The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-12-10

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saroyed many family circle.
Pho demon Of Hate has ruined others.
The saddcst spot in all human experience
is at the grave Of Love, not OF friends but
nf 1--we itself. Standing there the terrible
mast comes up, once brilliant all golden
with promise. A shadow falls, cloud,a
deepening gloom, an awful darkness
Love ircmhlcs, turns pale, sickens des'
paIrs, dies. Horrible fate! Better
thousand shipwecks, cxiled for life time,
stark madness, than to have stood by that
grave w. til lips sealed in ice, hearts fro
zen in dispair love buried forever. Let
US thank God such has not been our cx-
periencc Or If any here arc trif1ing with
that which is next to Heaven itself let
them beware Of the cnd-it is DESPAIR.
Again, fdmine has been kept from our
doors. What fearful thing is famine!
The pale faced mother, despairing ia
Their, piteous cry of starving children,
mourning of dying infants, woful sight it
has not come to us.
When Chicago burned the telegraph fash
ed the news far and near. When Boston
went up in flame and down in thunder
there were hundred railways to carry re-
lief but those in the distant homes Of tie
west have been neglected. W. y 40 will take
care of them: Rich men look out for each
other, let Us provide for them who are far
away on the snow-mantlcd and storm
swept plains Of the Northwest.
We have occasion for thanksgiving in
the nonderfM resources and prospective
greatness Of our country. With soil
| to 500 feet deep when shall our haryests
cease to be gathered? Rivers blowing the
continent from end to end, inland seas
sufficient to float the shipping of the
Mountain streams sufficient to run the
machinery of both hemispheres, gold and
silver in ncstimable value with cal and
iron, twin giants Of the western world ris-
ing from their sleep of ages, shaking them
selves with Titanic power, straining their
muscles of steel and breathing their breath
OF fire, when shall this nation lie down for
Rap Van Wrinkle sleep?
All this argues barns, warehouses ship
ping, art galleries and homes on a grand
er scale and population Of hundreds Of
millions in the near future But hold!
unless the church Of God keeps pace with
this material grandeur what horrible rot.
teness, awful disaster, eternal downfall
that day of greatness foreshadows. As
the Dukes OF Edom, the Kings Of Babylon,
Sennacherribs army, the ven-hilled city
went down under the touch of the Arch
angels finger, SO this nation will go down
unless the Lord God Almighty is her for
tress.
The largest self supporting roof in the
world springs its grand arches above the
heads of false prophets who blaspheme
the name of God in their acts of worship.
As the fabric Of the nation goes up, sin
must go down or woe unto US. Woe to
us in that day if drunkenness wallows
openly in the street; woe if vast majori-
ties are morally 50 obtuse as to vote direct
~ in the interests of saloon-kccpcrs; woe
if for policy or gold men arc willing to sac
rifice the right; woe to US in that day if
misrule with brazen face walks the streets
Of our million cities; woe if gigantic mo-
nopolics sweep in the earnings Of the
hard handed toiler
What is our safeguard against globe
rocking revolution and eternal downfall
in that day: More school-houses, church
es, Bibles, incorruptible craftsmanship
God-consecrated talent, in pulpit, bar and
at the press, souls aflame with love that
is divine, more of the glorious gospel of
the son Of God
There should be thanksgiving for our
religious priciNges A mothers song, IA
theirs prayers, open Bible, the Holy Spirit,
communion with God, how inestimable
these. But enough: the time has come to
pay our vows. A mere sentiment of
gratitude cannot satisfy Gods command
or our promises Of devotion, Of sacrifice
and faith in Him. We have vowed: now
let us pay our vows unto the Most High,
and should we never keep "Thanksgiv-
ing again on earth may we SO live and
die that we may go to keep all eternal
Thanksgiving on high.