Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-02-15

city ever built since masonry rung its fist
trowel. or plumb line measured its first
wall, or royalty swung its first sccptcr,
What Jerusalem was 10 the Jewish king
dom washingtuI is to our own country
the capital, Tho place to which all tho
tribes come up. the great national heart
whose throb sends life or death through
the body polite clear out TO tho gcograph-
ical 0xtrcmitics.
What the rcsurrectcd Christ said In my
| text to his disciples when he ordered them
to start on the work of gospellzation, "be-
ginning at Jerusalem" IL seems to me
God says now In his providence To tens of
! thousands OF Christians In this city. Start
for tho evangclizaiion of America, be
| ginning at Washington. America is GO
| ing to be taken for God. II you do not be-
| lieyc It, take your hat now and leave and
| give room TO some man or woman who
does believe It. As surely as God lives,
and he Is able 10 do rs he says no will,
this country will be evangelical from tho
mouth of tho Potomac TO the mouth OF
the Oregon. from the Highlands of tho
Navesink to the Golden Horn, from Baf-
| fms hay to the gulf of Mexico, and Christ
will walk every lake, whether bcstormed
or placid, and be transngurcd on every
| IL.
they hover over groves of magnolia or
over Alaskan glacier, shall be filled with
angelic overture Of glory TO God and
good Will to men. ="
For God For Apoliyon.
Again and again does tho old book nm
nouncc that all the earth shall SEQ the sal
walton Of God, and rs the greater includes
the lesser that takes America gloriously
/
taken for God by his consccratcd people it
will bc taken for Apollyon: The forces
engaged ON both sides are SO tremendous
that it cannot he drawn battle. II is
coming. the Armagcldon, Either the
American Sabbath will perish and this
nation be handed over 20 Herods and Hill
debrands and DiOclctians and Neros of
balcful power, and Alcoholism will reign,
seated upon piled up throne Of beer barrels,
his mouth foaming with domestic and ma
tional curse and crime will lift its I'M
hindercd knife OF assassination, and rattle
keys Of worst burglary, and wave torch Of
widest coniagration. and our cities bo
turned into Sodoms. waiting for Almighty
tempests of fire and birthstone, and one
tidal wave Of abomination will surge
across the continent. or our Sabbaths will
will become apocalypiic wings Of bcncdic-
ton, and rcnitentiarics will bc abandoned
for lack Of occupants, and holiness and
happiness, twin son and daughter of heav-
en-, shall walk through the land, and
Christ reign over this nation either in
person or by agency so glorious that the
whole country will be one clear, rcsound-
| ing echo of heaven. Ii will be one or the
other BY the throne of him who liyeth
| forever and ever declare IL will be the
latter. II tho Lord will help me, as he al
ways does-blcssed be his glorious name
Il will show you how mighty work of
grace begun at Washington would have a
tendency To bring the whole continent TO
God and before this century closes.
William tho Conquercr ordered the cur
few, tho custom Of ringing the bell at
midnight, Mt which all the fires ON the
hearths were to DO banked, and all the
lights cxiinguishcd, and all the people re-
tire To their pillows. pray God that the
curfew of this century may not be sounded,
and the fires be- banked, and the lights ex-
tinguishcd as the clock strikes tho mid
night hour that divides the nineteenth
century from the twentieth century, until
this beloved land. which was 10 most of
us cradle, and which will be To most of
us grave, shall come into the full posses
sion OF him who Is - glorious that Will
liam the Conqucror could not bc compared
10 him, even tho One who rideth forth
"conquering and TO conquer
A Battle For Souls.
Why would it be especially advantageous
II mighty work of grace started here,
"beginning at Washingtoh:" First, be-
cause this city Is ON the border between
the north and the south. IL Is neither
northern nor southern. II commingles
the two climates. II brings together tho
two styles OF population. Ii Is not only
right, but beautiful, that people should
have especial love for the latitude where
they were born and brought up. With
what loving acccntuation the Alabamian
speaks Of his orange groves. And the
man from Massachusetts, Is sure To let you
know that he comes from the land of tho
Adamscs-Samuel and John and John
Quincy. Did you ever know Nirginian
ar Ohioan whose face did not brighten
when he announced himself from the
southern or northern state of prcsidcntsg
II n man docs not like his native CLINE, il
Is because while he lived there he did not
behave well. This capital stands where,
by its locality. and its political influence,
north and the other toward the south, and
mighty work of grace starting hero
would probably he IA national awakening.
Georgia would clasp the hand OF New
Hampshire, and Maine the hand of Louis
lana, and California the hand of New
York, and say, Come, let us 90 up and
worship the God of nations, tho Christ Of
Golgotha, the Holy Ghost Of the pente-
al fhnNeunHS In huc f.ff
been said that the only way the north and
the south will be brought into complete
accord Is To have war with some foreign
nation, In which both sections, marching
side by side, would forget everything but
the foe TO be overcome. Well, II you wait
for such foreign conflict, you will wait
until all this generation is dead, and per-
haps walt forever. The war that will
make the sections forget past controversies
Is n war against unrightcousness, such rs
u universal religious awakening would
declare. What we want Is lattle for
souls, In which about 40, 900, 900 northern
ers and southcrncrs shall he on the Same
Side and shoulder To shoulder. In no other
city on the continent can such a war be
declared so appropriately, for all the other
great cities are either northern or south
ern. This Is neither, or rather 1t Is both.
One soul Worth More Than Another.
Again. IL would be especially advanta-
gcous II mighty work of grace started
here because more representative men arc
in Washington than in any other city be-
tween the oceans. OF course there are ac-
cidents in politics. and occasionally there
are men who get into the senate and house
Of representatives and other important
places who are fitted for the positions in
neither head nor heart, but this Is cxccp-
tional and more exceptional now than in
other days. There Is not drunkard in
the national legislature although there
were times when Kentucky, Virginia,
Delaware, Illinois, New York and Massa-
chusets had men In senate or house Of
representatives who went maudlin and
staggering drunk across those high places.
Never nobler group Of men sat In senate
or house Of representatives than sat there
yesterday and will sit there tomorrow,
while this highest judiciary, without ex.
ccption, has now upon its bench men be-
yUnd criticism for good morals and mental
official position, with here and there an
exception, nre today the brainiest men and
most honorable men Of America. Now.
suppose the Holy Ghost power should fall
upon this city and these men from all
parts Of America should suddenly become
pronounced for Christ DO you say the
effect would be electrical? More than that.
II would be omnipotentl DO you say that
such learned and potent men nre not
wruuuhf unon hv rpiigiottc infiuapcc2 That