Daily globe., 1883-10-29
PARK CHURCH.
An Interesting Discourse by the Pastor,
Rev. John H. Morley. A

Rev JOhn Ill. Morley. .
The Park Congregational church, st.
Anthony hill, is, as is we'll known, new
organization, struggling to build up a
church of wide spread and benefcient in
fuence in the field which it has chosen for
its labors. The congregations from Sab
| bath to Sabbath are steadily increasing
in numbers, as Is also the Sabbath school,
the young peoples meetings, the mid
week prayer meetings and all the conyoca-
tions Of the church. The walls Of the stone
chapel which is to take the place
of tho present temporary structure are
rapidly rising, and all the surroundings of
the church seem TO be prosperous and en-
couraging. AS heavy as must necessarily
be the burdens of this infant church, yet
it exhibits liberal and generous spirit in
contributing to the benevolent enterprises
of the day.
IS Yesterday morning the Rev. Mr. Morley,
the pastor, presented the claims Of the
Home Missionary society in a sermon of un-
usual force, earnestness and eioqnence. The
church, itself beneficiary of the society,
small and comparatively weak as it is in
numbers, responded with remarkable iber-
ality.
So just in thought, so wholesome and in
structive. in sentiment was the discourse,
that a brief space is here allotted to a sue
eint synopsis of it and though full justice
cannot be thus given to the very able dis
course, glimpse at its line of thought,
and an indication of some Of its telling
passages cannot fail to be impressive and
useful.
| DanEornTnr1u 9.
at is not a vain thing for you, because it
is your life, and through this thing ye shall
prolong your days in the land"
| The preacher said: These are
the parting words of a great
statesman to his people. They teach that
obedience to God promotes natural life.
Christianity is source OF strength to our
own government. Let US this morning illus
trate that Christianity is the support of
free institutions.
Christianity implants in the masses the
desire Of self-government. It elevates
man, reveals his rights, teaches that all
men, kings and their subjects, master
and slave, are of one blood, subjects
of the same Governor, children
of one Father, accountable to one Judge.
Let man know that he is redeemed by
Christ and has the hope of blessed lmmor-
| tality, that he and his rulers have the same
hopes and fears, and he will be quick to
infer that God has not divided the race
into two great classes, one of whom are to
be used for the benefit of the other. Such
men will have, as history shows, til cir
rights. Ths intense activity, OF first
moral, then mental, which Christianity
awakens Gundermines despotic authority.
We may trace to the desire for religious
freedom, one Of the formative Influences
in establishing constitutional government
in America. The pilgrims came 10 New
England because in old England they
were not permitted to worship
God according to their
wnjconsciences. In Great Britain, too,
the desire for religious freedom asserted
itself until it compelled the granting of
greater religious and civil privileges.
Again, Christianity qualities men to gov
ern themselves. Ignorance and vice are
the bane of republics. Christianity gives
virtue and education. 1t gives the sane
tions of future retribution and reward; it
infuses new life into the heart it strength
ems and enlarges patriotism, lit sup
ports the sentiment of justice. 1t SO
makes men who are able to govern them
selves This was illustrated by compar-
ison between modern and ancient society
Intelligence among the masses is the off
spring of Christianity. While
la people may be educated without
being religious, as matter of fact, educa-
tion does not reach the masses until the
nation is Christian. Ignorance is never
the mother of devotion to the true relig-
ion. Christianity awakens the desire of
knowledge, and inclines us to give knowl-
edge to the ignorant. The world over the
school house stands hard by the Christian
church. Hence the Christian religion
tends to help republic at its point of
weakness. It educates and transforms
those portions of the people from whom
the chief danger comes, the ignorant and
the vicious, the poor whites, the ignorant
negroes at the south, Mormons ct the
west, the vicious in our large cities.
This is its theory, this to large extent is
its practice and great work is now being
done in all these classes.
Again, Christianity by securing obedi-
ence to Divine laws is a source of strength
to nation. Certain natural evils follow
sin, so that the individual and the nation
who sin are chastised. Slavery was g
source of weakness to the nation, so is
intemperance, so is all sin. The path of
obedience to God is the path of national
blessing.
Hence it is our duty to see that the nat
uraf tendency of religion is not frustrated.
We must conduct public affairs, We must
decide question like temperance upon
correct principles. So too we must see
that the blessings of the gospel are
spread throughout the country.
Years ago, twelve young men known as
the Andover band came to Iowa and for
forty years have been doing their work.
To-day Dakota has her Yale band who are
repeating for Dakota the triumphs of the
Andover band in Iowa. In our own state
the Home Missionary society is giving gen
erous help. In these days of our infancy
and weakness, let us give as the Lord has
prospered us, that we may,as good citizens
who love their country, do something to
promote her strength and beauty; that we
may come into the sweep of that move
ment by which Christianity is pushing
from the Atlantic to the Golden Gate and
is yet to bring the whole world
under the mild power of Christ.
Following the discourse collection was
taken up, amounting to slightly over one
hundred dollars. The Savior said: st is
more blessed to give than to receive" and
this church seems to be inspired by the
sentiment rendered in Proverbs: "Uhe