The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-30

Is preserved 10TH Vi government
when the rights OF every citizen are Sc
cured as far as they can by any human
institution. a form of government that
the world honors and looks up to In times
acknowledging that America Is the moth
er OF the new world and that It Is the
power that will sway the scepter Of justice
and liberty. and place all men ON the same
platform as brothers. Consider now
great, ETC."
GOD HEARS PRAYER.
Last spring when the dark clouds OF
war hovered over our country, and threat
sned disaster. destitution and death on
every hand when the two greatest natlGhS
on earth seemed to array themselves ,hr,ssna woa
for innocent blood: when the groan'nss
of mothers for their sons. and children ior
their parents. in the lone hours OF the
night ascended to heaven In behalf Oh their
dear ones on this and on the othe" siae
CT the ocean to save them from the
deadly calamity. God heard their prayst,
and took compassion. and ordered soi.
breeze from His merciful chamber OF
peace to the earth to dispel the dard ana
threatening clouds: and when we awoke
in the morning from war-fearing SUM,
Der. We saw that the Angel OF Light hsd
been ministering, and had illuniinel the
face of the American press with clear
blue sky which fore an ensign OF Divine
Protection, written in letters OF light.
Peace be- unto YOU Consider now
Besides giving us divine protection. hon-
or, peace. wisdom ana mighty po"tr
and valour among all the nations OF the
earth, He has caused nature TO proNlne
for man and beast. When the face OF the
heavens might have been as iron and the
earth as brass through intense heat. eA-
cessive rains might have destroyed me
rpening of the corn thus depriving us
of an ingathering. But it has not been
So The Lord has been merciful. He has
done great things for US. He has given
sunshine and rain In their season and we
the land ever produced. The earth mas
yielded both her fruits. the valleys nave
stood thick with tinted corn, and have
filled our granaries.
The Lord has kept calamity and pesti-
lencc far from us and while famine and
destitution is raging in some parts u the
earth: while the craving groans of munger
dren in distress rending the air. our barns
are full of wheat, I'VE have been fed with
the finest of wheat" and with honey out
of the rock He hath satisfied us. He has
crowned the year with His goodness and
His paths drop fatness. And America
above all nations can praise God for this
goodness and mercy, for He hath more
than filled our barns. and enabled US as
a nation to stand by the destitute Of other
countries In the hour Of distress and af.
Fiction and cause them to rejoice and
feast on the fat Of our land! "The Lord
hath provided for the poor; ;"no Consider cor
and let every man, woman and child on
this praise-giving day life up their eyes
to heaven and exclaim with David. BLESS
the Lord. oh my soul and all that Is with
in me bless His holy name"
THE CHURCH IS POWERFUL.
Let us consider how great things He
hath done for us as churches. Never in
the history Of the world has the church
been more powerful, more influential.
more faithful more prosperous, today she
is marching forward as one body. ermly
united against all sin and unrighteots-
country In which a few centuries back
there existed none but the most blin led
pagans. bowling down to stocks and stones;
but when the few pilgrim fathers and
mothers with God-fearing hearts landed
on American SOIL they unfurled the red
banner of the cross and hoisted 1t up to
the four winds Of heaven, and drove the
stakes of Gods temple so deep with the
hammers of faith that the gates of hell
cannot prevail against it," and today the
church Of God stands firmer than ever.
defying all the powers of the bOttomless
pit, and at the same time showering her
blessings into every home in the land.
God was with them, and they were with
God. the secret of their success which We
today enjoy lay in the fact that they were
manded the children of Israel on entering
into the promised land to destroy all the
altars of the strange Gods, these good
anu SOu-ledTlnS people LOOK tnc UlUt,
and with one great effort, and victorious
sweep in Gods name they utterly de
stroyed all the places wherein the people
served their Gods, upon the high noun
TAIN and upon the hills, and und'Q every
green tree. They overthrow their altars,
brolde their pillars. and burned their
groves with fire and utterly destroyed
the names of them out Of the land, and
of those Cody pioneers has spread Ike
wild fire over the continent. Great light
arose to those who sat In darkness.
THE PAGAN ENLIGHTENED.
Justice and liberty unfurled their harsl
ners. and the pagan was led from bowling
to wood and stone, to serve the true ana
living God. until the story of the cross
has been carried from America to Africa.
India. China and Japan, and to the re-
motest parts of the earth. and upon our
banners is written in letters Of love aud
light. I'm God we trust until the ma
our faith in God. and that the Lord Of
hosts Is with us, and that the God OF
Jacob lis Americas refuge"
Consider how great things the Lord
praise unto Him, for He hath established
His kingdom among us and gathered into
His fold the outcasts Of all the nations.
What q motive to gratitude, when we can
temples of the living God raising high
their steeples into the heavens to be
kissed by the morning sun. and Tanned
by the soft breezes. testifying that the
Lord Is God indeed and that He is a God
among His people. United together TN
this hour of praise the bells of Gods tenn
pies peal forth their anthems OF praise
unto the Most High God while at the same
time calling on all the people to come AMI
give thanks and sing praises unto His
Holy Name, for all the blessings He hath
bestowed upon us. What motive to
gratitude when We think of the poor
tortured to death, for proclaiming their
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ while We
are left unmolested, while We enjoy that
tn our how O
etc. etc. !" 'O' way "S''e' III" s'e"''
THE COMMUNITY IS BLESSED.
Let US consider in the third place how
community. We, as community, have
been wonderfully blessed. The Lord has
been good unto us and We can afford to
say with Samuel: Hitherto hath the Lord
helped US" We can with less difficulty
number the stars in the heavens than the
blessing we receive from Him. Most ev-
cry day as We read our morning papers We
see where cities, towns and villages have
been visited by storms, cyclones, floods
and fires. sinking mines, hard earned prop
erty in floods and flames. destruction on
every hand. While hundreds Of souls are
swept into eternity without a moments
etc" What a motive to gratitude. In
other parts not far from us We read CT
trolley cars crashing together and crush
ing the lives out Of men, railroad cars
wrecked. bridges giving away, murders
committed and human lives lost, and with
in the last few weeks the sad calamities
in Dickson. Pittston and Wilkes Barre.
where the deadly gas exploded and swept
in a deathly wave through the bowels of
the earth, burying fathers and sons In
the debris. leaving scores Of widows and
loss Of their dear ones. What a motive
to gratitude when the elements have been
working destruction on every hand, we
have been sheltered by the Almighty.
Truly the Lord hath been good to us.