Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1898-10-22

stand Tour thousand years after His
arrival. Four thousand years the world
swung on In sin. four thoussnR years IL
may be swinging back into Righteousness.
BY the ordinary rate OF multiplication OF
the worlds population ina century. your
descendants will be over three hundred,
and by two centuries over atty thousand.
and upon every one OF them. you. the
mother or to-day. viii have an influence for
good or evil. And N In tour centuries your
descendants shall have with their names
filled scroll OF hundreds OF thousands.
will some angel from heaven. 10 whom -
given the capacity 20 calculate the num-
Der OF the stars OF heaven and the sands
OF the se2shore, step down and tell us how
many descendants YOU will have IN the
four thousSadth year OF the worlds pos
sihle continuance Do not let the grand
mothers any longer think that they are re-
tired. and sit clear back out OF sight from
the world. feeling that they have no re-
.atscH 70 Il. The mothers ofthe last century
are to-day IN the person Of their de-
scendants. in the Senates, the Parita-
mcnts. the palaces. the Qul9its. the banking
houses. the professional chairs. the prisons.
the almshOuseS. the company OF midnight
hriSands the cellars the ditches OF this
century. You have been thinking about
the Importance OF having the right In
nuence upon one nursery. You nave been
thinking OF the importance Of getting those
two little feet on the right path. You have
been thinking OF your childs destiny tOr
the next eighty years, IL IL should pass on
70 be an octoSenRriau. That Is well. but
nv subject sweeps a thousand years.
million years. a quadriuion OF years.
cannot stop az one cradle. I am looking az
the cradles that rcSch ali around the
world and across all tirLe. am not talk
ing Of mother Eunice. l am talking Of
grandmother Lois.
Good or bad influence may skip one gen
Grafton or two generations. but IL will De
sure 20 land in the third or fourth genera
ton. just as the Ten Commandments.
speaking OF the visitation Of God on fam
lilies. says nothing about the second gen
Grafton, but entirely skips the seconds. and
speaks OF the third and fourth generation.
Visiting the ia.Suities OF the fathers upon
the third and fourth generation Of them
that hate me-" Parental influence. right
and wrong. may jump over generation.
but ~ will come down further on as sure as
YOU sit there and I stand here. This ex-
plains what We often see-some man or
woman distinguished FOR benevolence when
the father and mother were distinguished
for enuriousness. or YOU see some young
man or woman with bad father and
hard mother come out gloriously for Christ.
and make the Church sob and shout and
sing under their exhortations. We stand
in corners OF the vestry and whisper over
the matter, and say. How IS this. such
great piety IN sons and daughters Of such
perennial worldliness and sinf" / will ex-
plain IL 20 YOU n YOU will fetch ne the old
family Bible containing the full record.
Let some septuagenarian look with me
clear upou the page OF births and mar
riaces and tell ma who that woman was
with the old fashioned name Of Jemima
or Betsy or Mehitabel. All there SIC IS,
the old grandmother. or greAt-grand-
mother. who had enough religion 10 sat-
urate = century.
There she Is, the dear old soul. Grand
mother Lois. IN beautiful Greenwood
Cemetery there Is the resting place OF
George " Bethune, once a minister OF
Ill II .-n-.-
among Intelligent Americans without sug-
costing two things-eloQuence aud evan
gelism. In the same tomb sleeps his grand
mother. Isabella Graham. who was the
chiei inspiration OF his ministry. You are
I not surprised atthe poetry aud pathos and
pulpit power OF the grandson when you
read OF the faith and devotion OF his Won
dertul ancestress. When you read this let
| ter. IL which she poured out her widowed
soul IN iOncings for a sons salvation. you
7 will not wonder that succeeding genera
I lions have been blessed:
NV York. May 20. 1871.
This day ny only son LETT me ~ bitter
I wringings % heart. he Is again launches
I on the ocean-Got's ocean. The Lord
saved him from shipwreck. brought him 10
NY home, and allowed me once more 10 In
dniCe nv affection over him. He has been
with me bat a short time. and ~ have
Z improved IL; he a. gone from my sight. and
my heart bursts with tumulJuous grief.
+ only son % his mother"
/ ask nc.hing IN this world for him 7 r.
7 peat my petition. save his soul alive. give
/ him salvation from sin. IL f. not danger O.
the seas that dissresses me. IL l. not the
I hardships be must undergo; q & not the
/ dread % never seeing him more in thi:
/ world; Il & because / cannot discern the
/ fulllment OF the promise in him. ! canno;
/ discern the new birth nor its fruit but every
! symptom OF captivity 10 satan, the world
/ and self-will. This. this j. what tistresse:
/ me; and in connection with this his being
! shut Out from ordinances az a distance
i from Christians; shut up with those who
forget God. profane His name. and breal
Ills Sabtatbs; men who often live ana DIE
like beasts. yet are accountable creatures
who must answer for every moment OF tim,
and every word. thought and action. {
Lord. many wonders hast thou shown me
Thy ways OF dealing with me and mine have
not been common ones; add tais wonder q
the rest. Call, convert, regeDerate and e.
tabiish a sailor IN the faith. Lord, al
things are possible with Thee; glorify Tn,
Son and extend His kingdom by sea ans
land; take the prey from the strong. ! rol
him over upon Thee. Many iIien6s try q
comfort ne: miserable couforters are the
all. Thou art the God OF consolation: onl
confirm % me Thy precious word, on While
Thou causedst me 10 hope ia the day whc
! Thou saldst 20 me, Leave thy fatheries
children, ! will preserve them alive" Onl
H