The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-11-17

s07 SoA SNss' - usNcHSef ~ upS cIal0ib8
tbs. it i entirely original OF Abjecs is
THf-xcRAL rowEl u c1sIsrIAxs.l
In looking over vssk- assembly, with its
zee Of hsuan faces, One reflection naturally
suggests itsslf, that in ~ pears We viii all
be Wondering in the tomb, and oil that will
remain Of " viii be : few hsndfuIls Of dust.
rFimlhtft{uf1f P'ss;;r. s'o'.mn
ists ~ NM ~ griyvsJf 4Ao6sshd zen
eratious, having &issa up their dead, eli cyl
will be turned towards the great white throne
aHln nat sits croxnsd thsApn.s
But there is still another thought that press
esNa ear ninds, whnsias ~ psssence Of q
large assembly, and it Is this: What power
Is here! What % immense moral power!
You may smile u him Who stood .hy the
canAsscs = NAeAra - s4lheins Asf Ha.ers
frsn . kandksd lales ~ solIsdslnS ever
with the roar Of hundred thunders, aad
who, instead Of being filled With . sutEn,s
adpisssisss,f tie sssns, hsgsa y cskulats
how much machinery that water power would
tpra- fap may snils,at hin,s RsA u h .
Asieas, solemn stirring thsosAt 10 shst how
much moral machinery al the power il the
Christian eAasches is,sAs sptid could turn fo(
good, were every scheming brain and bust
/, hand and ~Ai.s hesrtss6ASez 4 tls erties
Of God. Many are active, sealous workers.
but were oil Of us 10, we're all Christian men
and women 20, what glory would accrue to
God! What . fsvsnss Of glory to Jesus
Christ what invaluable service othe church;
thousands and fthousandb night b saved
1t is impossible to over-estisnate, or rather =
estimate, the power that iiss latent in our
churches We talk Of the power latent in
steam-latent till Watt evoked ito spirit from
the waters and set the gian. to turn the iron
arms Of machinery. We talk Of the power
that was latent in the skies till science
climbed ihsat heights, ssd, seisine The spirit
of the thunder, chained il to orr surface.
7abslishisg distance, oatstripping the wings
of time, and flashing our thoughts across
rolling seas TO distant continents; yet what
are these to the moral power that lies asleep
inrhs Christian congregations Of our country
and in the Christian world? And why LATENT
Because n en- and women neither appreciate
their individual Influence, nor estim ate Alright
their own individual responsibilities.
They cannot do everything; therefore they
do nothing. They cannot blaze like star
and, therefore, they won't shine like glow
worm and - thcy are content that the few
work, and that the many look on.
Not thus the fields are clothed with golden
harvests, but BY every stalk ripens Its own
head. You say, what can I do? have no
power; nor influences, nor talent, nor money.
We say, are you q merchant, mechanic, OF
banker, do in religion as you do in your busi-
ness. Observe him; he does not allot merel,
some hours, stolen from the pursuit of pleas.
ure, TO his occupation. He rises before OF
with the sun; goes in haste TO his place o.
business it engages his entire attention dur
ing the day; not, save during few hours il
the evening, and . few days, or weeks, a
most in the year, does be ever yield himsel
to the engagements Of ease. In its pursui
he 10 oil energy and activity. What ) hold i
takes OF his mind forming the topic Of hi
conversation at feasts and often at funerals
intrudng itself unbidden, and, to goos
man, unwslcome, into the closet where b,
prays, and in the church where he worships
Would to God that the business Of eternity ha,
a strong hold on our mindsI
What can you do? Answer-arcuse you
look at the coral rect, yonder where it en-
circles the fair isles Of the - that lie, lk
bright gems, on the bosom Of the Pacific, 70
thousand leagues along the sea. How con
temPtible the architects; yet the aggregate 9
their labors hooking our greatest break
watersl How coIossalt So Il ought 10 b.
and would be, in our congregations, were e,
cry man and woman TO feel their own ind
vidual responsibility would each 70 /
Christ, saying, Lord, what wilt Thou hav
me to d.
Consider how the greatest things ever don
on earth have been done little by little-lit,l
agents,. little persons and little things.
How was the wall around Jerusalem r,
stored! By each man, whether hia house v.
anoble palace or modest cabin, building ii
breach before his own door, How are o,
Wild Prairiss bsiag brought under successfi
cultivation and made into beautiful farms
BY eyssy man Improving his osn land. Ho
have our greatest battles been won3 No,
q the Generals who got their breasts hlazon,
Nth stars and their brows crowned vi,
honors; but BY the rank aud file, every m.
holding his own post aud ready to die on Ii
battle field. They won the victoryl It~
achieved by the blood and carnage of Il
many, and We Ray if this world 10 ever TO
coaqaered for our Lord, it i mot By mini
tiers, nor by the great, the noble and might
but by every man and woman, every memb
of Christs body being working membe,
doing their own work, holding their own DO.
and saying to Jesus, ssLord, what viii tho
havs - % dot And not only this, bat VII
wilt thou HAYS me to do /, not 10 believe ar
profess only, but to dos''
Whsn the christian men and women eve,
where, sshall buckle on the Whole amor
Christ and 60 forth as valiant soldiers of Il
cross 70 eight tie battles Of our God, tksa j;
Sin and vickedness and the Devil Zee aw,
like darkness before the rising beams of Il
God OF day, snd hide themselves in the cav
and sawsssssfshe esrtA.
Bat O. you are % weak you can do no,l
ing. Thisis true Of individuals - wellsa
things. A drop Of water is very small i
very weak would scarcely support the .ii.h
est weight, but aggregate them and you he,
.hsirresinible cataract Of Niagara, tina. noel
the skill and power of man aggregate the
and yos'hsse the btoad ocsan. % shose b
som ride in safety the combined navies a
commerce. Of the world. Man is weak, b,
aggregate him, and then look on his work
hoss c-sr the world, zee her mighty ci,ies
.nssa. and modern times, and tsll me vhe,,
arg tues all, The work of man. Stand
.ne ieesetthe ryramids-0f Esyps .ad ii, ,
hoWsney were reared. the largest At Il. Il,
coveria9 about eleven .cres md ,;.;.. s :.