Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-01-07

while mayors and governors and presi-
dents, with uncovered heads, looked on!
But put all those grand reviews to-
gether, and they are tame compared
with the review which on this New
Years day you from the pew and l
from the pulpit witness
Hear them pass in chronological order
all the years before the food; all the
years since the food; decades abreast;
centuries abreast; epochs abreast; mil
lenniums abreast; Egyptian civilization,
Babylonian populations, Asyrian do
minions; armies OF Persian, Grecian,
Peloponnesian and Roman wars; Byzan-
tine empire, Saracenic hosts, crusaders
of the first, the second, third and the
last avalanche of men; dark ages in
somber epaulets and brighter ages with
shields Of silver and helmets OF gold;
Italy, Spain, France. Russia, Germany,
England and America, past and pres
ent; dynasties, feudal domains, despot-
isms, monarchies, republics, ages on
ages, ages on ages, passing to-day in .
chronological review, until one has no
more power to look upon the advancing
columns, now brilliant, now squalid,
now garlanded with peace, now Grim
son with slaughter, how horrid with
ghastliness, now radiant with love and
joy.
This chronological study affords,
among other practical thoughts, espe-
cially two-the one encouraging to the
last degree and the other startling. The
encouraging thought is that the main
drift of the centuries has been toward
betterment, with only here and there a
stout reversal. Grecian civilization
was o vast improvement on Egyptian
civilization, and Roman civilization n
vast improvement on Grecian civiliza-
ton, and Christian civilization is vast
improvement on Roman civilization.
What was the boosted age Of Pericles
compared with the age of Longfellow
and Tennyson? What was Queen
Elizabeth as specimen of moral wom-
anhood compared with Queen Victoria?
What were the cruel warriors Of olden
times compared with the most distin-
guished warriors of the last half cen
fury, all of them as much distinguished
for kindness and good morals rs for
prowess-the two military leaders of
our civil war on northern and southern
side commitment members of Christian
churches, and their home life us pure az
their public life?
Nothing impresses me In this chrome
logical review more than the fact that
the regiments of years are better and
better regiments as the troops move on.
/ thank God that you and were not
born any sooner than we were born.
How could we have endured the disaB-
ter of being born in the eighteenth or
seventeenth or sixteenteenth century?
Glad am that we are in the regiment
now passing the reviewing stand, and
that our children will pass the stand in
still better regiment. God did not
build this world Tor a slaughter house
or den of infamy.
A good deal of cleaning house will be
necessary before this world becomes as
clean and sweet as it ought TO be, but
the brooms and the scrubbing brushes,
and the upholsteTers and plumbers are
already busy. and when the world gets
fixed up. as it will be, if Adam and Eve
ever visit it, as expect they will, they
will say to each other: "Wcll, this
beats paradise when we lived there,
and the pears and the plums are better
4t.o- ,,,o ,>l,oiyod frO,,, fho Eref froae
and wardrobcs are more complete, and
the climate is better.
Since settled in my own mind the
fact that God was stronger than the
devil have never lost faith in the
emparadisation of this planet. With the
exception of n retrogression in the Dark
Ages, the movement of the world has
been on and on, and up and up, and l
have two jubilant hosannas one for
the closing year and the other for the
new year
But the other thought coming out of
this subject is that Biblical chronology,
and indeed all chronology, is urging the
world to more punctuality and immedi-
ateneAS What an unsatisfactory and in
definite thing it must have been for two
business men in the time OF Ahaz TO
make an appointment, saying; I'VE will
settle that business matter tomorrow
when the shadow on the dial of Ahaz
reaches the tenth step from the top" or
II will meet you in the street called
Straight in Damascus in the time of the
now moon" or when asked in q court
room what time an occurrence took
place should answer, 'It was during
the time of the latter RAIN" or ut was
at the time of the third Growing of
the barnyardr'
You and / remember when ministers
of the gospel in the country, giving out
q notice of an evening service, instead
Of saying 1T Q or or 8 o'clock, would
say, THE service will begin at early
candle light" Thank God for chron-
illogical achievements which have
l. Il II