The Washington times., 1894-09-17
GODS LAST EXPERIMENT"
DR.. Easton Believes that the Mission of the
American Church Is TO Hasten
the Millennium

81 believe America to be Gods last expert
ment with the race to lift humanity up TO the
tablelauds Of universal freedom. and as Amer
lea leads so shall the world find its destiny"
said Dr. EastoD, pastor of the Eastern Pres
byterian Church, in an able discourse de-
livered before very large audience yester-
day morning.
Dr. Easton's theme was 1.-The valley of
weeping and the text selected was the sixth
verse of the eighty-lourth Psalm: "Who,
passing through the valley Of Baca, make it
u well" :"
There seems 10 be a shade of mystery
about these words, said the reverend
speaker by some the valley OF Baca is
rendered the valley of mulberry trees. by
others the valley OF weeping. 1t was no
doubt a desolate region through which the
pilgrims passed TO their great festivals. and
was overgrown with some kind Of shrubbery
that made travel difficult; and when the de-
yout Jew thought of Jerusalem. the city of
peace, the temple and its ordinances, his
tears of Joy wstered the valley of desolation.
! shall take the words mainly In this sense.
that they are blessed who scatter blessings
by they way, they pass through earth's
valley of weeping
''1L>o words of our text suggest, first. the
transitory character of our earthly existence.
Passing through this valley of weeping we
our footprints. few and almost blotted out.
Everything else remains, but we pass on.
The paths over which we have walked
remain for still other feet to travel: the houses
in which we were born and lived and died !;
the lake and the river that loated our vessels
the road that carried our commerce. the field
that witnessed the battle. all remain but the
sailor. the merchant, the soldier pass on.
The great fact is that men are passing,
and time is flying. and the work of the hour
must be done now or be left forever undone
Shall this great wallis lachrymarum' become
as the Garden Of Eden in its virgin beauty. or
remain thousand years behind its time of
ultimate redemption?
This leads to the suggestion OF, second.
the ministration of doing good by the way
Turn and look over the millions who in the
long past have come and gone, passing
through earth's valleys of weeping, and think
OF the good they have done by the way, OF the
wells they have sunk in dry lands over which
they journeyed, these wells and pools gath
ering the falling rains TO quench the thirst of
weary travellers who come after them.
Early in the morning of time Abel taught
the conscience, frightened by sin and op-
pressed with guilt, to approach God by the
way of sacrifice, his bleeding lamb upon the
algar pointing through the ages to Calvary
victm-the lamb slain from the foundation
OF the world. Enoch taught US the blessed
ages resignation: Abraham showed how to
iilumine our valleys of darkness by sweet.
constant trust in the Holy One and Moses
gave us the law, the basis of all the worlds
civil and religious Jurisprudence, Isaiah and
Daniel stood on the mountain tops and saw
the distant day of the worlds Redeemer.
''He came, Jesus, the Christ. and passed
through earth's valley of weeping, OF sorrow,
OF sin, of suffering, of death. He journeyed
by way OF sweet childhood; He touched the
depths of poverty; He went into the wilder
ness of temptation; He went where were all
the sick and the possessed of devils; wept
over grave, sank down under great sorrow
in Gethsemane, and felt the pressure of our
guilt. He expired on the cross uplifted that
the infinite love of God might reach the hearts
of men and sinners might look and live.
1.-The different nations have all left some
thing to mark their peculiarities.
Europe is building her monuments OF
progress, OF learning and social reform,
while our own America is trying to carry up
the beautiful walls of the fair temple of lib
erty and religion. in which all men shall be
one-all free. To the American church is
committed the obligation to hasten the mil
lennium, and as her aggressive type of piety
spreads or is trammeled, so shall Christ,
sooner or later, see of the travail Of his soul
in a world redeemed"
His excellent discourse. OF which the FORE
going is but brief extract, being concluded,
DIR. Easton invited all strangers in the con-
gregation to meet him at the close of the ser
vice, that they might receive the hand of well
come, and Il great many accepted.
Just before leaving the pulpit. DR.. Easton
also announced that brief history of the
Eastern Presbyterian Church would be pub
lished next Sunday in THE WASHINGTON TINES.