The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1891-05-28
Memorial Services.

Bened1CtlOn.
Memorial Services
It is plain that Memorial Sunday
has not yet lost its hold on the people.
Last Sunday was dull and threatening
rain, but this did not deter very large
attendance at the morning service at
Huntington hall. Every seat on the
floor and in the gallery was occupied.
The stage was tastefully draped
with the national colors, and in the
fore ground was display of choice
flowers.
After the lesson of the day accord
ing to the regular Episcopal ritual,an
an anthem by the choir, Rev. Purves
announced his text-"Hitherto hath
the Lord helped U.s." The speaker
does not use manuscript, and hence
we are not able to favor our readers
with the sermon in full, though its ex-
ceptional merit would fully justify its
reproduction entire. The sermon op-
ened with a reference to the charge
frequently heard, that ours is not a
Christian nation, inasmuch as we have
no national religion and no mention of
God in the constitution. The early as
semblies of the formative period of
our government were referred to, and
incidents brought to show the con-
trary. At the first convention of dele
gates of the colonies, when some pro-
posed to dispense with opening the
body with prayer on account of the re-
ligious differences of the delegates,
Samuel Adams had protested against
allowing divisions as to forms or
creeds to stand in the way of invoking
the divine blessing upon the task be-
fore them, and upon his motion cler-
gyman there present responded to the
cordial request of the members to offer
prayer. At succeeding conventions
and congresses of that period our fore
fathers had adhered to the practice of
opening deliberative proceedings with
prayer, and in all great crises had
recognized Christianity and continued
in large sense Christian nation up
to the present time.
The speaker repeated the axiom that
no nation has outlived its religion, and
dwelt on some phases of our national
life which he thought portended dan.
ger to our morals, and therefore tc
our very existence as nation. He
thought all must recognize that the
devotional spirit of our ancestors hac
waned, and that the failure of the
masses to attend religious services il
the ratio of former years was to be de
plored. The strife between labor ane
capital was another problem of nationa
moment, not only in this country bu
among all civilized people. Laborine
men were demanding equal privileges
with the wealthy, and the speake
thought that in the final outcome the.
would succeed in gaining either tn
equality of Christian brotherhood o
the equality of the commune. Th
period of the French revolution, whel
the streets of Paris ran with blood, il
lustrated the perils of false ideals il
the struggle for equality.
Above all, two great dangers threat
ened the nation-Impurity and Intern
, perance. It was time to call for vol
, unteers and engage in the strife agains
2 these impending evils, as Christian.
, It had been urged that minister
should take no public part in politics
issues, but the speaker asserted wit
indignant warmth that when the So
loon dictated public policy and dom
mated political movements, that Chris
tan ministers must assert their mar
hood as citizens and moral teacher
=. and strike their hardest blows, if nee
! be on the political platform.
The sermon closed with tribut
and appeal to the members of tn
Grand~-Army. The Spartan mothe
, who devoted ner son to war, when
!, was brought home to her dead on hi
shield would proudly point to him an
say, "This is my son." So Americ
points to the G.. A. R. to-day, an
D says, "These are my sons" Their wa
fare on the tented field is Ger, but
that grander warfare of Christianit
there is to-day a call for volunteer,
L and the sermon closed with an eloquer
appeal to the boys and blue who ha
o not already declared themselves, to 81
u list under the banner of Christ.
Bring in your watch and have it n
paired by the new jeweler, L. A. Gut
at Peck's drug store,