The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-02-03
DAWN CT A CENTURY
Or. Talmage breaches Of the Bright
ness in Which 1t Cones
America To-day the Chosen Nation
GoG-What theOld century Leaves
Behind It--Christinnity a.
Spreading.

text. Chronicles. 1892: "ILt children
Of Issachar. which were men that hal
understanding of the times. 10 know
what Israel ought TO do"
Great tribe. that tribe of lssacha~.
When Joab took the census. there were
1l5.6oO Of them. Before the almanac
WAS born. through astrological study
they knew from stellar coniunctions
all about the seasons Of the year. Be
fore agriculture became an art they
were skilled in the raising Of crops.
Before politics became a science they
knew the temper Of nations. and when
ever they marched. either for pleasure
or war they marched under a three
colorod far-toTaz, sardine and car
buncle But the chief Characteristic
OF that tribe of lssachar was that they
understood the times. They were not
Ike the political and moral incompe-
tents of our day. who are trying 10
guide lSos 10y the theories Of 1898.
They looked at the divine indications
In their own particular century. So
we ought 10 understand the times. not
the times when Amcrica was f3 colonies
huddled together along the Atlantic
coast. but the times when the nation
dirs one hand in the ocean on one
side the continent and the other hand
in the ocean on the other side the con-
tinent; times which put New York
Narrows and the Golden Horn of the
Pacific within one fash of electric
telegraphy; times when God IS as di-
rectly. rs positively as solemnly. as
tremendously addressing MS through
the daily newspaper and the quick
revolution Of events as he ever adj
dressed the ancierts or addresses MS
through the Holy Scriptures. The
voice of God I'm Providence is as inn
portant as The voice of God I'm typolocy,
for in our own day we have had cur
Sinais with thunders of the Almighty.
and Calvaries of sacrifice. and Gethsem-
anes that sweat great drops Of blood,
urd Olivets of ascension. and Mount
Psgals Of far-reaching vision Tho
Lord who rounded this world 5000
years ago and sent his Son 20 rcdccmit
near I 1000 years ago has yet much TO DO
with this radiant but aronized planet.
May God make us like the children cf
Issachar (which were men that had
understanding Of the times. 10 know
what Israel ought 10 do"
The crave Of this century will soon be
dug The cradle OF anothercent viii
soon be rocked. There IS something
moving this way out Of the eternities,
something that thrills me. blanches me,
appalls me- eXhilarates me, enraptures
me. It viii vreathe the orange bios
SONS for millions of weddings. 1t viii
beat the dirce for millions Of obse-
quies. II viii carry the gilded ban
ncrs Of brightest mornings and the
black flags Of darkest nidnights. The
world VIII play the grand march Of its
heroes and sound the rogues' march Of
its towards. Other professions may
halt or break down or fall back, but
the procession led by that leader moves
steadily on and viii soon be here. It
VIII preside over coronations and de-
thronements. ! hail III I bless i'll! I
welcome It'll The twentieth century Of
The Christian era.
What may we expect Of il and how
shall we prepare for it nre the momen-
tous questions propose nowto discuss.
AS I'm families human nativity is an
ticipoted by all sanctity and kindli-
ness and solemnity and care and hope
fulness. SO ought we prayerfully hope
fully industriously. confidently pre-
pare for the advent Of a new century.
The nineteenth century must not treat
the twentieth on ies arrival as the
eighteenth century treated the nine
teenth Our century inherited the
wrecks of two revolutions and the SUI
perstitioas of age. Around it's cradle
stood the armed assassin Of old world
tvrannics: the "reign of terror" be-
queathirg its horrors; Robespierre.
plotting his diabolism; the Jacobin
club. with its wholesale massacre; the
guirotinc chopping fits beheadments.
The ground quaking with the great
guns Of Marcngo. Wagram and Bad
sios All Europe in convulsion. Asia
In comparative quiet. but the quietness
Of death Africa in the clutches Of the
slave trade. American savages in full
CRY. their scalping knives lifted. The
exhausted and poverty struck people
of America sweating under the debt OF
500. 100000. which the revolutionary
war had left them. Washington just
gone into the long sleenat Mount Yer
non. and the nation in bereavement
Aaron Burr. the champion liberdne' be-
coming soon after vice president. The
government of the United States only
an experiment. most of the philoso-
piers and statesmen and governments
Of the earth prophesying it. would be
disgracclu failure. No poor founding
laid at night on the cold steps Of a
mansion. 10 be picked up in the morn
ing. was poorer of than this century at
its nativity. The United States govern
mcnt had taken only 10 steps on it's
journey. its constitution having been
formed in 1889. and most of the ma
tions Of the earth laughed at our gov
eminent in its first attempts 10 walk
alone
The birthday Of our nineteenth cen
tury occurred in the time Of war. Our
small United States navy under Capt.
Truxton. commanding the frigate Con-
stitutior. was iu collision with the
French friOqfps la VENGEANCE and