The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-08-26
9 o 9 9 9 @ 9 > @ . o o @ o o
HELPFUL MEMORIES
Lessons From Past Generations

. Lessons From Past Generations {:
@ o o o @ o @ o o . . o o o o o g
Sermon by DIR. S. T. Hallman, st
Paul, Aug. 21, 1921.
Remember the days of old, con-
slider The years of many generations
ask thy father, and he will show thee
thy elders, and they will tell thee
Deet. 32:7.
One of the unfortunate tendencies
of aged persons is that Of living too
much in the past, Of dwelling on the
days and things that were; and thus
missing much of the joyous sunshine
Of the golden present. We have
known those of advancing years who
seemed unable to get away from
youthful days, and who forever talked
Of the Golden times" They loved the
past so well that they could see moth
ing good in this greatest Of ali ages,
and, therefore, failed to realize that
life is today, not yesterday, nor to-
morrow.
The bee sucks the honey from the
dew-besprinkfel aower of the mora
iiliis; and the bird sings it's song of
joy and love while the day is full Of
sanshine ;>but the old frequently miss
an this because they live in the
years forever gone Lose your hold
OR present life, and events; retire
from the activities of the age in
which you now live; give up mental
and physical toll, ard you wAl be fit
only for the cemetery Of the dead.
But equally unfortunate is the ten
deney Of young life toignere the past
altogether and to live only in the cur
rent Of the present tide Of busy life,
refusing to profit from the helpful
memories Of the years gone by. The
wise man, the man of sound wisdom,
judges the future by the past, and
thus combines in his vision Of life
past, present, and future.
eTo be able to leoa back on the hal
lowed memories of the past, to grasp
the significance of present tendencies
and facts; ;Jand to seetthe distant fu-
tire over, the haltops Of: the coming
years is the realization of life's fond
est dreams.
1t is, therefore, not without an in
Hnite purpose that our text directs
9uti1ninas,
81 70 the lessons bequeathed to
us by past generations.
II. The study Of the past is God,
ordained duty: The command OF
Cod to Israel, through Moses, was to
Keep His words in Chine heart" to
teach them to their children, to talk
Of them when thou sittest in thine
house, and when thou walkest by the
way, and when thou liest down, and
when thou risest UP"
Not content with this, the man OF
God said, 'sThou shalt bind them for
q sign upon thine hand, and they
shall be as frontiets Between thine
ayes-and thou shalt write them up
eh the posts Of thy house, and ON thy
gates"
*S Clearly this means that We must
never get so far away from the past
chat we lose the lessons of our IA
Tiers, and Of the years of the many
EeneratBns.
80. Note the value Of such lessons
30 the present age: =
The Hebrews of old catechised
their children in the law and the pro-
phets, and IN the customs of Israel
50 thoroughly that to change the
faith of Jew is 1aost difficult re-
Hgsoas problem; and in this we see
0OW fIAOSTLaftt NJ Is C1iSaL O01 Cifi4ShAS Ma
be taught the things Of God, and OF
the faith of our fathers, before the
false theories, and doctrines Of this
aeeuliar age fasten themselves upon
their young minds.
IA departure from the old land
marks, and from the lessons of our
fathers, is the explanation of the
wrong tendencies of our time. AS
men get away from the old Book, and
from the lessons OF the days of old,
they drift away from the standards OF
moral right, and from religious re-
strairt.
To us, and for US, the history of
the years of old is full of vast 1hean-
ing:
For 400 years Wittenberg Worms,
And the Wartburg have pointed out