The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-05-11

yea, 20 centuries-have not changed
human nature particle. I say this fo
the encouragement of those who thinl
that our times monopolize all the abom
nations Of the ages
One minute after Adam got outside
of paradise he was just like you, {
man! One step after Eve left the gate
she was just like you, o womanl AL
the faults and vices are many times cen
tenarians. Yea, the cities Sodom. Go
morrah, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Hell
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 Weld.
ed to the restraints of Christianity,
while those ancient cities were not lin,
tied in their denominations.
Great Works Accomplished.
Yea, that generation which passed off
within the last % 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
tlulOllo llOW Ill olS1lu, ulletU LII dtlNdllCG
and that following. But the 25 years
between 1869 and 1994-how much
they saw! How much they discovered!
How much they felt 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
b., Ae1
been inaugurated. Transatlantic voyage
abbreviated from 10 days to ~. 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 war 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-
tirement waiting for transition. Other
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, F"
others climbing the ratlines. Time is
doctor who with potent a~pdyne, has
put an entire generation into sound
sleep Time, like another Cromwell, has
roughly prorogued parliament, and with
iconoclasm driven nearly all the rulers
except one queen from their high places.
So far as | observed that generation,
for the most part they did their best.
CHASTITY exceptions, but so far 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 it. We are indebted to
them for the fact that they prepared the
way for our coming. Eighteen hundred
md ninety-four reverently and CRATE
fully salutes 1869. Zone generation
passeth away, and another generation
Cometh.
There are fathers and mothers here
whom I baptized in their infancy.
There is not one 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 came,
only three, believe, are living.
The Major Key.
But this sermon is not dirge. 1t is
an anthem. While this world is appro-
pirate as a temporary stay, as an eter-
nal residence it would be a dead fail
IRE. 1t would be a dreadful sentence if |
Bur race were doomed to remain here a
winters and thousand sum- |
mers. God keeps US here just long |
enough to give us an appetite for heav
Ell. 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
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
I'd and harvested for heaven by this
church, whether in the present building
II the three preceding buildings in
which they worshiped. The two great
organs of the previous churches went
Town in the memorable fires, but the
songs they led year aft
II year were not recalled or injured.
There is no power in earth or hell to
ill halleluiah. 1t is impossible to ar
,est hosanna What a satisfaction TO
NOW that there are many thousands in
glory ON whose eternal welfare this
church wrought mightilyl Nothing can
lndo that work. They have assembled,
he multitudes who served God in that !