Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-07-25
Whose Son Art Thou:

whose SON Art Thou:
This law of hercdity is entirely indepcnd-
ent of social or political conditions. Then
you find avaricc and jealousy and sensu-
ality and fraud having full swing in some
families The violent temper of Frederick
William Is the inheritance of Frederick the
Great. II is not a theory founded by
worldly philosophy, hut by divine author
ity. Do you not remember how the Bible
speaks Of a chosen generation, of the gen
Grafton of the righteous, of the generation
of vipers. Of an untoward generation, of a
stubborn generation, of the iniquity of the
fathers visited upon the children unto the
third and fourth generation: So that the
text comes today with the force of "A pro-
jectile hurled from mightiest catapult
Whose son are thou, thou young mans"
We'll, says some one, that theory dis
charges me from all responsibility. Born
Of sanctiiled parents, we are bound to be
good, and we cannot help ourselves. Born
Of unrightcous parcntagc, we are bound to
be evil, and we cannot help ourselves. +"
Two inaccuracies. As much rs IL you
should say. The centripctal force in M
turc has tendency To bring everything To
the center, and therefore all come TO the
center. The centrifugal force in nature
periphery, and therefore everything will go
out 10 the periphery"
You know rs well as l know that you
can make the ccntripetal force Overcome
the centrifugal. and you can make the CEN
trifEgal overcome the ccntripctal, as
when there is mighty tide of good in "a
family that may be overcome by determine
ton To cyil--as in the case Of Aaron Burr,
the libcrtinc. who had for father Presi-
dent Burr, the consecrated; as in the case
Of Pierrepont Edwards, the scourgc Of New
York society 50 years ago, who had n
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 il would not be- cOurtc-
GUS 10 speak in their presence The prac-
teal and useful object Of this sermon Is To
show you that, II you have come Of n
Christian ancestry, then you are solcmnly
bound TO preserve and developthe glorious
inheritance, or, II you have come of de
PRAYED ancestry, then It Is your duty to
brace yourself against the evil tendency by
all prayer and Christian determination
And you are to find out the family frail-
ties and in arming the castle put the
strongest guard Mt the weakest gate With
to strike you, not where David struck Co
Hath, in the head, hut where Nathan
struck David, in the heart. Whose son
art thou, thou young mani
There IS something in all winter holt
days to bring up the old folks. think
many Of our thoughts at such times are
set to the tune Of Aud Lang Syne." The
old folks We're 50 busy Mt such times in
making us happy, and perhaps on less re
source made their sons and daughters hap
pier 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 I'm the holiday fcstiyitcs-thc
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 tone of voice. hope you remember
them before they went away. II not,
hope there are those who have recitcd to
you what they We're, and that there may
be In your house some article OF dress or
furniture with which you associate their
memories | want to arouse the most ga
cred memories OF your heart while make
the impassioned interrogatory in regard 10
your pedigree, Whose son art thou, thou
young man"
Ancestry.
I u