The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-12-12

PREACHED BY REV. 7. d. MARSH, IN THE n. f.
CHURCH AT LAYTON, THANKSGIVING DAY.


CHURCH AT LAYTON, THANKSGIVING DAY.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord
aud the people whom He hath chosen for Iii
own inheritance. SO ~.
There ara many forms OF religion in tn
world. They differ greatly in their doctrine
and precepts and their effect upon human llf,
!! The kind or degree OF civilization in any coun
try tells what it's religion j., for civilization 1
to large extent the product OF religion. s,
the oriental semi civilization OF Turkey ant
Persia and Egyptis largely the product OF Ma
hommedanism. And the civilization that il
peculiar to India is largely the product o.
Brahminsm and Buddhism. And SO Of all ma
tions, their kind OF civilization is a result Of
causes; and the chief cause Is the prevailing
| religion OF each nation. English civilization
has It's origin mainly in tho prevalent religion
of the English people. Aud the characteristics
of our American civilization ara due mainly to
the forms of the religion brought to America
by the settlers Of New England, New York,
Pennsylvania, Virginia aud the Carolinas.
There is one element which oil forms Of re-
ligion have in common, and that is Worship
| This is one OF the universal characteristics OF
humanity. There are no people on the globe,
so far as yet known, who do not worship some
being or some thing. There is an instinct of
worship in the human soul, and men worship
whatever appear to them to be the proper OBJ
jects OF worship. Some form images and in
vest them by their imaslnations with the pow
ers OF divinities and then worship them; some
think OF the elements Of nature as worthy Of
their worship, and some look upon the great
and ma jestic and benefcent bodies Of nature
as the divine sources of power, and. worship
them and some weave fanciful conceptions of
gods and goddesses innumerable, as the divini-
ties OF the old myihologes and the gods of orr
entail heathenism, and worship their ideal crea-
tions of their own minds. In all Of these re-
lgions there is an element OF worship, although
by no means as perfectly and devoutly corst-
tuted in some as IN others.
The religion of Jesus Christ differs funda-
mentally and totally from all heather religions,
except in the one common element Of worship.
1t differs first and most OF al 10 tho object OF
worship. II procaims an invisible spirit as a
living God. 1t Is not the only discoverer and
revealer Of God Reason and philosophy and
science lead us to this same God. But religion
proclaims Him. 1t invests HIN with infinite
power and intelligence and love. 1t assigns to
Him the unceasing care OF all HIS creation. 1t
atfirms His constant aud watchful providence
In all OF the affairs of the world and the uni
verse. 1t exalts Him as the God of nations
King OF kings, and Lord OF lords. 1t looks to
Him as ruler of men and Judge of all the earth.
And it declares that justice and judgment are
the habltation of His throne; truth and right
eousness are attributes of HIS being and char
acteristics of His reign over all HIS creatures.
And then having revealed unto men the per-
fections OF their living and Almighty God this
religion tells them OF an infinite sacrifice for
their SIN by a divine Redsemer, and how they
may be saved by it and become heirs Of an i'm
mortal and besseu life. This religion is won
deriu religion. AS scheme OF philosophy
merely, 1t is infinitely above all other phlloso-
phies OF men. AS a revelation OF sublime
truths 1t is surprisingly majeshc and glorious.
AS power upon the hearts and lives OF men.
It has no equal and is OF priceless value And
Is an agent OF the elevation and civilization
!, nd ion of ba bup
% be the only sufficient power, and the one es-
iclent invIncible power
This last statement is the one that | wish TO
iiscuss this morning. The religion of the Cos
pei OF Christ is the pove:, and ID the only pow
n, that can elevate and redeem the human
ace. This fact was asserted uy the Psamst
II Israel nearly three thousand years ago. 1t !
las been demonstrated by the events OF his
DRY and the effects OF the gospel during these
hree thousand years; and 1t may be witnessed
o-day in the comparative elevation and well
are OF those nations whose God is the Lord.
Before proceed to show the power and be- |
eticence OF the gospel in our own land, it is
7ell to notice what is meant in the text by the s
xpresslon, "the nation whose God is the
,ord." The meaning Of this is partly but very
nperfectly exhibited by the nominsIly christian &
atoms where the Roman Cath religion I
revails. There is kind Of worship OF the ]
wing spiritual God by the people of Italy, 6
ustria, Spain and France, in Europe. and !
lexIco and Cuba and the South American il
tates Of this continent. But the Roman Cath +
lie religion does not usually bring the wor- 1
hipper directly to his God and his Savior with r
devout and loving confidence. 1t interposes t
priesthood between man and God, aud di- h
'cts the faith Of the worshpper to the Pope a
Gods viceregent and the infallible Head of {,
le Church. 1t tells him that the Priest can Il
'solve him Of his sin, and teaches him to pray il
the Mother of Jesus and the saints canon p
ed by the Church, and look to them for his
ediation with God instead of to the only in
rceding Redeemer. 1t cannot be said, there a
re, that God is properly the God OF those ma Il
'ns. A more reliant trust in God and purer
'rship OF HIM is necessary to the real rela- r,
IN and to its real beDefcence. This fact ex- ii
rVnne h. L.