Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-02-22

aud so did Joshua he left nothing un-
done Of all that the d commanded
Moses" Now. the rent question
which comes before us Is this: Are we
ready To take up and carry forward
the unfinished labors of those who
have gone before ms Joshua completed
the work Of Moses?
There Is Il great deal OF unfinished
work IN the old homestead. Your ia
Their and mother were not lazy or neg
llgent people. They worked from early
morning until late at night They were
not cxtravagunt They did not run up
useless expenses. When they passed
away they did not leave II lot of bills
unpaid At their funeral you did not
have broken column of flowers stand
ing at the head of the casket. symbolic
OF the fact that they were snatched
away In their prime. Their lives for
the most part were well rounded Ives
When they died you chiseled the same
passage of Scripture on both their
tombstones: Blessed are the dead
which die In the Lord from hence.
forth-yea. saith the Spirit. that they
may rest from their labors. and their
works do follow them" But We're
those labors OF your father and mother
completed? II they were upon earth
would they not find something which
they would like you to do?
You were mature. educated man
when your father died Why? You
a. ,Ist 4
your father was able 10 do for you
what he could not do for your young
est brother. II was hard struggle
but he sent you through school and
college aud educated you as n lawyer
Il physician or civil engineer You
have been getting on splendidly But
how about that younger brotherf oh
you answer. John Is not earning his
salt He is no good" No goodI
think John has the making of just as
good a man as you. What he needs Is
an education. What he needs Is Il de-
veloped and a disciplined brain. lie is
only twenty years Of age. What would
you have amounted to II you We're
thrown upon your own resources at
twenty and allowed to make your own
way In the wOrld-perhaps sent Into
store as clerk instead of being sent
TO college? You had better put your
shoulder under that brothers load.
You had better economic and save
and give your youngest brother an ed
ucation. That is what your father
would do II he were alive That is
what he did for you. Is II square and
right for the older children to have
all the education Of the family and
the younger children have nothlngI
Another Duty Left.
But that Il not the only duty left TO
you 10y your father and mother There
IL a moral as well AS Il financial duty
for YOU to perform. There is the bind
ing duty which you have To your
brothers and sisters souls as we'll as
to their minds and bodies. You know
that your parents always had favor
lite IN the family That favoritlsm
was migratory. Ii would continually
change There was one child that
your mother seemed to love more than
the hayward child. You remember
years ago when you had typhoid fever?
Then you had the bed OF honor In the
home. You slept for weeks by your
mothers side. Then when you were
convalescent your sister came down
with the Group, and she for time be-
came the favorite. You were sent into
another bed. and your sister slept be-
side your mother Next your brother
had trouble with his spine. Your moth
or was always talking and worrying
and thinking about John. Then you
became wild and dissipated. Your col
lege life was not uniformly irreproach-
able. You did things you had no right
TO do What happened? Don't you re-
member the pleading letters she used
to writer Don't you remember how
she prayed and talked with youf Don't
you remember how her love brought
you back TO your better self?
There is story told of Il young man
who was dying. He had led a wild,
sinful life In his youth, but the last
few years he had surrendered himself
entirely TO Christian service. He was
dying triumphant Christian death
Just II short time before he passed
away sweet smile overspread his
face, and he threw an arm about the
neck of the broken hearted woman
who was bending over him and said
ooh. mother. thank God for such a
mother. You have loved me into be-
ing goodv' Yes. when yon were way
ward and sinful your parents loved
you into being good. But that is not
what | want TO impress upon your
mind Your mother and father are
dead Who have taken their positions
In your brothers life? God knows he
Is Maynard. God knows he is doing
what he ought not TO do. God knows
he is drifting further and further away
into sin. Who is loving him into being
good and loving him back TO the CROSSE
Is not that an unfinished labor Of the
old homestead which your father ana
mother have left for yon TO complete?