Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1889-12-05
UNION SERVICES.
Thanksgiving Sermon by Rev.
A. A. Wallace, Delivered
at the Liberty Street
Nj. E. Church.

thanktulness for the providences
of the year. The sermon was
preached by Rev A. A Wallace,
and was not glorification of civil
service reform, but an exhortatlon
to duty based upon Acts 1896:
" For David, after he had served
his generation according to the
will of God, fell on sleep" The
text suggests duty, and the rev.
erened preacher, after having an
nounced Serving" as his theme,
went on to say: "There are
numerous so-called elevators of
humanity that have no claim to b"
recognized as the best possible
servitors of their gen, ration. In
pointing out how the highest SER
vice can be rendered a generation,
its characteristics must be noted.
To help even an individual his
environments must be understood.
A man in the mire needs different
aid from one in debt. To assist
the former requires a strong hand,
but the circumstances of the latter
demand heavy purse. One OF
the peculiarities of our time Is hur-
ry everybody and everything is
on the rush. The cry on all sides
is for fast mails, lightning trains,
fleet horses and quick men. Print
ers vie with each other to set the
most type. Mechanics, farmers.
doctors and lawyers rush their
work, and quick result is de-
manded of even teachers and
preachers. There is haste every
where. We jump on the cars !;
snatch our meals and even think,
as it were, in shorthand, Every
thing is at high pressure. AS a
certain writer expresses it: Even
the Holy Ghost can't overtake
men," The strain is so great
physically and spiritually that the
important question of eternal life
is over crowded and both souls
and bodies wither as the conse-
quence. Now, continued the
speaker, materialism is great
promoter of all this rush. Every
where the red cent exerts wonder
full power 1t seems to affect men
as much as the red rag does the
bull. Everything is measured by
It's standard. 1t ia the common
saying, money makes the mare
60" 1t introduces the worse of
characters into high places, social
and political. Formerly base ball
promoted exercise, but who dis
putes now that most of Its games
are played for money? Are horses
raced for sport ? Rarelyl Horses
are rated according to the amount
Of the stakes they have won. Nay.
even ministers are often measured
by their salaries. Ali this tends
to make the almi ghty dollar para
mount, widen the breach between
the rich and poor and deplete the
ranks of honorable and liberal men
Another characteristic of our age
is sham. Almost every article of
worth has it counterfeit. We dress
in sham, eat sham and sometimes
are shams ourselves. We take in
the likeness of our surroundings.
The quickest way to make one de-
ceitful is to make him familiar with
deception. Let child grow up
amid shams and they will be re-
produced. Are not men and wo-
men noticeable on all sides trying
to be something else than them
selves-acting as they don't be-
lieve, protesting as they don't
feel. Still another characteristic
of our age is the way home influ-
ence for good is being neutralized.
The home properly conducted is
one of the main bulwarks of So
ciety. Where the home is pure,
society is also pure. But fashion
makes demands that often cannot
be met. Its plates and patterns
change as rapidly as other things
and the result is, discomfort reigns
IN the family and home ceases to
be attractive. And just here theatres
and kindred institutions assist
fashion to neutraize parental train
ing. Flaming hand bills allure
our youth. Clowns and buffoons
instruct them in foolisnness. Dane.
ing masters fill their minds with
intimacy between the sexes. False
hood, brutality and seduction act
ed on the stage counteract and
disslpate the morality and purity
of homes There is also the Sun
day newspaper invading sacred
hours from which in many houses
children, instead of perusing what
is elevating and ennobllng. are
reading the wild stories written
especially for their amusement
The last characteristic noticed was
the prevailing ungodliness. This
must not be confounded with in
fidelity. 1t Is not 80 much tina,
as that God is left entirely out OF
view. He has said Remember the
Sabbath" and half the nation pays
no attention to his ordinance. He
has also said "Woe to him thai
giveth his neighbor drink" and
thousands have no other occupa
ton