The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1903-10-12
TALKED ON
FOLK LORE
Sermon of Rev. Edison on
"Japheth and His Descend
ants" Last Night

Talking on the subject of "Japheth
and his Descendants" last night, TAX
ing as a text Genesis 10: 32, These are
the families of the sons of Noah, after
their generations, in their nations;
and by these were the nations divided
in the earth after the food" Rev.
Edison said, in part:
I'VE shall attempt to finish tonight
the series of addresses on the races
OF men, taking Japheth as our theme.
This son of Noah was given Europe
as his allotment, thus receiving a
smaller farm than either of his two
bI Iothers.
THE student of ethnology has no
difficulty in tracing the Iberian, Ital-
ian, Grecian, Illyrian, Albanian, Tar
tar, Celtic German, Slavic, Finnish,
Hungarian and Anglo-Saxon familier
that now, in their various intermix-
lures inhabit the continent of Europe.
back to one common father.
For the first sixteen hundred years
after the food many of the decend-
ants of Shem and Ham made great
advancement in civilization, while the
sons of Japheth did little more than
to propagate a great number of bar
| barous, warlike tribes. Not until
about eight hundred years before
| Christ did they begin to reach out for
better things. Then the people of
Hellas, who were the direct decend.
ants of Javan the son of Japheth be-
gan their brilliant history. The Ro-
mans afterward called them Greeks
and the name still clings to them.
The family of Japheth was not, up
to this time, very religious, but the
Greeks had borrowed a religion from
the sons of Ham which they now be-
gan To improve and beautify until at
the expiration of six hundred years
which has been the charm, as well as
the marvel of all students of ancient
history. Nations are always what
their religion makes them, and in the
civilization of Greece and Rome we
see the very best that paganism can
do excellent of it's kind. but not to be
compared with what Christianity has
given the world.
THE real beginning of human pro-
gress dates with the introduction of
Christianity into Europe. The preach
ing of Paul and Silas in Macedonia
may seem to some as a trifling incl
dent, but it ushered in one of the most
plorious epochs of human history.
At this time the great nations of
Europe, including Germany and Brit
heathenism, and their rapid and glor-
ious transition from uncivilized pagan
tribes to great world powers has been
the result of the gospel of Christ.
I'VE have explained in former ad-
dresses how the families of Shem ano
Ham have contributed to the worlds
advancement by giving it wheat,
horses, rice, tea, cotton, gunpowder
and the mariners compass, as well as
mathematics, astronomy, chemistry
and music. but it remained for the
family of Japeth to bring them up
to their present high excellence.
I'VE shall see, tonight, how Europe
and her North American daughter have
blessed humanity by founding a Chris
tian civilization that has proven help
full, in some measure at least to ev-
cry nation on earth.
Christianity has not only blessed the
nations, but has beautified the lives
and character of individual followers.
The teaching of Christ informs us
how to live in this world and prepare
us to live hereafter"