Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-08-01

from mightiezt catapult, Whose son
art thou, thou young manfe'
Natures Two Forces.
well. " says some one, that theory
discharges me from all responsibility
Born Of sanctified parents, we are bound
70 be good. and we cannot Hep our
selves. Born Of unrighteous parentage,
we are bound 10 be evil, and we cannot
help ourselves z Two inaccuracies AS
much as II You should say The centrip-
etu force in nature has a tendency TO
bring everything to the center. and
| therefore all come to the center. The
centrifugal force in nature has a tend
ency TO throw. every thing to the periph-
cry, and therefore everything viii go
out to the periphery You know as
well as know that you can make the
centrlpetal force overcome the centrif-
ugal, and you can make the centrifugal
overcome the centripetal, as when there
i is a mighty tide Of good in family
that may be overcome by determine
ton to evil; as in the case of Aaron
Burn, the libertine. who had for father
President Burr. the consecrated: as in
the case of Pierrepont Edwards. the
scourge Of New York society 80 years
ago, who had Christian ancestry.
while, ON the other hand some of the
best men and women Of this day are
those who have come of an ancestry of
which 1t would not be courteous to
speak III their presence The practical
and useful object of this sermon is to
show You that if you have come of a
Christian ancestry then you are SOL
smnly bound to preserve and develop
the glorious inheritance, or if you have
come OF depraved ancestry then it is
your duty to Trace yourself against the
syil tendency by all prayer and Chris
tian determination, and you are to find
out the family frailties, and in arming
the castle put the strongest guard at the
weakest gate. With these smooth stones
from the brook hope to strike you,
not where David struck Goliath, in the
head, but where Nathan struck David,
in the heart Whose son art thou, thou
young mann"
There is something in all winter holi-
days to bring up the old folks. / think
many of our thoughts at such times are
set to the tune of 'tAuld Lang Syne. Z"
The old folks were so busy at such
times in making us happy and perhaps
on less resource made their sons and
daughters happier than you on larger
resources are able to make your sons
and daughters. The snow lay two feet
above their graves, but they shook off
the white blankets and mingled in the
holiday festivities-the same wrinkles,
the same stoop of shoulder under the
weight of age, the same old style of
dress or coat, the same smile, the same
tones of voice. l hope you remember
them before they went away. If not,
hope there are those who have recited
to you what they were, and that there
may be in your house some article of
dress or furniture with which you asso-
ciate their memories. want to arouse
the most sacred memories of your heart
while make the impassioned interrog-
atory in regard to your pedigree,
Whose son art thou, thou young mann"
Christian Ancestry.
First / accost all those who are de-
scended of a Christian ancestry / do
not ask if your parents were perfect
There are no perfect people now, and 1
do not suppose there were any perfect
people then. Perhaps there was some
times too much blood in their eye when
they chastised you. But, from what /
know of you, you got no more than you
deserved, and perhaps little more
chastisement would have been salutary,
But you are willing to acknowledge,
think, that they wanted to do right.
From what you overheard in CONVERSE
tions and from what you saw at the
family altar and at neighborhood obse-
quies you know that they had invited
God into their heart and their life.
There was something that sustained
those old people systematically You
have no doubt abnr.ss Their destiny You
expect if you ever get to heaven to
meet them as you expect to meet the
Lord Jesus Christ.
That early association has been a
charm for you. There was time when
you got right up from a house of in
iquity and walked out into the fresh air
because you thought your mother was
looking at you. You have never been
very happy III sin because of sweet old
face that would present itself. Tremu-
lous voices from the past accosted you
until they were seemingly audible, and
you looked around to see who spoke.
There was an estate not mentioned III
the last will and testament, vast es-
tate of prayer and holy example and
Christian entreaty and glorious mem
DRY. The survivors of the family gath
cred to hear the will read, and this was
to be kept and that was to be sold, and
it was share and share alike" But
there was an unwritten will that read
something like this: ''In the name Of
God, amen. !, being of sound mind, be-
queath to my children all my prayers
for their salvation; / bequeath to then
all the results of lifetime's toll; be-
queath to them the Christian religion,
which has been so much comfort to me,
and hope may be solaee for them;
bequeath to them q hope of reunion
when the partings of life are over.
, Share and share alike, may they in
herit eternal riches. bequeath to then
the wish that they may avoid my errors
and copy anything that may have beer
.. worthy. In the name of God who made
me, and the Christ who redeemed me-
and the Holy Ghost who sanctifies me,
l make this my last will and testament
Witness all you hosts of heaven. Wit
ness time, witness eternity. Signed
scaled and delivered in this our dying
hour, Father and Mother. y You die
not get that will proved at the surro
gates Office, but take it out today and
read it to you. / take it out of the
alcoves of your heart ! shake the dust
off it. ask if you will accept that in
heritance, or will you break the will?
O We of Christian ancestry, you
have a responsibility vast beyond al,
measurement. God will not let You Of
with just being as good as ordinary PEG
pie when you had such extraordinary
advantage. Ought not flower planted
, in dollhouse be more thrifty than 8
flower planted outside in the stormi
Ought not factory turned by the
Housatonic do more work than factory
turned by thin and shallow mountain
stream? Ought not you of great early
IL l.