The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-24
DAY or PATRIOTIC SERVICE
Rev Dr. McLeod's Sermon Tonight n
Plain and Important Lesson in tho
Example OF the Nations Builders.
Salvation of the Country.


church, Rev. John Griffith lectured in
the evening on What and How Did
Read"
Rev. +. =. Doty, of the Hampton
Street Methodist church, preached in
the evening on THE Ideal Patriot and
Statesman"
Patriotism was the evening tonic
Of Rev. William Edgar, of the Provi-
dcnce Methodist church.
In the Simpson Methodist church, the
evening service was given before the
Patriotic Order Sons of America.
Five national hymns, which had been
printed with music and words and dis
tributed among the congregation were
sung during the evening service In the
Providence Presbyterian church, Rev.
George IL. Guild. pastor. The seleo-
tions were as follows: Hail Column
bia,' Red, White and Blue" Battle
Hymn of the Republic THE Star
Spangled Banner" and america"
one of the many patriotic sermons
Of the day, and one teaching Il plain
and important lesson was that of Rev.
DR.. James Mcleod, in the First PresbX-
terian church. His text was'l Samuel,
XXI, 3: There is none like that: give
1t me-" During his discourse he said:
When King David used the words in the
text he was in sorry plight He had
played the fool. RE had lost the begin
ming OF his confidence. lie had acted
!. most unworthy part But he needed.
just then. to be checred, encouraged,
strengthened and reminded of his former
fidelity and of his present weakness ana
departure from God. and he got what he
needed The sight of Goliath's sword did
him good. IL Sladdened both his eyes and
his heart. The whole story is suggestive.
That sword meant great deal TO David.
1t meant II great deal to Ablmalech. 1t
meant great deal to Israel. 1t was u
sacred treasure. 1t was laid up in Gods
tabernacle as a memorial of the Divine
goodness. 1t had a national significance.
The church of Christ has many such
swords, mctaphorically speaking. They are
so many pledges of Gods favor, and they
have often acted as a stimulant to right
eous action and to deeds of bravery. our
nation has many such swords. The land
ing of the Pilgrims. the bravery of the col
onists, the Declaration of Independence,
the Birthday of Washington, the Ernanci-
patton Iroclama tion, ought to act upon
our nation as the sight of Goliath's sword
acted upon David. The memories which
cluster around these and other periods
of our history ought TO be sacred and
encouraging to all the people.
1t is well to recall the former days and
to think of those to whom, under God,
we owe our goodly heritage. Their vie
tories over the giants who detied them
was rs complete as that of David over
Goliath.
suffered for the COumtry's Sake.
our fathers eNpatriated themselves for
conscence's sake. They established ma
tion whore the rights of conscience are
respected and where all reasonable liberty
is tolerated. They We're as patriotic as
they were piouS. They feared the Lord
more than they feared the king. We can
not endorse all the acts of the Puritans
and of the Colonists and more than Israel
an ~
they were right in the main. They are
to be judged by their own time and judged
by that standard they tower above their
age as Saul above the hosts OF Israel;
They loved liberty more than they loved
life and they were bound to have IT at
any cost consistent with truth and right
eousness. They were honest. Ihey We're
sincere. They Were devout. They were
with great bravery, and like the
sons of God. They built better
than they knew. They hoped for the best
and their best hopes have been ,more
than realized.
our fathers fought and bled and died to
achieve our Independence. Our fathers
formulated the doctrine that 'all men are
born free and equal" That is "a grand
sword with which to fight for human
rights. Our fathers formulated the sub
lime political axiom that governments
derive their just powers from the consent
of the governed That axiom is the
death-bloW to the absurd dogma concern
the divine right of kings.
These are trophies preserved in our ma
tional sanctuary, and IL would be well
if we would glance at them more fire..
quently.
David was reminded by the sword of
Goliath that his victory was not wholly
his own, but that the hand of God was
in it. 1t was the Lord who delivered him
out of the hand of the Philistine. Even
SO, it would be q great mistake to sup
pose that God has had nothing to do with
our national victories. 1t would be folly
to ignore the fact that God has had some
thing to do with the shaping of our repub-
lie.
II was not by accident that our fathers
came to these shores, nor was II by ac-
cident that the Declaration of Independ-
ence was formulated and promulgated. It
was no accident that raised up Washing
ton and Jefferson and Adams. and Web
Ster and Clay and Lincoln and Grant and
sherman. and made them the leaders of
public opinion and the commanders of vic
torious armies. 1t was no accident that
gave to millions of slaves their free
dom and that shivered into atoms the
chains with which they were bound. 1t
was no accident that led to the loss of 8,
much human life and so much treasure
during our terrible fratricidal war. NO;
Gods hand was in all this, as truly as in
Davids victory over Goliath: as truly
as when the Israelites were rescued from
Egyptian bondage.
It is not unusual, In some quarters, to
sneer at the Puritans. But the Puritans
and Pilgrims believe in the making and
in the administration of righteous law
They We're betimes a little severe, as we
think in their family government. But
they taught their children to respect law
full authority. The education they gave
them put a bond upon their conscience
They trained them up TO God-fearing
sturdy. honest. patriotic men and women
They could not be bought-at the polls
or elsewhere. They had respect for the
sanctity of an oath. They lived and la
bored so that they have left behind them
something the world will not Willingly let
die. The Father of his County said that
respect for law and for religious prin-
ciple is necessary to the safety of the
state And a greater than Washington
said that the nation that will not serve
God will perish. We have but TO recall
the past in order to see how The great
tidal waves of retributon have over
whelmed every nation that forgot the
eternal distinction between right and
wrong.
God Has Not Forsakou.
There is no reason for gloomy forebod-
ing. God has not forsaken us. Among
our people there is more purely than cor
more law-keepers than law-breakers.
more who live modestly than those who
live eXtravagantly. Our government
both state and national-is for the most
part IN tne nanuS Oh cdpdDle, HOleSl anu
upright men. The Bible Is still our one
ma tional book. Its holy laws and lessons
are learned by millions of one faith. This
is our nations hope and strength. Here,
too. lies the great work OF the church:
She must scatter broadcast the seeds OF
truth over our hills and valleys. In our
cities and villages. in mansions and cot
tages. among the rich and the poor. north.
ard south. east and west. among the
white and the black. 1t must be sown
in faith and watered with tears and pray
ers. for the glorious Gospel of Christ--ts
hearty belief and its constant practice
is the only salvation of the nation. even
as 1t Is the only salvation of the individ-
ua1. There Is no sword like that. Let all