The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1896-02-21
Capital

AXA[5 EsoA the carriage t
ON ESJ " catch the frs
SEIsglsM glimpse of Jerusa
3hl@GS lem, so long tn
aASGSSb9 joy of the who'll
dA8 = earth. That city
WS %coronetted will
temple and palac.
and radiant, whether looked up at from
the valley Of Jehoshaphat or gazed a
from adjoining hills, was the capita
OF a great nation. Clouds of incense
had lowered over it. Chariots Of kings
mad rolled through it. Battering-rams
OF enemies had Numbered against it
There Isaiah prophesied. and jeremiah
lamented. and David reigned. and Pau
preached, and Christ was martyred
Most interesting city ever built since
masonry rung its first trowel, or plumb
lire measured its first wall, or royalty
swung its first. scepter. What Jerusa-
lem was to the Jewish kingdom, Wash
lngton is to our own c~ountry-the CAPT.
tai, the place to which all the tribes
come up, the great national heart whose
throb sends life or death through the
body polite, clear out to the geographic
cal eXtremities.
What the resurrected Christ said in
my text to his disciples, when he Or
dered them to start on the work of Cos
p~elization, "beginning at Jerusalem" it
seems to me God says now, in his Prov
idence, to tens of thousands of Chris
tians in this city. Start for the evan
g~elization of America, beginning at
Washington" America is going to be
taken for God. If you do not believe
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 to do as he says he will,
this country will be evangelical from
the mouth of the Potomac to the mouth
Of the Oregon, from the Highlands of
the Neversink to the Golden Horn,
from Bafin's Bay to the Gulf of Mex
leo, and Christ will walk every lake,
whether bestormed or placid, and be
TRANSPORTED on every mountain, and
the night skies, whether they hover
over groves of magnolia or over Alas
kan glacier, shall be filled with angelic
overture of GLORY to God and goodwill
to men,"
Again and again does the old Book
announce that all the earth shall see the
salvation Of God, and as the greater in
cludes the lesser, that takes America
gloriously in. Can you not see that if
America Is not taken for God by his
consecrated people. it will be taken for
Apollyon! The forces engaged on
both sides are so tremendous that it
cannot be a drawn battle. It IS CON-
ing, the Armageddon! Either the
American Sabbath will perish and this
nation be handed over to Herods, and
Hildebrands, and Diocletians, and
Neros Of baleful power, and alcoholism
will reign, seated upon piled-up throne
of beer barrels, his mouth foaming with
domestic and national curse, and crime
will lift its unhiIdered knife of assas-
sination, and rattle keys of worst bur-
glary, and wave torch OF widest confla-
grafton, and u cities be turned into
Sodoms, waiting for Almighty tempestS
Of fire and birthstone, and Il tidal
wave of abomination will surge across
the continent, or our Sabbaths will take
on more sanctity, and the newspapers
will become ap%ocalyptic wings Of bene-
diction, and penitentiaries will be aban-
doned for lack of occupants, and holi-
ness and happiness, twin son and daugh-
ter of heaven, shall walk. through the
land, and Christ reign over this ma
ton either in person or by agency so
glorious that the whole country will be
one clear, resounding echo of heaven.
It will be n or the other. By the
throne of him who liyeth forever and
ever, l declare it will be the latter. If
the Lord will help me, as he always
does-blessed be his glorious name!-
I will show you how a mighty work OF
grace begun at Washington would have
tendency to bring the whole continent
to God, and before this century closes.
Why would it be especially advan-
tageous If a mighty work of grace
here, beginning at Washing
First, because this city is on
me border between the north and south.
It is neither northern nor southern, it
ccmmingles the two climates. It
brings together the two styles OF popu-
Iation. It is not only right, but beauti-
that people should have especial
love for the latitude where they were
and brought UP. With what low
.ng accentuation the Albanian speaks
Of his orange groves. And the man
from Massachusetts is sure to let you
know that he comes from the land OF
the Adamses-Samuel, and John, and
John Quincy. Did you ever know a
Virginian or Ohioian whose face did
,ot brighten when he announced him
self from the Southern or Northern
State of Presidents? II a man does not
ike his native cline, it is because while
lived there, he did not behave we'll.
This capital stands where, by its locality
its political influence, it stretches
orth one hand toward the north and
he other toward the south, and a
work of grace starting here
would probably be a national awaken
rs. Georgia would clasp the hand OF
sew Hampshire, and Maine the hand OF
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