Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-01-05
alistellaneous Reaaing.
BLESSINGS OF THEPAST.

CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.
ture generations by transmitting to
them the blessings which have come to
us from the past? 1t is our duty not
only to hand these blessings down to
those who are to come after us; but 1t is
also our duty to enlarge them and to in
crease their number. Let us, therefore,
embalm these blessings in our good
works and transmit them to future
generations "And thou mayest add
thereto"
We constitute the connecting link
between the past and the future. Let
this link be golden link. binding to-
gether the good works Of the past with
the good works of the future. God for
bid that we should break the continuity
of good works. May the stream Of good
works. as it passes through our lives
be normal, healthy, and natural, be-
coming wider and deeper in it's onward
flow, until at last it shall empty itself
before the throne of God bearing upon
it's bosom much of the precious freight
Of the Kingdom Of our Redeemer.
If our work is acceptable to God, its
nature is imperishable. Every noble
thought, every kind word, every act Of
self-denial for Christ's sake. record
themselves in the sounding board of
eternity and never die away. Our work
may be very imperfect in this world; 1t
may be very incomplete; but, If 1t is
done in the name Of Jesus, and for his
sake. it will stand every test and Will
last forever. There Is an element OF
immortality in every noble thought and
impulse, in every kind word and smile,
and in every good deed and work.
These thoughts and words and deeds
are embalmed in the hearts and lives of
those who come after us, and they are
transmitted from one generation to
another.
What shall the message Of our lives
be to those who are to come after US
in the regular line Of the worlds his
tory? Shall it be: We transmit to you
the sacred trust which we inherited
from our fathers: we have cherished
the inheritance and have been blest by
1t: we have used 1t for the glory Of
God and for the advancement Of his
kingdom; we have added to 1t; we give
1t to you intact and in an enlarged
form; and may you ever be faithful to
the trust? God grant that this may
be our message to future generations.
III. THE WORK OF OUR FATHERS SHOULD
BE TO US A MIGHTY INCENTIVE TO NO
BIER AND BETTER LIVING.
When we consider the difficulties and
obstacles with which they had to con-
tend, and when we consider how much
they did; we ought to lay out all Of
our energies and undertake greater
things. The work which they accom-
plished ought to be to us an incentive,
and. at the same time. an encourage
ment. Many important and useful les
sons do they teach us in their lives and
experiences. Look at their traits OF
character as displayed in their lives
and labors.
Consider their reverence for God.
Thoroughly convinced Of the doctrine
Of Gods sovereignty, they placed the
Almighty upon the throne and they
kept him there in all Of their thinking
and living.
Notice their courage. Being i'm
pressed with the omnipotent power Of
the truth and feeling that they were in
the grasp Of the divine purpose, they
had the courage Of their convictions
and the fortitude to stand up in the
face of all the opposition that was ar
rayed against them.
Look at their contentment. When
man realizes that God rules, that God
has a plan which covers his life and
purpose that runs through his history
as the warp runs through the cloth,
that God is making all things work to-
gether for his good; If this doctrine
does not lift him above the cares, anxi-
eties and disappointments of this life.
then there is no doctrine that can do 1t.
Witness their devotion to Gods
truth. Holding that the Bible is thu
word Of God; that 1t is not only the in
fallible rule of faith and practice, but
that it is a sufficient and perfect rule;
relying solely on this word for their
system of doctrine; realizing that the
Scriptures come not only as revela-
tion from God, but also as a revelation
of God; they were ready to die for this
blessed truth, and thousands of them
did seal their devotion to Gods word
with their lifeblood.
Behold their hopefulneSS. Knowing
that God sits upon the throne and that
his Kingdom rules over all: knowing
that Gods plans cover all events and
agencies, and that his purposes run
through them all; knowing these things:
they realized that all the powers Of
darkness and sin combined were impo-
tent to thwart the plans Of the Almigh-
ty. or to defeat his purposes. This
gave them a hopefulness born of AL
mighty God.
How these things ought to encourage
us and to act upon us as mighty In
centive in our lives! Wherefore see
ing we also are compassed about with
so great a cloud Of witnesses, let us
lay aside every weight and the sin
which doth so easily beSet us. and let
us run with patience the race that is
set before us. looking unto Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith"
Our part in the great work committed
to the church is an important one: i'm
portant because it forms a part Of
Gods plan. We add to what has al
ready been done. Do we want to see in
Gods own time a completed, symmetri
cal work? Let the prospect Of that
completed work be an incentive to us
Says some one: II do not see the ca
thedral as yet, when go unto the con-
fused quarry yard and see there the
half wrought stones, the clumsy blocks
that are by and by to be decorated
capitals. But when at last they are
finished in form and brought together,
the mighty building rises in the air, an
ever enduring psalm in rock. I do not
see the picture yet, when I look upon
the palette with it's blotches and stains
and Jumps Of colors. By and by, when
the skillful brush of the painter has
distributed those colors, I see the IA
diant beauty of the Madonna, the pa
thos of the Magdalene; see the beauty
of the landscape spread out upon the
canvas, with meadow, and hill, and
winding stream, and the SplendOrS of the