able to appre-
ciate the bliss. 1t needs a good many
rough blasts in this world to qualify US
to properly estimate the superb climate
Of that good land where it is never too
cold or too hot, too cloudy or too glar-
ing. Heaven will be more to US than to
those supernal beings 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
some tune in the major key. Zone gen
Grafton passeth away, and another gen
Grafton cometh."
Nothing can rob US of the satisfaction
that uncounted thousands of the gener-
alton just past were converted, comfort
ed 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 previous churches went
down in the memorable fires, but the
m~ultitudinous songs they led year aft
er year We're not recalled or injured.
There is no power i'll earth or hell to
kill a halleluiah. 1t is impossible to ar
rest 8 hosanna- What a 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 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 s~hipboard, and
he said to his mates: my lads, l can
only think of II 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 up?" Well, sailors are kind,
and they tried to think of some Other
passage of Scripture with which to con.
sole their dying comrade, but they could
hot. One of them said: "Let us call NJ
the cabin boy. His mother was Il Chris
tan, and / guess he has a Bible" The
cabin boy was called up, and the dying
sailor asked him if he had a Bible. He