The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-12-01

reached the zenith of its glory. and took the
first long stride in its rapid decline. Solomon's
reign began with an intense zeal for religion.
Never had there been so much religious fervor
in the nation as during the building of the
Temple; never had the people made such great
sacrifices. By righteousness was the nation
exalted and the king glori6ed. But Solomon
soon forsook that wisdom which he had so ar
IDENTIFY sought, and as an inevitable consequence
the power and glory of his reign rapidly di-
minished. First, he departed from the wise
policy of his father David, and in opposition
to the divine command formed alliances with
foreign nations This step led to train of
evils; foreign mOnarchs were admitted to his
favor; foreign wives were sought; strange GUS
toms were introduced; heather ideas were dis
seminated, and polygamy, idolatry and OPP
preston followed.
The decline of the Jewish nation and its sub
sequent dismembership and fall were the nee
essary consequence of that departure from
righteous principles whcih so sadly marred Solo
mans rule, and that of his successors
The principle derived from the text is that
no nation can be strong, prosperous and pro-
gressive which is not governed righteously. The
absence of just principles and wholesome laws
was the doom of the ancient republics. The
governments and civilization of ancient Greece
and Rome were founded upon principles
which were directly opposed to human pro-
gress. They stood in the way of human devel-
opment, and. therefore, they were swept away.
Where now are those ancient states the great
ness and glory of which argued for them an
eternal existence? Not more completely has
the Jewish nationality passed away than
have Greece and Rome faded away from earth
They could not survive because they oppressed
man, instead of building him up. They held
within themselves the principles of decay and
death In them man was not treated as man.
The glory of the State was the grand idea of
their politics and religion, not the development
Of manhood. Much was done for nationa
glory, scarcely anything for the elevation of
man. National glory was therefore fictitious
thing-unsubstantial and unreal. The chris
tan idea, that 10 make the nation strong and
durable, you must first make its citizens yirtu-
GUS and happy, If proposed at all, seems never
to have been carried out In their political econ
omy
Aristotle says "the State exists in order of
thought before the individuals that compose il;
1t Is by It's nature superior TO its members,
who owe themselves to It," In accordance
with this idea all employments and bust
ness we've controlled by the government; there
fore personal enterprise was wanting. Moth
ing tended 10 development but all things were
Tor the enrching of the State, or for the glory
OF the ruling class. Another false principle of
these heather states was that labor is degrad-
ing. Socrates, the light of that heather age
says ut is right 10 despise those who are la
borers, and nave not leisure TO devote them
selves TO their friends or the republic"
Citizenship, SAYS Aristotle, belongs only to
those who are not obliged TO work for a living
All such ought TO be the slaves of the republic
In Hn.a n.
of these ancient governments
The sacred, inalienable rights of man had no
place In Roman or Grecian politics. The labor
ing classes were down under the level of society
and the superstructure was laid upon them as
its foundation; foundation which heaved and
sursed underneath and at last brought the edi-
fee down.
righteousness is all that can save a nation
from decay and death, or at least from a stag
nation and unprogressiveness which is a living
death. Christianity has bequeathed to nations
the elements of durability and progress. From
those principles of true manhood which Christ
taught have been evolved just laws and good
government. Christ was no political reformer:
nevertheless he did more to promote political
reform than all the statesmen have doue. He
taught the worth of manhood, the dignity of
labor. and exemplifed in his own precious life
the great principle that the strong and the good
should save the weak and the degraded. In his
philosophy man was foremost and all law and
government and sacred order should subserve
the growth of manhood
We are invited to join in public thanksgiving
for our national blessings. For one, 1 cannot
contemplate these without thinking how closely
they are associated with our divine religion
Our equal laws. our principles of justice, our
religious and civil liberty, our progressive
institutions are the privilege of those eternal
truths which Christ proclaimed 1900 years ago.
To-day the line which sewers the progressive
from the unprogressive civilizations of the
world is the line which divides Christianity
from heathenism." On one side of that line
we have freedom, enlightenment, science and
art; on the other side is tyranny, ignorance
and retrogression. What reason for gratitude
and thanksgiving as we reflect upon the be-
nlgn influence of our holy religion. She is the
handmald OF civilization and progress She
goes In her work to the bottom, and prepares
men for their duties and obligations here, and
for the joys of hereafter.
We may thank God for our arts and inven-
tons, fer our schools and colleges, for fruit
above all let us bless God for the universal re-
ligion of Christ, and for its grand achieve
meDts in behalf of human progress.
is the tree of life whose leaves are for the
healIng OF the nations Let us eat thereof and
live. In the Bible and our Christianity are we
TO find the divine panacea for our national
evils In training men to live holy and to ex-
emplify the law of love in their lives we are
doing our best for the nation and for the future
of man.
At the Congress Square church last evening
the pastor Rev. Mr.. Gibbs delivered the first
OF course of lectures proposed to be delivered
on Sunday evenings by the clergymen of this
city under the auspices of the several Temper
ance organizations in this city
The lesson for the evening was from Solo
mons Proverbs upon indulgence. In the exor-
dunn of the lecture Mr.. Gibbs alluded to the
necessity in the time of Solomon for lessons
upon the evils Of excuses, and how much
greater the necessity for them now. He then
announced his text LIST Corinthians, tx, 25th.
"And every one that striveth for the mastery is
temperate in all things" The duty of temper
ance was was urged and the necessity of
revival of temperance in this city was dwelt
upon and urged from two motives. First. the
sxcesses now SO prevalent here ;and second. from
our duty. The lecturer enforced with great
power the duty of the ministers of the gospel
to quit polemics and join in crusade against
the monster lntemperance; and for all who
wished to promote the welfare of the commun-
ity to assist in revving the Temperance cause.
He thought the plan indicated by the Temper
ance organizations here to briug the subject
more directly home upon the people, by a
series of dscourses this winter, the wisest and
most proper one to arouse the feelings of our
citizens and to lead them to sense of their
duty in the matter.
1t was an eloquent and effective address, and
was attentively listened to by very large con-
gregatiou.
The next lecture on the subject will be de-
livered next Sunday evening at the Chestnut
street M. e. church by Rev. Mr.. Jones.
PETE HYGLEY's WATcH.-Our readers of
course remember Mr.. Peter Hygley's watch in
the Color Guard A pleasant incident happen
ed in connection with that same watch while
Mr. Collins was taking the part of the Dutch
man, sometime since in New York. The piece
had been played for two weeks, and one eve
ming as Peter was winding up his watch, gen.
tleman suddenly appeared ON the stage with
this forcible remark: ''Look here Pete Hygley,
you've fooled people long enough with that old
tin thing making believe it was a watch"
While Mr. Collins was celebrating as to which,
er he should kick him off the stage, the strang-
er suddenly drew from his pocket an elegant
gold watch and chain, and presented them to Mr.
Calling a token Of the apnraciat,ou in, u,b;oL