The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-12-04

SHORT SERMONS.
mr. REV. o. N. COUSINS.

pIS. VII q. "rhe Kingdom and dominion, and the
gwen the people % the saints u the Most High who's
hnricm s an everlasting kinsiop, and all doninious
shAli serve and dry hun"
The Evangelists give illustration Of the
unwarlike spirit Of Christ In opposition to
the expectation OF the Jews. Although
Judea was terribly crushed under the heel
Of Roman tyranny yet "Render unto Ca-
sar the things which are Caesars" was hls
calm reply to those expecting him to f.
vor revolution. And yet Christ was In nc
wise indifferent to the political woes Of hi
people. lie sympathized with them e
the full In every burden they bore. Blu
vet he proposed not 10 Interfere will
the regular sequences Of human events
Indeed! what would have availed sin
gle Interference Liberties must be graspet
to be maintained. Nations must sscur
their own victories to enjoy them.
That ancient event that seemed Ike
forcible Interference Of the Almighty
mean the establishment Of Theocracy
with the children Of lsrael,-was not II
reality such. Observe the beginning iron
which this grew: Abraham was simply u
loyal subject Of Jehovah. A similar ser.
vice characterised his descendants. Ano
as the father of the faithful deferred to
the Supreme In NIL things, SO when this
conduct became characteristic OF three
millions instead OF one man, though the
name might be changed,-th principle
remained the same. That such shall be
true In individual Instances the Christian
church doth everywhere urge. TO this
the author OF Proverbs gives beautiful
enunciation; Ill D, O; "Lean not I'M
to thine own understanding. In all thy
ways acknowledge him (the LordD and
he shall direct thy paths" TO make the
principle here involved Of national APP
plication l. n legitimate as to restrict Ii
10 individual instances. And such secur-
ell deem to be the highest eNaltation Of
"a people. The shrewd pryings into fii-
ture contingencies by secretaries Of State
like Talleyrand, Bismark and Seward
would, In such case, no longer be rcquir-
ed. And when made universal l deem
that era to be the beginning of the mill
enium SO long forctold by prophets, hop
ell for by patriots, and the golden age Of
which the poets have always sung. But
they will not be dlsconnected,-the two
eras,-the Jewish and the millennlal. Al
legiant rs men will be, Il cannot be for
gotten that long ages back, a people,
three millions, gave like allegiance to
Divine behest.
But why needed the race to wait for
thousands of years to roll heavily by, tn
enjoy such a condition, when this were
possible In the days of the worlds youth
And In the failure Of this Is there not u
disparagement Of the Great Ruler? To
the first question say, IL was not p0ssi-
BILE, and that Is why the world must slow
ly work out Its problem. To the second
1 reply that the failure Of the theOcracy
was In no wise failure of Its founder.
And I add. the theocracy ofthe Hebrews
was great success.
As Jesus was the embodiment PERSONAL
~ Of Divine charms, so the subjugators
Of Canaan Illustrated to all the world the
excellencies OF government In which Je-
hovah was chief. And that the nations
have been moved by spectacle SO sub
lime, observe the veneration, In all time
since, for any relics OF those days Of Its
departed greatness, n veneration partlcl-
pated In, not by few simply, but by all
the earth. When l have stood on Ply
mouth rock and remembered the fathers
Of this Republic 1 have thought the ener-
Nv of that Olden nation reached even here.
And at thought OF this l have wept and
re)Olceu Dy turns, Wept 10 tnlnk OI israei
fall. but, even over such fate, have re-
joiced to think the elements Of strength
do still survive and have a place, as 1
trust, I'm this Republic. My subject leads
me on. have mentioned the American
Republic. Ispeak that word with patri-
otic pride. We have just emerged from q
severe ordeal. In feudal Europe or mon
archical Asia an experimenting republic
would have been torn In shreds by the
Of q presidential campaign.
But when the fathers landed upon this
rough rock Of Massachusetts, Bay the com
mon school came with them, and the land
through Is permeated with the fruits:
WIN n people educated be corrupteds and
In addition to this, christlanized, show
incapable OF self-governments
I shall not live to see II but believe
the Republic will. mean that day when
nation shall rise up no more against ma.
ton. believe the steel so long intent I'm
deadly carnage on the field shall yet ODE
dent turn the soil, and horseman's lance
and Qulvering spear shall aid the arts OF
peace and never turn again to war.