The Cecil Whig., 1885-07-04
FIVE NATIONAL SORES.

FIVE NATIONAL SORES.
Sermon by the Rev. j. r. Otis, of the EIkton
Methodist Episcopal Church.
We give below short synopsis of an in
teresting sermon delivered by the Rev. j..
| p. Otis, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal
church of this town, last Sunday evening
He took for his text Proverbs II, 81; "Right.
eousness exateth a nation, but sin is a re-
proach to any people," and said:
have no apology to make for uttering
on this last Sunday evening previous to the
anniversary of our national independence
such thoughts as Gods own word suggests
concerning the life of the nation. All
through Gods word we find prophets speak
ing in stern rebuke and in commendation
to rulers and people as well as to individ-
uals; and this 10Th century is just as much
responsible to God as any other. Indeed
wish to utter my protest against the secular
spirit of the times by speaking in the pulpit
and on Gods day, not concerning partisan
issues or secular policies, but such things
as seem meet concerning sin and righteous
ness.
Under divine inspiration of the keen
est intcllccts the world ever saw uttered the
text, ana by it illuminates us with electric
light, the question of :he glory and shame
| of nations sin is shame and Righteousness
is glory,
What great sins are there that disgrace
this nation and imperi its life? Sin, like
| physical disease, has its epidemics, when
certain forms of evil are widespread and
indicate special weaknesses in the Nations
maral character. Cf these | shall name
five, not attempting any special analysis.
| name first the Mormon iniquity, hugo
moral cancer on the bosom of the nation,
| shooting out its fbres into the states and
territories adjoining Utah. How many re-
alize that there in the centre of our land is
| the most tyrannlcal system of priestcraft
known in the world, and lust followed as a
religion, this in the centre of land that
boasts the highest civilization in the world?
What spectacle to shame us-Congress
bolting our western gates against the Chi
nese and holding our eastern gates wide
open for these moral lepers from Eur pc!
name next our tolerance of the crimes
of liquor-selling and drunkenness. On every
side the liquor traffic grows in arrogance
and extends its controlling influence to Off
| GERS of government. In this connection l
must speak of matters near at home. 1t
NAV seem one w ho has baep here ca
short time should speak only good of this
community, but it has been put to shame
by what took place in connection with GER
tain political action about a week since.
Shall be told must not meddle with pol
| itics? Then let not politics meddle with
me, but when | must push my way with
my little boy through crowd with drunk
enness and profanity about Inc will so far
as in me lies put on such politics the brand
of infamy. l have nothing to do with par
ties nor will believe the half that is gos-
slipped concerning individuals, but if any
one has debauched, or shall debauch at any
time, his fellowcitizen by putting the bot
tie to his lips, or in any other way, that man
is unfit to hold any office of honor and re-
| sponsihilty in the community.
| name again, the mad thirst for gain and
show that seems to rage in our land and
| time few statements from recent re-
view may be quoted: In 1850 one person in
| 3,I42 was criminal confined in prison, but
in 1880 the proportion had risen to one in
S60-four fold. just think of it, one man
in every $50 is a convicted criminal. What
a comment on our civilization and the
power of our religious work Tracing the
causes of this the writer finds prominent
among them "the quickened and intensified
struggle for money-making."
name ag lin, the plague of evil litera-
ture. The harm is done not only by that
licentious literature which often finds its
way where parents little think, but the
newspaper press is responsible for much
decentralization of sentiment by the manner
in which its pages are filled with true and
false details of crime.
name again, the loose ideas concerning
home and the sanctity of the marriage
vows that are so prevailaut in our land. 1t
is time that there is less of this on the Pen
insua than elsewhere, but it almost seemed
as though one could scarcely take up re-
port of the proceedings of the recent session
of the Delaware legislature without reading
of the consideration Of some divorce case.
What now is there that seems to promise
our exaltaton as a nation? What forces
work for righteousness
The temperance reform has a hold on the
thought of the land such as it has never be-
fore had The evident fear and rage of the
liquor interest shows this. 1t is true tenn
perance men are somewhat divided just
now as to the best way of advancing the
good cause, but all that will be adjusted
presently, and then let the liquor traffic
| look out
Mormonism is at least being treated with
some vigor by the national government. l
am certainly not happy at the sight of men
who need to be put in confinement as GRIM
inals, but confess it did me good to read
of the first Mormon being behind prison
bars. God bless the Judges in Utah.
There is a waking up as to all these great
social questions, and as to the true meaning
and work of politics, and trust the day is
| to come when men will not feel ashamed TO
be called "politicians,' because a politician
| will be man who seeks by honest means
to do honest work for the welfare of the
people
Over against all that is unwholesome in
the issues of the printing press may be set
that movement of our days in the direction
of reading that elevates and retines, and
gives pure pleasure, which finds. perhaps
its best illustration in Chautauqua, with
its annual gatherings and its circles all over
the land.
| | love my country. For two hundred and
fifty years my ancestors have trod these
shores. | am in every fibre an American
and again l say | make no apology for
speaking here and now concerning the dan
gers that beset and the hopes that encircle
the life of my native land. God bless our
country! and when the bells ring out an
other anniversary of her Independence, let
us all pray, God bless our country; save
her from the sins that shames, and fill her
with the glory of righteousness.
l do believe that on this Western Conti-
nent is the best and broadcast stage for true
human development, and that the problem
of It truly noble nationality is to be wrought
out here.
Let us consccrate ourselves individually