The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-07-05
r.. Oh.i..i.. Oifizan.

Rev. Mr.. Buck preached at Park street yes
terday sermon appropriate to the day on the
subject of the Christian citizen. We report
some of its prominent points, regretting that
we cannot present the whole of the discourse
to our readers In opening he said:
"On this national anniversary the associa-
tions connected with the day should be OBJ
served by the pulpit, the sanctions of the
Christian religion should be applied to the
thought of the hour. We may hallow the day
truly as the Lords day, and observe it truly as
national commemoration, if we will consider
where the requirements of religion touch the
exigencies of politics, and where fidelity to
God becomes fealty to country.
1t has been great misfortune to our country
that our people have not thus apprehended
the wide scope of Christianity. In the popu-
| lar idea the Christian is one who has under
gone technical inward experience and Joined
| the church; and his saving influence as a
| Christian, consists mainly in persuading young
| people to pass through the same experience
| and come into the church with him. That the
Christian spirit finds scope for its saving power
in all the concerns of human activity, is truth
| not even yet generally known and regarded,
and until quite lately the affirmation that this
| spirit may save souls even through the medi-
UNI of politics would be generally regarded as
| too shocking to be tolerated.
| In accordance with this prevalent misappre-
| hension, the endeavor has been quite common
I
nection with political measures. 1t has been
/ thought profanity to attempt to mingle Chris
| tianity with governmental affairs, to e-enact
| the laws OF God or to mix religion and politics.
| The term Christian citizen has not vet estab-
| lished itself in the national vocabulary. A
/ man might be Christian in many relations of
life, but as a citizen, a voter or law maker, he
has been thought to have no opportunity for
i christian action.
Politics include the enactment and enforce
| of MIG. hut nv the laws mi IN oi thar.
| preserved from sin, that is sdUed, or encouraged
| to sin, that is, destroyed. Who, then, above
all, ought to desire to be politicians? The true
lovers of God and man, the laws of the State
hand into every house. They surround the
steps of the young man who walks the street
They surround him with destruction or saliva
ton. They offer him at every corner tempta-
tions to vicious indulgence: They entice him
away to the boisterous revel. They poison his
young blood with suggestions of dangerous
pleasure. They break down before him the
barriers against drunkenness and debauchery
They subject him to the pestilence that walk
eth Gin darkness ard to the destruction that
the blight of moral leprosy; or, on the other
hand they surround his steps with safety. They
shut up the haunts of vice. They silence the
enticing noise of revel. They Danish pestilence
youths undeveloped strength all their own
| majesty and power. Thus the laws are either
| a SAVIOR of life unto life or death unto death.
But who make the laws? The politicians.
| Who then should make haste to be the politi-
clans, and make the laws and put salvation in
the place of destruction? Who but the true
lovers of God and man?
There is spectacle which to angelic wit
nesses must be very striking one. 1t is this
men who call themselves Christion, distiactiue
IN, commencing themselves for abstaining from
politics. Men who would excuse themselves
for staying away from church, making b0ds
of having staid away from the ballot boxl Mer
professedly regeDerate proudly withholding
their regenerate spirit from the laws OF society
| Avowed followers of Him who struggled untt
death with every form of wrong, refusing t.
give the citizens protest against any form o
wrong. Men contributing to send Bibles tt
China and declining all effort to enforce thu
t Bible in their own neighborhood.
A With what severe complacency men will
i say, 81 never attended caucus in my life,' OF
= 81 never went to caucus but once, and thel
was ashamed of my company" or II nevel
take any part in politics, for don't like to b
mixed up in such associations. These expires
sions sound somewhat curiously from lips tina
utter public professions of Christianity. l
J, must be that when they pray, Shy kingdom
come; Thy will be done on earth" there i
some mental reservation. Thy kingdom come
q only have me excused from sharing in the dis
agreeable details of its establishment. TIL.
will be done by all except myself It must b
: that when they pray "God be merciful to m
sinner" they mean in their hearts, 81 thanl
Thee that am not as other men are.' 1t wa
not said to such as these, Eye are the salt Q
the EARTH"
O. To-day by happy concurrence, the nationa
ff anniversary arrives on Sunday; thoughts Q
country make their claims upon the pages G
the almanac to the time which we are wont t
call the sacred day of all the seven; and so o.
the calendar at least, religion is mixed wit
g politics. But as yet that mixture appears t
= us too incongruous and is offensive to our piou
u taste. So we play feat of ledgerdemain wit
the calendar and put the Fourth day OF Jul
3 over into the fifth. Our nations early indeper
:. dence from British tyranny, and late regenel
. alton from the tyranny of wrong are event
that are purely secular, and, therefore, pro
q fame. The twofold salvation of nation mus
~ not forsooth be commemorated on has day VIII
~ lived and died to save mankind! Let us by a
means have the name of God in our Nation;
e Constitution, but let us by no means comm
" the sacrilege of thinking of our nation Will
= we think of Godl Let sacred remip;~cences
q the Jewish people occupy our religious Assem-
blies; but in the name of piety exclude all rem
a. inisences of the American people; commit
: | pulpit and chair and the responding c0ngregs
A. ton the rehearsal of Gods ancient dealing
but the rehearsal of His dsalings OF to-day an
5 | yesterday commit to souyding BRASS and uni
10 Il ling cymbol, cannon ana torpedo.
~ On that famous Suniay at Gettysburg whe
IS, our devoted armies we're fighting out the nj
70. tions destiny, NAM were there VINO never So
NOTION
=, sands of the tzave and noble poured out shei
y! " tneix county. Were our county III
to regard IL. fieif deaths ws III NJ essur custom
= it, that "a this sunday grateful people mlgt
20 well rejoice in the opportunity to gather up q
IL the sacred associations of our day, all its Chris
tisn memories, all its holiess suggestions, an
| crown with them most 1ttingly the nations
IL commemoration, for a6ause sacred enough t.
| die for on Sunday. s sacred enough to com
| memorate on Sunny.
', And the time surely coming when, not b
II abatement of rgard for Sunday observance
" but by santifsation of secular interests, it sha
!, be deemed righteous thing to leave the 4th Q
: July wherever the calendar may place it, eyel
u upon che first day Of the week. Because, a
: Christianity becomes better understood it i
r more clearly seen to cover the whole domain Q
human nature-the conviction is now dawnin
as a popular conviction, that the word incar
0 nate in human life makes no choice Of DAYS, o
' of spores eff action. but worketh hitherto ever,
q | day and in every class of affairs, in persona
affairs and in national affairs; SO that to hin
who fights for the right by bayonet or ballot NJ
$ less than to those in the olden time who wer
f the friends of Jesus it may be said, 'Ye are tn
| salt of the earth We are the saviors of men