The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-06-22

healthful Jurisprudence That book has
been the mother OF all reforms and all
charities-motber of English Magma
Cnarta and American Declaration of In.
dependence Benjamin Franklin hold.
ing that holy hook in bis hand, stood
before an inidel club at Paris and read
to them out Of the prophecies of Habak.
kuk, and the inGdels, not knowing what
hook 1t was, declared it was the best DO
etry they bad ever heard. That book
brought George Washington down on
his knees in the snow at Valley Forge,
and led the dying Prince Consort to ask
some one to sing "Rock of Ages"
l tell you that the worst attempted
crime Of the century is the attempt to
destroy this book. yet lnfdelity, loath-,
some, stenchful, lepious, pestiferous
rotten monster, stretches out its hand
|.ichorous with tie second death, to take
the hand OF this republic. 1t stretches
it out through seductive magazines. and
through caricatures OF religion. 1t asks
Tor al that part of the eoniipent already
fully settled, and the two-thirds not vet
occupied. itsays: a'Give me all east
Of the Mississippi with the keys Of the
Church and the Christian printing press
es; then give me Wyoming, give me
Alaska, give me Montana, give me Col.
orado-give me all the Ststes apc Tctfi-
tories west OF the M Mfssissippi, and / will
take those places and keep them by right
of p ssession long before the Gospel can
be fully ent-enched.." '19- 7f'fj = 9
And this sui,or,aT 1sss 'ab79i Z s'ssa
80 PRESSES his, CASE ArPAILINGLY.s
Shall the banns Of that marriage be pro-
claimeda : aNo y say the home, mis-
sionariss of the West--a martyr band
OF whom the world islnot worthy. toll
ing amid iatigues and msIsria and star
walton. e"Nol not IL we icans help it =
By what we and our children have suf-
fered we forbid the banns of that mar
riager' Mop say all patriotic voices !;
our institutions were bought at too
dear price and we're defended at too
great sacrifice 10 be 30 scheaply sur
tenderedp s"Nop says the God of
Bunker Hill and Independence Hall aud
Gettysburg; Il did not start this nation
for such farce.' Nol' cry ten thou
sand voices; ITO Iridelity this land shall
not be married T. 9sl he bs
But there is another suitor who pre-
sents hi. hand Ior The hand OF this Re-
public. He is mentioned in the verse,
following mYtexh where il says: .As
the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride,
so shsll Thy God rejoice over thee" 1t
is not nv figure. 1t is, the, fgnfe Of the
Bible Christ is. SO desEeus to have this
world love him that be stops at no humil-
ia,ion Of .simile. He compares his grace
10 spitlle on lbe eyes OF the blind man.
He compares bimseli to hen gathering
the chickens, and in my text be COM
paris himself to a suitor begging hand
in marriage Does this Christ, the King,
deserve Ibis land? Behold Pillare's
Hall and the insulting expectoration on
the lace of Christ. Behold the Calva-
rean massacre and the swlulbemorrhage
OF five wounds. Jacob served fourteen
years for Rachel, bnt Christ, my Lord,
the King, suffered in torture tbirly-three
years to win the love of this world. As
often priDcesseR at their very, birth are
pledged in treaty of marriage to princes
or kings u earth. so. this nation at its
birth was pledged 10 Christ for Divine
marriage, Before. Columbus and his
hundred and twenty men embarked on
the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Nina,
for their wonderful voyage, what was
the last thing they did ? kneeled down
end took the holy saCrsment pfthe Lord
Jesus Christ. Alter they caught TIE
first, glimpse Of this country and the gun
of one ship announced it 10 The other
vessels that land bad been discovered,
what. was the son that went up from all
the three decks? .,Gloria in Excelsis."
After Columbus and his hundred and
twenty. men bad stepped from the ships
decks to the solid ground, what did they
dor They all knelt and consecrated the
New World 10 God.ri What did The Hu-
guenots do after they landed in the Car
olinas? What did the Holland refugees
do after they had landed in New York;
What lid the Pilgrim Fathers do after
they landed in New England 2 With
bended knee and uplifted face, and
Heaven heseeching prayer they took pos.
session Of this country for God, How
was the first American Congress opened :
By PRAYER in the name Of Jesus Christ.
From its birth this nation was pledged
Tor holy ,'..,..i.. .g" !
MARRIAGE WITH CHRIST. sra
And then see how good Christ has
been to'us! just open the map OF the
continent and see how it is shaped for
unreasonable prosperi,ies Navigable
rivers, more in number and greater than
Of any other land, rolling down on all
sides into the sea, prophesying manu-
factures and easy commerce. Look at
the great ranges Of mountains timbered
with wealth on the top and sides, metal
ed with wealth underneath. One hun.
dred and eighty thousand square miles
Of coal, 100000 square miles of IRON
The land so contoured that extreme
weather hardly lasts more than three
days-extreme heat or extreme cold.--
Climate for the most part tbracing and
favorable TOR Drawn and brain. All
fruits, all minerals, all harvests. Scenery
displaying an autumnal pageantry that
no land on earth pretends to rival. No
South American earthquakes. No Scotch
mists. No London fogs. No Egyptian
plaques No Germanic divisions. The
people Of the United States are happier
than any people on earth. It is the ties.
timony of every man that has travelled
abroad For the poor, N ore sympathy !;
for the industrious, more opportunity
Oh, how good God was to our fathefs,
and how good He has been to us and
our children! To Him blessed be
His mighty nsmei-lo Him of cross
and triumph, to Him who still remem
bers the prayer of Huguenots and Hol-
land refugees and the Pilgrim Fathers
to Him shall this land be married. o,
you Christian patriots Thy your contri.
buttons and your prayers nastor on the,
fulfilmeut.of the text ala sc bed