Morning journal and courier., 1892-11-25


The discourse was by Rev. Mr.. Mulch, pas
Tor of the Howard avenue Congregational |
church. The speaker commanded the close |
attention of his audience. Unlike the |
ponderous and lengthy discourses of
of old, in the days of the
fathers, it was comparatively brief, but
was none the less able and edifying. The
discourse is given herewith:
''With all my soul have 1 desired thee in the
night; yea, with my spirit within me will seek
earth the inhabitants of the world learn right
eousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal
wrongfuliy, and will not behold the majesty of
the Lord."-Psalns: XVI, 9, 10.
1t is an old Lesson long since learned, but
whatever sort have their true value only as
they help to realize higher virtue of the
soul.
Whatever, therefore, OF divine blessing
the year has brought US can by no means
call forth proper spirit of Thanksgiving
unless these blessings are connected with
the highest human good, and not merely
with our own selfish comfort at the pres
emit time. The year has been crowned
with blessings numerous and rich, for
which all hearts are glad. It has also
brought many sorrows and disappoint-
ments to some and probably to all. In
many souls the bitterness has more than
cay that for this all hearts are glad, or that
any heart is made glad by adversely.
We are glad if Gods way with the
world happens to be the way which brings
peace and comfort by the way. to US; but
whether it does or not, and whether we
are glad and contented or not, we may
have a ground of true Thanksgiving if we
can see, or trust, that the best aud highest
good of the race is being wrought out by
these ups and downs. Here is where
Chri tan faith gives fullness of meaning
to the thanksgiving idea and makes it a
triumphant reality even in the midst Of
adverse fortunes.
If now We should look whether progress
is actually being made towards the highest
ideals and whether we can actually see it's
steps, or whether amid the varying for
tunes of the days battle we must simply
trust that ''somehow good will be the final
goal of ill" we should meet with some as
surances that the inhabitants of the world
are learning righteousness. We should find
Indications that people do estimate the
true merits of conduct more accurately.
Fraud and deceit is being found and ferret
ed out of old haunts and is compelled to
| seek for new ones. Genius is being taxed
on both sides, there to cover. and here to
uncover the actual merits of conduct; and
| the race which is now on between the
l genius of righteousness and the genius Of
| unrighteousness is the contest which COM
| mands pre eminentiy the interest of the
world all the year round-perhaps not &c
l intense as the interest in the Yale Prince
ton football contest, but it is an interest
4 u. g. E.,
When the world interest centers in any
contest, then you may depend upon both
sides to do their best. This is what thu
l all its advocates shall be drawn--out to d.
their best. Indifference is the poison tina
kills our efficiency. But the rising inter
I est is full of hope for the cause of right
| eousness. More and more those who think
and write and talk are awaking to tn
consciousness that evil is allowed more
liberty than is necessary. And they at
saying, "Come, let us suppress it. Their
| is statute that is being persistently AM
fagrantly violated. Here is city ordinanc
| that needs to be enforced. This particula
| to be prohibited by law and by the officer
of the law. That particular practice is OF
1 fensive to good conscience and good taste
and needs to be frowned upon by all goo
citizens Come, let us take united han
| in these things" Such words as these ar
being spoken more frequently than eve
| before; and there are signs Of promise i
| | them.
People are less deceived by supericit
/ Indications of evil than formerly, havin
! | learned to trust humanity more and to fin
| worthy motives where once their presenc
| was not suspected. Some harmless item
\ of conduct which once fell under the ba
! of an sbnormally puritanic conscience al
now seen in their true light, and estimate
] without prejudice.
= Superficial and sensational efforts at I
] form are coon discovered to be such, al
l are passed by in silence. The desire ever,
where among right-minded people is to g
| at the heart of matters and, with whatev
surgery may be necessary, to eradicate IL
evils which stand in the way of righteou
ness. There is spontaneous 1ecoguitie
everywhere of sturdy moral WORTH and
| spite of all the efforts of selfish and mes
ambition to supplant it it is moro al
| more coming to the front in the world
activities.
In the world Of thought there is a mo
ready assent to what is seen to be trut
Other influences which have in the pa
done much to mold beliefs in politics, &C
nomics, philosophy and theology (thoul
they have no place whatever alongside
truth itseli) are losing their force with Il
people in general, and are more and me
confined in their effects.
There is q greater unity and solidarity
the race taken as whole, and especially
particular parts of it than ever before; a
there ara many ways in which importa
features of the kindom of God are bel
, gradually realized, giving hope that col
day it's triumph may be complete.
It would be both pleasant and profital
to search out and examine specific exa
pies to illustrate and prove the progr
which has here been mentioned only
general terms; but that is not the ts
| which has been set for this occasion, he
| ever agreeable and appropriate it mil
| have been.
A gratitude that is content to gloat I
d on the achievements already won is mis-
j lly. It has reached the climax of its pr
I ress, and it faces no more the future q
| the unachieved, but it is content to g
upon receding past. Hope and MAJ
l purpose have given place to garruious re
Y iniscence, and the shadows of conf
events are valued less than the footpri
of the past.
A true gratitude which is an accepta
thank offering to God inspires the he
l1H for the battles yet unfought. It bril-
cir not peace, but sword. It is not ey
d. nym for conteutment, but for contenti
sss 1t puts heart in the soldier of tho CT
by as victory puts heart in any soldier.
IRE wise soldier does not lose his head wi
by he wins victory; but from his new v
rs, tage ground he plans with calm cour
for other victories.
ss AS a hopeful and grateful Christ
community therefore let our thanksgiv
not expire upon the fading embers of
past, but let it inspire us to work on
future of still greater glory Let it
us to seek the Lord early, for the ss
reason and in the same way that 1t led
prophet to seek him-'for when
judgments are in the earth the inh
itants of the world learn ri2hteousn,
Let favor be showed to the wicked
will he not learn righteousness; even
the land of uprightness will he deal wro
fully, and will not behold the majesty
n the Lord"
n Those who, like Isaiah, look for
worlds we'll being must look for it in
D direction of righteousness. They will
joice at every indication that the inh
tants of the world are learning rightet
ness. They will encourage every eff
that promises to teach the pee
righteousness. They will engage in ey
enterprise that opens the way to big
aud purer character for the individual
for the mass. And if we are to bel
Isaiah, whose experience as we'll as
wisdom was by no means small in &
n mattsrs, it is when the judgments of
ara rror, ho aarth that naOn1a II