Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-07-25

maps there was sometimes TOO mucn nIoou
In their eye when they chastiscd YOU. But
from what know Of you, you got no more
than you deserved. and perhaps a lit;le
more chastiscmcnt would have been salu-
tary But you are willing a. acknowledge,
| think, that they wanted Ia do right.
From what you overheard in conversations,
and from what You saw nj the family altar
and AZ ncighbnrhoud uh~rquics, you know
that they had invited God into their heart
and their life. There was something that
sustained those old people supernaturallr.
You have no doubt about their destiny.
You expect il you ever get To heaven 20
meet them as you expect tO meet the Lord
Jesus Christ. That early association has
been charm for You There was a time
when YOU got right up from u house OF in
Equity and walked out into the fresh sir
hccausc You thought your mother was look
Ing NJ Won You have never been very
happy in sin because Of Il sweet old face
that would present itself. Ircmulous
voices from The PAST accostcd you until they
were accmingly audible and you looked
around tn scc who spoke There was an
estate not mentioned in the last will and
testament. a vast estate of prayer and holy
example and Christian entrcaty and glori
Gus memory The survivors of the family
gathered TO hear the will read, and this
was To bc kept and that was To he sold,
and il was share and snare alike. =
But there was an unwritten will that
read something like this: In the name Of
God amen. |. being of sound mind, he
qucath To my children all my prayers for
their salvation. hcqucath To them all the
results of lifetime toll. ! bcqueath TO
them the Christian religion. which has
been So much comfort To me. and hope
may be- Solacc for them / hcqueath to them
hope Of reunion when the partpgs Of life
are over. Share and share alike may
they inherit eternal riches, bcqucath to
them the wish that they may avoid my err
rors and copy anything that may have been
worthy In the name Of God. who made
me, and the Christ. who redeemed me, and
the Holy Ghost, who sanctficS me, ! make
this my last will and testament. Witness
all you hosts of heaven. Witness time;
witness eternity. Signed, sealed and de-
livercd in this our dying hour Father and
Mother You did not get that will
proved at the surrngatc's office. hut take
il ont today and read il To You. l take
il out Of the alcovcs of your heart. | shake
the dust of it, | ask il you will accept
that inheritance, or will you break the
will:
Responsibility.
Oh. We Of Christian ancestry, You have
responsibility vast beyond all measure
ment God will not let you off with just
being as good as ordinary people when you
had such extraordinary advantage. Ought
not flower planted in a dollhouse he more
thrifty than "a flower planted outside in
the storm: Ought not a factory turned by
the Housatonic do more work than fac
| tory turned by "A thin and shallow noun
tain stream Ought not you of great, early
opportunity be better than those who had
a cradle unblessctl. 4 father sets his son
up in business He keeps an account of all
the expenditures much for store fix
lures 81 much for rent So much for this
SO much for that, and all the items aggrc-
gatcd-and the father expects the son to
give an account. Your heavenly Father
charges against you all the advantage Of n
pious ancestry So many prayers so much
Christian example, 50 many kind en-
trcaticS-all these gracious influences, one
tremendous aggregate. and he asks you
for an account Of it, Ought not you TO be
better than those who had no such advan-
tage: Better have been founding picked
magni0ccr, irhcri,,nse ~ copsccratIon 10
| turn out indiffcrcntly.
Ought not you. my brother. to he better,
having had Christian nurture, than the
man who can truly say this morning
THE first word | remember my father
speaking To me was an oath; the first time
/ / remember my father taking hold of me
was In wrath: | never saw Bible till /
/ "A ~ 7 ss1I
was n pnck of lies: the first 90 wears of
my life was associated with the vicious;
! | seemed to be walled in by sin and death:i
| Now, my brother. ought YOU mott leave
| II as a matter of fairness with you-ought
you not to bc better than those who had no
early Christian influence: Standing as you
do between the generation that is past and
the generation that is TO come. are YOU
going to pass the blessing on. or are you
going to have your life the gulf in which
that tide of blessing shall drop ont OF sight
forever. You are the trustee Of picty In
| that ancestral line, and are you going 10
augment or squander that solemn trust
iunc: Are You going to disinhcrit your
sons and daughters of the heirloom which
your parents lett you. An, that cannot be
| possible-it cannot DC possible that you
are going t. take such position rs that!
You are very careful about the life insur-
ance, and careful about the deeds, and
careful nbout the mortg,ge and careful
hhout the title of vour nrcpcr,v hc.,ouse
when Won stem of the stage Won xv,pt vo,r
children 10 81, n All Al, van making no
nrnvision thnt they shall oct ,,ropdf,tbcr' :
or grnndmother's rcligiong oh what n
last viii and testament you ~, ,,,l-i,,,