Middletown transcript., 1919-06-21
DEAR OLD St. AlQaE'S
CONTINUED from LIST Page)

L
nth which they had been concealed by
hose, who Israelites in name and
lood were aliens in spirit. In re-
the faith of Abraham He
Identified Himself with it. It was by it
hat He was nourished in his human |
it was to it that He re.
jailed His erring compatriots Of an evil
and adulterous generation, Said he
'YOur Father Abraham rejOiced to see
nv day, and He saw it and was glad"
Palestine and its sacred associations,
its mountains and ancient cities, its
lakes and cliffs and shrimes and wells
are distant from this sanctuary. 10
them as to Lochawe is a far cry. We
cannot know whether anyone here to-
day will ever make the pilgrimage 70
those blessed fields over whose acres
walked those sacred feet which nine
teen hundred years ago were nailed for
our advantage on the bitter cross"
But in q sense through Ch.ist and
through the devotion OF our ancestors
of hallowed memory we are permitted
to taste the sacred and refreshing
waters from the ancient wells of faith:
AS Moses and his generation drank OF
that spiritual rock which followed, sc
we and our generation drink of that
spiritual rock which preceded, that
abides in our midst forever, and that
rock is Christ.
This church in which we worship to-
day, in its simple and chaste perfection
of architectural style was erected by
your fathers centuries ago, that they
and posterity after them, might drink
of the wells of Abraham, which are
also the wells of Christ and of God.
Sitting here we think of them and their
times. We think of their faith, Of
their character, Of their condition and
of their problems. Here they re-opened
in the desert the patriarchal springs.
Here did they quench with living water
their thirst for things divine. Like
David they cried, "My soul is athirst
for God; yea even for the living God.
When snail l come to appear before the
presence of God ?"
In this place did they pray and praise.
Here were they baptized, here were
they self dedicated to Gods care.
Here did thew receive the bread of life,
with the selfsame liturgy and the
identical eucharistic vessels used by
their children even till this day. At
this altar were they married. In the
quiet yard they lie. How strong and
noble and earnest they were. Nothing
could more fittingly typify them than
the massive oaks whose protecting arms
encircle this sylvan shrine. planted it
may be for that very purpose, by those
who rest outside these walls.
Peace be to them; eternal peace and
f,11l Of fho oof
bequest; thou hast been faithful over
a few things; over ten cities shalt thou
reign as kings"
Do we remember, we sons of theirs,
how highly they regarded the things OF
God? Do we realize how important in
their sight were the pure elements OF
the religion of Christ? Do we under
stand adequately the affectionate re.
gard in which they held this place, and
the realities signifed by it. The
answer emphatically affirmative. il
made in the fact of your presence here
to-day, and in the work Of your hands
to be seen here. All about US we dis
cover signs of the loving estimation ir
which this spot is held, and the solicit
GUS care taken for its preservation.
Many changes there have been in this
verdant country side in these last two
centuries but not IN this building.
Much of decay mas there been. The
moth and the locust and the canker
worm have been busy in their de.
structive manner, but here their silen,
ravages were stayed or repaired.
You answer my question by the fact
of your annual pilgrimage hither. Ano
why make a pilgrimage to this or t.
any other similar Mecca? To honor
the departed and to pay their memory
due Difference To look upon tn
scenes of former days and to thinh
sentlmentally of mighty past
Assuredly; but even more. We make
our Journey hither in order that from
these ancestral haunts there may be
born or revived in US the ancestral
spirit. tbs not only to know how the
elders dressed, and behaved and wor
shipped; tbs not to seek to initiate them
as respects external appearance thai
we come; but rather that from the
spiritul we'll from which they drank
$ there may come into US their life ano
animating principle. We come to the
tombs and the sanctuaries Of our for
bears to breathe in their spirit.
The crusaders visited the places
where Je US lived, not IN order to be
conformed to his physical likeness, bu1
to imbibe his living spirit. We come
here to-day for an exactly identica
purpose.
You are the sons of those who clear.
ed these surrounding fields, and dug the
first foundations OF this house of God
What is it to be a son? To live in the
same locality as did your father To
dwell in the same house? To speak
the same language To perform the
same acts Yes, and in addition, tc
hold the same principles with the same
fixity; to share the same life, by which
impelled by the same motives, and to
ideals.
It is much that we venerate the
edifice in which we worship, and the
holy ground that environs it. 1t is
more, however, to venerate the princi-
pies which they represent, and to swear
allegiance to them, pledging ourselves
both to live and to die in them.
Aeneas brought not only Anchises
his father from the burning walls of
Troy, not only his household gods, the
lares and penates; he brought that
which was even more expressive of his
piety, the truth and the teaching of his
father; that which made his father
great.
When l think of the spirit of the
stalwart men of two hundred and
fourteen wears ago am reminded of the
spirit of the intrepid mother of Corio-
lanus and of her words: Had dozen
sons each in my love alike and none less
than my loved Marcus, had rather
had eleven die nob'y for their country
than one voluptuously surfeit out Of
action" / am reminded of Brutus that
''noblest Roman of them ALL" and of
his words: "For let the gods so speed
me as 1 love the name Of honor more
than fear death.
Aud than vuhor I khirk If thu ovo