The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1893-11-30

them attend worship. Lawyers !
would swear at the bar, Judges on |
the bench would swear at the lawyers. |
During the reign of the Georges
there were 223 capital crimes on the |
calendar. If man stole five shiilings,
even il it We're to save his family from
starving he was hanged for it. A
man was hung for shooting a rabbit.
Jailers bought the privilege of
robbing the prisoners under their
charge. In the days of Henry VIII. |
beggars were hung after asking three
times. Charles Wesley to a friend,
''have just attended hanging of
twenty men, think they were all pre-
pared, twenty more next week."
The price of religious freedom costs
great deal but thank the King of
Men that He only dictates where and
how we worship Him. There is more
Goodness and more practical piety
to-day than there ever was. This is
day of faith and sight. One hundred
years ago infidel clubs were more
numerous Voltaire Paine and other
infidel writer's were much more ex-
tensively read. Voltaire said that
within 100 years the Christian religion
would be thing of the past. Does
it look SO now? The very room in
| Switzerland where he made this
declaration is now used as Bible
depository. One hundred years ago
most professional men were at least
skeptics. To-day nine out of ten of
our colleges are manned by Christian
gentlemen. Christian colleges in
America own S68,OOO,OOO, worth of
property. We're a lively corps, we're
not dead yet. On this day of Thanks
giving ought we not rejoice?
Eighty years ago there were
100000 church members in the
world; to-day, or according to the
census of 1880 there were 100000.
One hundred years ago VIM. Carey
left his shomaker's shop and went to
India as the first modern missionary.
He labored amid great opposition.
The East India Company wrote to
the British Government to have him
returned, for said they, she is mad,
fanatical scheme" To-Day in India
the back of heathenism is nearly
broken and the jungles are ringing
with the Gospel Proclamation. The
banner of the cross is unfurIed in
every land. Africa's darkness has
been penetrated by its light; the walls
of China and Japan have fallen be-
fore its trumpet blast and the
message has gone around the world
"peace on earth, good will toward
men," 1t is pleasant to hear of the
victories of the cross of Christ and of
the self-sacrifice of 5000 young men
and women in our colleges who have
volunteered to leave home and native
land to preach the Gospel to the I'M
christianized masses. When only
one hundred years ago the Moderator
of the Assembly told Carey to sit
down when he arose to speak fol
Foreign Missions, "young man, when
God pleases to convert the heather
He will doit, and without your help
In our own country one hundred
years ago, one in eighteen was &
Christian, fifty years ago one in eight,
in 18S0-0ne in five and during the
past ten years while the population
has enormo lsly increased, church
meml ership has increased 243 pei
cent. There are 100000 Sunday
school scholars, over million and a
half Christian Endeavorers, thousands
of Y. M. G. A. workers all soldiers oil
the Cross. The Lord hath truly
blessed us. ooh, that men would
praise the Lord for His goodness
While we rejoice at the Material
Political and Moral advancement
since the birth of our nation one
hundred and seventeen years ago, let
us take wider scope in our view and
take in the world. The whole world
rejoices with us. Wherever the
American flag is seen, men delight to
honorit and with us they thank God
for what He has made us. While we
recognize the blessings he has be-
slowed on us as Nation we cannot
turn our eyes from the great work left
to be done. 1,OOO,OOO,OO0 people in
the world have not vet accepted
! Christ. Much is to be done in the
way of reform. The problem of oul
great cities confront us, there are
dangers in unrestricted emigration
the great power of the liquor traffic is
4 menacing our liberties; labor is moi
! receiving justice; we are threatened
with great perils. There is no room
for apathy. Rich men must give Of
J their abundance, men and women
must give their lives for others
, salvation. But the same God of al
. who has led us through these III
, years of growth, still leads. There
!, are many patriotic men and women
y who will be equal to these difficulties
and will meet them as they have done
U in the past, trusting in God. "Let
, us then be up and doing"
i I think I catch a glimpse of the
q PTNn