The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-01

by taith in Jesus.n Now TINS all shows the
work OF righteousnessp In its strictest sense
attaiDable in actual practice, and the peace
by no means out of reach. And you Will
perceive that it has its root in spirit which
both delights in Gods will and cheertully flows
out In full sympathy with Divine purposes.
The work OF righteousness Is but irult-
bearing trees its root the fear OF God. IL Is but
streams its fountain, humility before God. II is
but an effect; V cause Christ, our righteous
ness. living in the believing soul Aud since
nations are made up of individuals, and national
action but the aggregate of individual action
and since 1t is proper TO require OF individuals
that they reach the ability to work righteous
ness through this faith in, humility before, and
fear OF, Go0-it is no less proper to bind upon
aggregates OF individuals, in organized capacity,
the like obligation, to be fuhlled in like way.
"A righteous nation" is no Utopia in the word
or mind of God-nay, not multitude OF
righteous nationsn-nay, not even the recogni-
ton of Christ, the Universal King. For place Is
made, in the provisions of mercy, for the
righteous naton;" and il is foreshadowed that
1.-THE kingdoms OF this world" are to "oecome
the kingdom of our Lord and of HIS Christ, and
he shall reign forever ana ever" And this, by
the-way, describes the state OF things when
peace on earth and goodwill to wards man"
shall be fully an accomplished TACT, and the
heritage complete OF this entire world. And
now, what doth GOD require OF this nation!
What does He lay upon us as indispensable to
the full enjoyment of "peace?n Nay, what that
we may fulfil the destiny which, by the peculiar
Providence that brought us into existence, is
that our national acts and measures and spirit
be such as Will rgh ly, In His eyes, bear the
name, 1.-THE work OF righteousness.' This nation
cannot, with impunity, ignore this This people
cannot, without risking weightier chastisements
than have yeG fallen to their lot, be deaf to this
matter.
Americans, God must be practically recog.
nized here as the Ruler among the nations. The
principles of His government must be adopted
here, and put into operation. The truth Of God
must be replaced into the foundations of our in
stitutions. The Holy Code of Jehovah must be
II coenized as the great Constitution to which
we must be subject. In word, what may be
termed The Christian power in the world must
be submitted TO, ana made TO give impulse TO
our social, communal, national machinery.
Honor must be paid the kingdom of God, as the
great governing authority; and men and mea-
sures must he tested by the standard that king
dom sets up, and made 10 square with its provi-
sons, or be rejected and held in complete
obscurity.
Long enough has the Great Father of this
nation-in whose fear, and ut whose bidding,
and after whose pattern, its foundations we're
laid-bee ignored; and mems passions, ambi-
tons, follies, end thirstings for power, and
stries for atness been the masters, whose lash
has driven US, aud the gods whose affairs have
burned with the sacrifices OF honor, and in
tcerity, and morality, and even religious stand
ing and obligation. Long enough have the threat
ard the bribe, and the evil combination, fur
nlshed the motive power in driving the national
machinery. Long enough have the national
OF the honest poor, fed the spirit OF speculation
and tattened the maws of those who reach after
the power 10 oppress, that they may prosper in
the world.
Talk of fnanciering, and statesmanship and
rigid legislation to remedy the evils which DIS
tract us! Why, men are always and everywhere
figuring, statesmen rise up as thick as branches
oil the bramb.e, and thirty thousand laws bristle
on the pages OF our statute-books! Well enough
are these in their place, and under the proper
control; but they are not equal to "the dangers
Hff fha oil No .DtA srNr
them but what will remove the Divine fro gn
And nothing will do this but to cease what dis
pleases Him, and return to what will please
Him; and nothing so dspleases Him as dIsre-
garding His law, and dishonOring His Son And
this in nation, no less than an individual.
There is a power in this land that holds in
itself the only remedy. That power is the
Church OF God. That Church must not throw
herself in the background as she has done. She
must make herself felt. When national abomi-
nations arose in olden time, God spoke to His
Church; warned her to bring her principles to
bear, and sent from her bosom prophets to ''cry
aloud and spare not" to kings and rulers against
those abomInations. And thus He ever keeps
before the Christianity Of our day its imperative
duty. He calls upon it TO come out into the
field of action. And He very torcbl calls upon
Christians to consolidate, ana with unbroken
front, by using their rights, after the Divine
Mo6el and in accordance with the Divine Spirit
and requirement, speak and say what must be
done. Eight millions of Christs endowed people
are no slight roWer, and the influence they are
capable OF welding is scarce computable. Let
these with one voice tell the country what men
and what measures will alone be acceptable
They viii thus only stand where God has by His
grace qualified them to staLd, and His will has
commanded them to stand. And then, armed
with the sword Of the Spirit, and backed by ON
impotence oveTuling all things for their success,
what may they not DO ? Brethren, our tex
plainly implies that the Church Ct God, the de.
pository OF truth the dwelling place of Chris
tianitY, and the temple of Christ, should be the
leader in any country. Christianity should lead
public sentiment, shape political views, and
/ build, of the material 1T has in its hands, the
platform on which men, and such men as will be
at home on II, shall rise to power and after
which they shall conduct themselves in power.
/ Yes, this is Christanity's legitimate place. And
never will her account be clean TIL here she
stands, and, in the name OF her Lord, demands
and secures honor to Him whom she adores and
serves, her Head, and the worlds rightful
Sovereign.
And now, brethren, never were the Apostles
words more appropriate, as addressing the
Church of God, "Knowing the time, il IS hig
time to awake out of Sleep" 1t is not time 70
sleep. II Is time of danger. Ciyilly, terribl.
storm threatens, which nothing but profouno
wisdom, yea, "the work of righteousness" ;" eau
avert. And, morally, who lead in The land
Who are among the most busy instructors OF th,
people IN morals! And who gather the
miehtiest crowds to their feet? Look at the
novel, the review, the popular lecture tn,
stage-play,, the periodical, and behold ho
largely and with how few exceptions their mora
teaching shoots out of a Divine authority, an(
eXalts man to be his self-ruler and guide t
righteousness Is this the principle out o
which our country's measures are to come
Bretbren, can the Church sleep Nhile this
enactirg She sleeps only to endanger her ogl
organized existence, Brethren, the time, IN
occasion calls; yea, through them to you, Co
calls. Let the Church hear and awake, aud a
her post and by the favor she, through he
gracious head can bring on our nation, aver
. calamity; and by her work OF righteousness,