The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-11-16
THE ANNIVERSARY.
[Coniinued from Fr4i Page. ]

moral purpose from tne WoTIu anu eNOiNe
creation into mist. The last word OF posi-
tive philosophy is despair, and in It's wake
comes pessimism kissing suicide through
its hideous sneer. We are in danger OF
being submerged by our prosperity, blind
cd BY excessive human light and lost IN q
wilderness Of doubts. Now. this AssociA-
ton, like eChurch Of the living God stands
for lofty ideals. As the church standing
on the crowded streets OF trade points the
soul by It's silent steep!e above the noisy
mar.s to its native skies, SO this Associa-
ton would place its temples OF humanity
amid the same whirling currents, that
these truths, Divine Souship and Human
Brotherhood, might he ever present with
the soul--uever crowded out reasoned
out or figured out.
SENTIMENT.
Matthew Arnold tells us that religion is
morality touched by emouon-that's the
new gospel by St. Matthew. But religion
il more: It IL new lie, eternal lie through
Jesus Christ, our Lord. That is the other
world aspect Of it In this world 1t Is the
Gctualiz4tion Of holiness aud love, Uf holi.
ness in the character, Of love in the life.
That's the old gospel Of ST. Matthew; aye,
the glorious gospel OF the blessed God.
JesuI Is the great reconcier. He is to
reconcile not only men TO men, creed to
creed, nation TO nation, but all things to
himself, even trade and amusement. he
is to redeem from evil the whole OF human
life with all its manifest activities. Chris
tianity aims to bring every part OF lie
within the range OF its influence, all
commercial enterprises, intellectual con-
fliCs, social intercourse aud recreations.
This Association is'one expression Of that
ideal.
But you say this ia sentiment. Yes, but
sentiment is the most practical thing in
the world. II is the unseen, though po-
tent, influence which, like the magnetic
current, holds the soul steady upon the
pole-stsr OF lofty purpose, keeping it thus
in its right orbit, harmonious with all
other relations. Look ut that majestic
ocean steamer cutting the waves as an
eagle clcavc6 the air. Think you the CON.
pass she carries is less essential TO her than
the great engines which bear her forward.
The mighty levers pr0pel her, 1t is true,
but the needle holds her course. So it is
with right sentiment in the heart; 1t
holds the course. Sentiment in man is
like water in nature, the current Of lie, as
dew, as rain, as river, bless
ing, but as a flood disastrous.
Sentiment is as fire, which as
genisl warmth may FLOURISH, IS consuming
flame deetroy. l; was for lack of right
sentiment, moral purpose, that an
Cient civiliz Itiona persisted 1t is famil-
lar observSt on that the fall Of Athenian
liberty came soon after the splendid me-
ridian cf her arts and literature. The
golden age oil Augustus, the age OF Virgil,
the prince Of letters, was also the age Of
the downfall OF the Roman Republic.
Queen Victoria did well to produce before
an Indian Prince the Bible as the fount-
ain.head of English prosperity. For a
high moral purpose above everything
else has given TO Great Britain supreme
cy in the household OF man, making her
capital the pulse, her steamers the Cour.
ers, and tho click Of her rifles the warn.
ing voice OF nations. What but the lack
Of moral purpose is causing France to fol.
How Greece and Rome slowly down the
horizon? Goods balance watched by
Angels is hung across the sky" Already
the savants are trembling at the hand
writing on the wall, not in Hebrew, but in
statistics. and they are trying an expert.
ment over there which has never been
o success in this world, that
OF legsiatinH against the day OF
Judgment. We think the star OF
Empire halts over the dome OF our own
capitol, and we do we'll. But II the larger
human hope 10 to hGveits fultillment here
II must bo through the guiding influence
oil right sentiment; through the saving
e0ven Of moral purpose. Know YOU not
that this oil ours Is holy ground--yts, sir;
every foot Of 1t as holy ~ the sacred place
4 I'm Horeb where stood the unshod Moses.
Our fathers ConEecrated it 10 the high and
holy purposeot civil and religious liberty;
TO hat high and holy purpose, part OF
it was redeemed with the blood Of the
First Born. 1t has been well said that
the pilgrim fathers we're pilgrims for con-
science sake. Jacobs sons went down TO
Egypt for corn, the Crusaders to
Jerusalem for glory, the Spaniards
TO Mexico for gold. But the Puritaus en-
tered this continent 80 the Israelltes
entered Canaan, with the ark OF God
ahead Of them. They took possess
ion by divine right, and the for mu-
Ia Of that possession might have run as
they touched Plymouth Rock, in the
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American is TO fulfil his mission, he must
be elevated yes, cir, elevated. He must be
lifted out Of his pocket into his con-
science; he must be taught to
live moro in his heart and less in
his shop, to think less Of his gains
and TO cherish more the high ideals Of his
fathers. This Association, by lis faithful
work and influence seeks to maintain
moral purpose in our modern life and to
keep the ark at the very center Of its rest
leas energies. Here, then, we havo the
first affirmative, christian Ideals.
TIE NECESSITY OF cITIsrIAN CONQUEST.
Again, th!s Association atIlrms With e4l-
phasis the necessity Of cLriSliGn O0E-
quest. There are two forces at work In the
regeneration OF the world, each having It's
distinctive sphere aud method. These are
law and gospel. 1t is the mission Of law
to restrain, OF the gcapel Il TRANSFORM.
The agency Of law is power, OF the COS.
pei love. Law commands, the gospel per,
suRdes. Law compels, the gospel attracts.
The law isnegStive In it's results, the gospel
positive. The husbandman may keep his
Held negative by pulling up the Weeds, or
positive by sowing II in grain, The ply.
slciaa may fight disease by treating the
local symptoms, negative, or treating the
constitution, positive. The parent may
protect the child from evil by restraining
from contact vito it, negative; or training
above it, positive, But these two forced
have mutual relation In the ultimate re-
suit. The husbandman must clear OF
weeds and SOW the grain; the physician
treat the local symptom and the disease;
the parent both restrain and train. $50
tho Son Of man revealed the gospel, yet
nsgniied the law; though mercy flows,
yet law stands unrepealed and will for.
ever stand, The work OF Law is primary
and preparatory, It makes nothing per-
feet The work OF the gospel is supple
mental and advanced. 1t compIetes. |
Courts OF Justice and jails have their lie,
gitimRto place and work as well "a schools 1