Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-10-26

thinking Of the Importance ofgetting those
two little feet on the right path. You have
been thinking of your child's destiny Tor
the next eighty years, II it should pass on
to be an octogenarian. That Is we'll, but
my subject sweeps thousand wears, =
million years, a qusdrillion OF years.
cannot stop at one cradle, am looking at
the cradles that reach all around the
world and across all time. am not talk
ing Of mother Eunice. 1 am talking OF
grandmother Lois.
Good or bad influence may skip one gen.
GRAFTON or two generations, but 1t will be
sure to land In the third or fourth genera
ton, just as the Ten Commandments.
speaking of the visitation of God on fam
flies, says nothing about the second gen.
GRAFTON, but entirely skips the seconds, and
speaks of the third and fourth generation:
"Visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon
the third and fourth generation OF them
that hate me-" Parental influence, right
and wrong. may jump over u generation,
but 1t will come down further on As snrr as
you sit there and / stand here. Ihls ex-
plains what we often see-some man or
woman distinguished for benevoience when
the father and mother were distinguished
for penurousness, or you see some young
man or woman with II bad father and
hnrd mother come out gloriousy 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
parental worldliness and sin?" l will ex-
plain it to you IL you will fetch me the old
family Bible containing the full record.
Let some septuagennrian look with me
clear upon the page OF births and mar
riageS, and tell me who that woman was
with the old fashioned name OF Jemima
or Betsy or Mehitabel. All, there she IL,
h,4 ntI nImOt her f-ur md
mother, who had enough religion to sat-
urate Il century.
There she is, the dear old sonl, Grand
mother Lois. In beautiful Greenwood
Cemetery there is the resting place OF
George W. Bethune, once minister of
Brooklyn Heights, his name never spoken
among intelligent Americans without sug-
gcsting two things-eloquence and evan
gelism. In the same tomb sleeps his grand
mother, Isabella Graham, who was the
chief inspiration of his ministry. You are
not surprised at the poetry and pathos and
pulpit power OF the grandson when you
read OF the faith and devotion of his won
ierful ancestress. When you read this let
ter, In which she poured out her widowed
soul in lOngings for sons salvation, you
will not wonder that succeeding genera
lions have been blessed:
New YORK, May 90 1891.
This day my only son left me in bitter
on the Ocean-Gods ocean. The Lord
saved him from shipwreck, brought him to
my home, and allowed me once more to In
duige my affection over him. He has been
with me but a short time. and ill have
improved 1t; he is gone from my sight, and
my heart bursts with tumultuous grief.
Lord, have mercy on the widows sou, 'the
only son of his mother"
ask nothing in this world for him; re-
peat my petition, Save his soul alive, give
him salvation from sin. 1t Is not danger OF
the seas that distresses me; 1t is not the
hardships he must undergo; it is not the
dread Of never seeing him more in this
world; 1t Is because / cInnot discern the
fulhlment Of the promise in him. / cannot
discern the new birth nor its fruit but every
symptom OF captivity to satan, the world,
aud self-will This this Is what distresses
me; and In connection with this his being
shut out from ordinances at distance
from Christians; shut up with those who
forget God, prsfane His name, and brOak
His Sabbaths; men who often live and die
like beasts, yet are accountable creatures,
who must answer for every moment OF time
and every word, thought and action. o
Lord, many wonders hast thou shown me;
Thy ways OF dealing. with me and mine have
not been common ones; add this wonder to
The rest. Call, convert, regenerate and es-
tablish sailor In the faith. Lord, all
things are possible with Thee; glorify Thy
land; take the prey from the strong. / roll
him over upon Thee. Many friends try to
comfort me; miserable comforters are they
all. Thou art the God Of consolation; oply
confirm to me Thy precious word. on which
Thou causedst me to hope in the day when
Thou saidst to me, Leave thy fatherless
children, l will preserve them alive" Only
let this life be q spiritual life, and 1 put a
blank In Thy hand as to all temporal things.
l wait for rhy salvation. Amen.
With such a grandmother, would you
1ot have right to expect a George w.
Bethune? And all the thousands converted
through his ministry may date the saving
power back to Isabella Graham.
God ill the earth and the heavens with
such grandmothers; we must some day go
Up and thank these dear old souls. Surely
iod will let us so up and tell them of the
results OF their influence. Among our first
questions in Heaven will be, "Where IL
grandmother" They will point her out,
Tor we would hardly know her, even II we
had seen her on earth, so bent over with
years once and there 50 straight so cim of
aye through the binding of earthly tears
and now her eye as clear "a Heaven, so
FULL of ashes and pains once and now so
agile with celestial health, the wrinkles
blooming into carnation roses, and her
step like the roe on the mountains. Yes,
must see her, my grandmother on my
fathers side, Mary Mccoy, descendant Of
the Scotch. When first spoke to an audit
snce In Glasgow, Scotland, and felt some
what difIident, being "A stranger, | began
by telling them my grandmother was a
Scotchwoman. and then there went up
shout OF welcome that made me fell as
easy as do here. 1 must see her.
Make 1t as easy for the old folks as you
,an. When they are sick, get for them the
best doctors. Find the place for them in
the hymn book. Never be ashamed IL they
prefer styles of apparel which are IA little
antfquated. Never say anything that I'm
plies that they are in the way. Make the
road for the last mile as smooth as you can.
Oh, my! how you will miss her when She
Is gone! How much would l give to see
nv motheri l have many things L
would like to tell her, things that have
happened in the thirty years since She
went away. Morning, noon AID night let
US thank God for the good influences that
have come down from good mothers all
the way back. Timothy, don't forget your
mother. Eunice, and don't forget your
grandmother Lois.
Mothers, ,consecrate yourselves to God and
you will help consecrate all the ages fol-
lowing! Do not dwell so much on your
hardships that you miss your chance OF
an influence that shall look down
upon you from the towers OF an endless
future. l know Martin Luther was right
when he consoled his wife over the death
OF their daughter by saying: Don't take
oh 81, Wiie, TeuieHibet tuhl THIS Is ntru
world for girls" Yes, l 20 further and
say, 1t is n hard world for women. Ay, l
go further and say, 1t is II hard world for
men. But for all women and men who
trust their bodies and souls In the hand OF
Christ the shining gates will soon swing
open. Don't you see the sickly pallor on
the sky? That is the pallor on the cold
cheek Of the dying night. Don't You see
the Frightening of the clouds? That is the
flush on the warm forehead OF the morn
Ing. Cheer up, you are coming within
sight OF the Celestial City.
of the earth's surface. 100000