The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-07-03

sion OF the truth OF GOO, Wropght
ito frst revolutions in the church but
as It was just as applicable in the sphere
Of civil as that OF religious liberty, IL
soon began 70 work like leaven in the
state, The mind and the conscience
once diasnthralled, social and political
freedom must OF necessity follow. Ae'
cordlngly,. as the outgIowth OF this
principle, came Cromwell, the Purltans,
and the constitutional liberties Of Eng,
land, and then, as its fuller and higher
development, the American revolution,
and this glorious republic, with its
yivifying and hallowing influence upon
the world, To the Gospel, then, we
owe the spirit that achieved our indie
pendence, and the luxuriant outgrowth
Of immunitiea which we now enioy-the
freedom OF the press liberation OF opln-
ion; liberty OF speech the elective fran
chisei the public school system the
privileges OF scientific inquiry and eS'
pertinent together with that rtchbloom
and ripe fruitage Of Christian literature,
which adorns and sanctiies the whole
age in which we live.
Third-We owe to the Gospel al the
ameliorating influences OF ~beneYolence
our institutions for relieving the
miseries and necessities OF lltet our
agencies for promoting the physical and
moral happiness Of all classes OF peoplei
providing for the young, the old, the
fallen, the outcast-to the poor ashelter,
and for the sick a home, All this ispe-
culiar to the religion Of the gospel This
principle Of generous working beneyo-
lence did not enter into any OF the sys'
TENS Of ancient philosophy, MOI Ia lite
benign influence ever witnessed in ac-
tual life, save where that life has been
either directly or remotely influenced
by the religion OF the Bible. Athens
and Corinth, whore ancient philosophy
aud religion received their ultimate de.
yelopment, contained no hospitals, no
asylums, no public charities, Among
the monuments Of Rome's ancient mag
~nifcence, her love Of show may be- seen
In her yet majestic amphitheatret tot
tering columns tell OF the might OF her
Conquests; and the stretching aqueduct
OF her scientific skillj but whore, amid
all these clusters OF sublime decay, can
be found the ruins OF q hospital for the
sick, an asylum for the blind. or q ain.
gle inscription telling you; Here mis-,
cry found a home, here want a friend"
No, these are gospel triumphs, telling
us how much we owe our Lord.
Fourth; We owe TO the gospel. our
preservation from destruction in times
past, and our hope of continuance in
time to come.
God, as the king OF nations, plants
and destroys, builds up n nation and
pulls down another. The law ac-
cording to which he acts in
so doing, he gives us by
the mouth Of the prophet; 1.-THE
nation or the kingdom that will not
serve Him shall perish; yea, those na-
tions shall BIO utterly wasted" History
shows how fully this law has been exc
cuted. Then, let religion be deeply en-.
bedded in the hearts Of the people; let
it transfuse and WITTY the masses OF
our population; lot God be enthroned
by public official recognition, as the
head, lawglver, protector OF the nation,
aud let the government, as such, dis.
CHARGE its obligations OF allegiance and
practical service, and our country ts
saie-safe, because anchored upon that
rock against which the gates OF hell
shall not prevail"
In view, then, OF all these considera-
lions, "How much owest thou unto my
Lord2n Time would fail to tell. There
arc only a few of countless items in an
inventory Of indebtedness, which might
be heightened till numbers fail, AS a
nation, We owe Film everything. II,
then, such are the obligations Of these
United States Of America to the Gospel,
shall we divorce it2 After all that re-
ligion has done to build up and bestow
the formations of our unrivalled i'm.
munities, shall it now be dismissed.
like Hagar, 'into the wilderness: with
q loaf Of bread and q bottle OF water
TO shift OF die as she CAM"
In our supposed manhood, shall
We now turn out the mother that has
given us birth and nourished US to our
present yigor2 Oh, shame upon the
mind that would ever conceive the
thought. and palsied be the arm that
would perpetrate the deed. This is
not a Christian country" Is what q
Judge said on the bench in the city OF
Chicago recently, whengranting a cross
injunction to hold the gates of the Col.
umbian Exposition open on the Lords
Day, pending a final decision. What
would the Pilgrim Fathers, Huguenots
and refugees OF all lands, who sought
refuge here as Christians, say to that?
What would the Christian signers otthe
Declaration and all the fathers and
founders OF this government and the
generation that gave this land to these
incoming,hordes of s%acrilegious invaders
OF all tho original sanctity Of our institu-
tons, say to these words2 II is high
time to take warning, that there are in
this country many who dare to say and
to live this. This is a Christian coun.
try by the spirit Of our institutions, by
the lives Of its founders, by the liberty
which Christians have given and main
tanned; and by u hope for the future,
we ought to see that 1t Is Christian not
merely in sentiment, notonly in history,
but also 10 fact.
Einally;if such are our obligations
TO the Gospel, how deep should be
our gratitude, and how lively the song
OF thanksgiving, with which we this day
recognize and record the multitude OF
our morcies bestowed SO freely all along
the line Of our national history. AS we
set up in conspicuous places the statues
Of heroes and patriots who have de.
served we'll Of their country, thus up
holding their memory and melting 9th.
orc TO imitation, so should we, as it
were, in the Hottest, securest apart.
menta Of the soul, erect mementocs Of
the gracious dealings OF Providence, that
our spirits, surveying these records Of
mercies, may be kept always attunod to
praise. For such hallowed %momentoes,