Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-08-07
B. C. BUTTON. .
CHRISTIAN CITIZENSH

Sunday evening, July 26, Rev. w. f.
Jones preached an able and scholarly
sermon Oh the subject of christian
citizenship from which we make the
following excerpts, regreting that lack
of space prevents US from publishing the
sermon III full Mr.. Jones said:
christian Citizenship is the need of
the hour III our land, since the state can
be no better than the citizens who COM
pose it. \ people without righteousness
at the core of their individual lives can
never make a strong nation, with any
promise of perpetuity. 1t is IA simple
and everlasting law of moral life that
the stream cannot rise above the fount-
ain. Christian citizens alone can make
a righteous nation, and a righteous ma
ton alone has any promise of perpetuity
A nation is never strong nor safe whose
people sever their obligations as Christ
ians from their obligations as citizens.
Christian Citizenship is the need of
the hour in our land, since it is true to-
day, as ever, that religion is essential to
the fullest life of the nation, 1t is fa-
miliar remark of De Tocqueville that a
despotism may govern without faith,
but a republic cannot The peril of the
hour for our nation is the attempted
divorce of public affairs from the control
of the Gospel There is no form of
government under which the necessity
more plainly exists for being right
There is imperative need that its policies
be in accordance with eternal truth,
with justice to all persons, and with
righteousness i'll the relations it estab-
fishes between classes, as employer and
employed, rich and poor, capital and
labor.
Christian Citizenship is the need of
the hour in our land since Christian
Citizenship means righteous citizenship,
intelligent citizenship unseltish citizen
ship. To be citizen means vastly
more than TO reside within the bounds
of the state and to comply with the con-
ventional decencies Of civilization.
Christian citizenship is determinative
of the convictions and character. 1t inn
plies degree of intelligence and of act
i've sympathy with the principles upon
which the government is organized. 1t
insures the participation of the citizen
in all those forms whereby the govern
ment is administered, from the caucus
TO the ballot box. The Christian citizen
will not stand aloof from those local
meetings and movements which are the
fountains of all democratic power
Neither business nor pleasure, nor uncon-
Germ, nor disgust at vulgar proceedings,
nor any other cause can release the
Christian citizen from the discharge of
the primary duties which attend the
right of suffrage. The Christian citizen
will too thoroughly appreciate his re-
sponsibility to thus hand over the reins
of rule or misrule into the fingers of job
bers and charlatans. There is needed
an added emphasis in our land upon the
duty of individual faithfulness i'll the
discharge of the duties of citizenship.
In the present crisis, when grave moral
issues are involved in the platforms of
parties, when the national honor is in
question, there needs an arousing of the
public conscience, the cultivation of a
higher patriotism, the inculcation of the
eternal principles of righteousness, com
pliance with which is the sole revealed
condition of the eternal life of nations
as well as of individuals. National
safety is as dependent on strictness of
moral life as is individual safety.
Christian Citizenship is the need of
the hour in our land, since it is the true
foundation of national greatness. The
distinction and glory of Christian citl-