The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1904-10-20

Coke q former pastor, was CHOSEN %
deliver the memorial sermon. The
excellence OF the address impressed
All who heard 1t and on request Of
many friends the Herald herewith re-
produces It In full:
One does not need to be an, octc-
genarian to know the religious con
ditions Of sixty years ago, any more
than one must have been a contem-
porary Of Columbus to be familiar
with the structure and appearance OF
his long famous caravels. In matter OF
accurate knowledge this new century
has immense advantages over the
preceding one. The searchlights Of
history sweep the horizon and little
escapes the keen scrutiny Of the
chronicler Of today. We are not es-
saying the impossible in attempting
10 depict the religious conditions Of
sixty years ago any more than when
we turn the pages to read record OF
achievement Of decade past. Each
belongs to our heritage; our fathers
are with as in their works which "do
follow them" as truly as are our
brothers who toll to enlarge the in.
heritance which they took from the
hands Of those now sainted.
There is a right way and a wrong
way to study history. The wrong
way is born OF pessimism. 1t turns
the head over the left shoulder in a
search for the golden age A wise
man does not ask. ''Why were the for
mer days better than these?9 He
knows that they were not. They were
different from these. The man of
sixty years ago faced quite different
conditions from those which we con
front They had their opportunities
and improved them; they had their
problems and sought to solve them;
they had their duties and manfully
met them; and in all these respects
they have cleft us an example. =
They served their generation and
won their reward. But their gener-
alton was not ours. We have not
their problems nor their duties; we
have our own. We are not called to
repeat their history--but we are call.
ed to learn from ii. The past offers
its lessons of instruction and we do
well to con them with care, and heed
the teachings Of experience, as it is
applicable TO our day and duty. If
we will serve our generation as faith.
fnlly as did the fathers theirs we will
need the incentive of their example
and the heroic spirit Of their devo-
tisn.
Methodism is not mercy one of
many sects. John Wesley declared
hat he was thrust ont to, Esise -l,p
] Holy people. and that the mission
OF Methodism vas to spread scrip
tural holiness wherever it went. DR..
Chalmers defined it. as Christianity
in earnest" Early Methodism EN-
bodied convictions. cherished an ex
perience. cultured a testimony, and
preached and prayed and sang its way
10 victory in England and in America
on the Atlantic coast and in the Mis-.
sissippi valley, as it has also on the
Pacific slope and the isles OF the sea
n hosts were as irresistible as Gaze
sar's Tenth Legion or Cromwell's Iroa
sides " They locked like men Of
war they were all clad In armor
bright.and conquering palms thes
bore" They had the secret Of pow
or. They had the swing of victory
They were the followers of one who
never lest battle and never turned
from foe What was the key to theil
success In an early day dead mar
thrust hurriedly into Elishals tomb be
cause Of the approach of enemie!
from whom the bearers fed in fear
revived as soon as he touched the
prophets bones. May we find virtue
in touch with these laundering lie
gions who swept across sea and con
tfnent in their victorious career
May we learn somewhat from thu
fathers. who watch our career witt
IRterest, lamenting cur failures AM
rejoicing in our victories. What was
their secret Of power?
4 AAIJ dAu al SApbl lSHCt. luci
we're men with message The,
knew God and salvation. They knew
Me power and pollution and penalt.
Of sin; they knew the grace and Low,
Of Him who
Breaks the power Of cancelled sir
And sets the prisoner free"
They knew what 1t was to be undel
condemnation as sinners; they knew
what it was to be under conviction al
penitents; they knew what it was t,
have the morning break upon theil
night Of weeping. bringing the joy O.
pardon. They We're not usually mer
Of learning; they were not grear
scholars; they were not noted theoIo
CLANS; yet they had sound. sensibls
seriptural theology alike in head anf
Heart. They believed that all mer
we're sinners; that Jesus Christ wa:
a eomplete Saviour; that the peniteni
soul could find pardon and peace;
Mat salvation by faith was the only
way to heaven. They believed in thu
HIble as the word Of God and that