The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-30
THE BAPTISTS.
Union Services at the South-Street Church
Address by Rev. Mr.. Neighbors.

Union Services at the South-Street Church
Address by Rev. Mr.. Neighbors.
At the union services of the Baptist churches
held at the Southstreet Church Yesterday morn
ing, the thanksgiving sermon was preached by
Rev. Neighbors, the eighth verse of the lO7Jh
Psalm and tie thirty fourth verse of the four
tenth chapter of Proverbs being the text He
said: We meet to-day to render thanks to God
for the mercies of the year passed. and to ac-
knowledge our dependence, as individuals and
as a nation, upon continued favor. such calam-
tiles as have occurred have been local only. AS
a nation, able to rejoice to-day over peace
maintained through all our borders and with all
the world. We have enjoyed freedom from
pestllence and famine; abundant harvests have
| been gathered; commercial prosperity has con
trued; the public credit has been kept: the ma
tional debt has been largely reduced; that par
ticular form of political management which ex-
listed as a menace to our Institutions has been.
at least, seriously weakened, If not completely
overthrown.
We may also thank God to-day for our contin-
ued existence as a nation. holding up as we do,
to the world an example of political institutions
resting upon the will of the people successfully
maintained and offering asylum 70 such of
the oppressed of every cline as, seeking for lib
| erty, are willing to comply with its conditions
or that opposite class who, weary of The tyranny
| of Europe, but yet unit for citizenship, are
unable TO distinguish between liberty
and license, or TO reconcile individual freedom
| with submission to law, ami VINO, when here in
the enjoyment of our citizenship, attempt to
| subvert whatever is the peculiar boast and
pride of the genuine Americans, we have already
! too many, and il these words could only reach
the rest of this sort of people who may he con
templating emigration to these shores, we would
earnestly invite them to seek out some other
| field for their operations. The table-lands of
| central Africa, or the steppes of Asia. or some
other out-of-the-way region might afford this
aJheistc and cOmmunlstlc craze
| "Ample scope and verge enough
It's characters OF hell TO trace"
and there it might work itself out freely and
! fully into the result of national nothingness
| without particular danger to anybody else. As
! the Pilgrim fathers Sought 10 give national ex-
/ preston in the wids of the Massachusetts col
! ODy to those principles which peculiarly distiu-
| gushed them, why, also, should not these people
! try their experiment in a territory where they
would not come into collision with anyone eiSe4
! But here, betw cen the Atlantic and Pacific let 1t
I be thoroughly understood that nohler ideas lie
! at the basis Of American institutions and that,
/ God helping va, we intend they shall he pre-
| served. Let us thank God that the pupts of the
! land almost without exception, are true TO the
! the great principles of evangelical religion, and
| that so large number of our children are gath
cred into sunday schools Along with these
| there special favors which belong to our udl-
| vidual experiences during the year.
The hundred years which have passed into
history no guarantee of national security for
/ the hundred years to come. 'Oh, that men
would praise the Lord for His goodness, ana tor
| His wonderful works To the children OF men"-
! that is take account OF it ana thank H.m as the
glver. Righteousness eXalteth II nation, but
! sin is a reproach to any people" The first of
/ these quotations laments the absence of tnaI pi-
! ETY. 10 the nation which the other in the form ui
political maxim asserts to lie at the foundation
| OF national greatness. David was Il
pious king. but il does not follow that
! his pety was shared by the nation he ruled.
| The Inference is that 1t was not. "Oh!' he eX-
claims "that 1t were otherwise. On that men
would praise the Lord for hs goodness and for