Middletown transcript., 1895-06-08
MEMORIAL DAY SERMON.

Rev. l. L. Wood, pastor of the M. E
! Church, of Middletown, preached th
annual sermon to the members of th'
Grand Army, on Sunday evening, MAJ
, 26. His theme was ''Some Striking
National characteristics" taking fol
his text, Psa. 1915. The following i;
a brief outline of the sermon:
When David looked out on he vine.
clad bills and well-watered valleys of
Pales; inc, he said, "The lines have
fallen unto me in pleasant places, |
have goodly heritage" but the eye
of David never rested on such goodly
inheritance as we possess. Moses
begged glimpse of Palestine as the
Land of Promise, but he never saw
such material wealth and social pros
perity as we see about us; we have a
goodly heritage.
L want to point out some striking
National characteristics.
First: Extent of territory: we have
vast domain; everything is on a
colossal scale; the mountains are rug
ged and lofty, the rivers are broad and
grand, 10000 miles of navigable rivers.
the valleys are rich; the prairies are
extensive, plenty of room. The en-
tire population of the United States
can be settled in the single state of
Texas and give every man, woman and
child four acres each, while the entire
population of the globe can be put in
area of the United States, giving each
individual one and a half acres of
land. Well did that shrewd and great
statesman, Gladstone, say, that we
have the natural base for the greatest
continuous empire on the face of the
globe" Bryce says, we are common
wealth of Commonwealth and a re-
public of Republics.
Second:- Wealth of resources: We
are rich, the iron and coal mines of
Pennsylvania are only touched; there
are $4,000 square miles of coal beds, |
enough to run our factories for Gen.
turies. The copper mines of the Lake
Superior region are exceedingly pro-
ductive; the Rocky Mountain regions
are stored with such wealth of gold
and silver that we have given as
much of these metals to the world |
in twenty years as all Europe gave
in one hundred years. The forests
of timber in Maine and Michigan
are dense. while the marvellous agri-
cultural resources of the South and
West are just being developed.
The Century Magazine says: GAN
tie wheat crops of this land could be
produced on the very best wheat land
of Texas after the German Empire
had been put down on it," The Phil
adelphia Ledger says: The loss result
ing to the South from war was five
thousand millions dollars, and exports
Of cotton have been sent to Europe,
after all home demands have been
supplied, amounting to more than the t
entire loss of war. 1t seems the dream
If the old Greek about a golden Hes S
Deredes where trees hung with apples s
If gold and waves washed silvery !
lands had been approximated at last. G
Third:-Another impressive feature
s the stability of the government. t
IS the rivers of fresh water do not {
hange the saltness of the sea, so the t
liverse elements which come to us b
rom other lands do not effect materi- a
lily our law and institutions. Streams l
f emigrants flow into our land on r
10Th sides, averaging about five hun "
red day through the century. Many a
re worthy citizens, and we welcome y
II such, but many come here full of S
anarchy, Niehlism and hatred to all I
aw. They have bomb in one hand |.
nd torch in the other. They would a
low our institutions into kindling O
rod and then apply the torch; but our b
overnment receives all this mass of Il
iverse elements, and some how re- "
resses them and moulds them to it's il
pirit. je
One barbarian invasion overwhelmed
he Roman Empire and enghlfed all I'll
Europe in thousand years of dalk p
ges, We have a barbarian invasion W
very year and are growing in order pl
nd sobriety and permanence. tc
Fourth:-The equality of every man P
4 the race of life. We have no hier- B
rchy of blood. No traditional aris- 81
,cracy. The highest positions are I
pen to the humblest born. The way Ire
open between the cabin and the hi
White House and merit can traverse it. d.
Burns said, "a man is a man for a. dt
lat," but it was not true that man M
rs honored for his merit, nor has that pI
me fully come yet but hold that a pi
ian is valued more highly for merit tn
Pre-, than in any other land. A cork
i'll float-if any Man has rising "l
nalities in him, he will not long be m
aneath surface. fit
The prophet lnoked forward to a day in
hen man should be ''more precious
Ian the gold of Ophir,n That time W
ems approaching.
Fifth IOne of our chief glories is =
ir M a annificant nnhlio cnhnnl cuctam