The record-union., 1897-11-26
UNITED IN THANKSGIVING.
SERVICES YESTERDAY BY THE
SEVERAL CHURCHES.
Appropriate Sermons Delivered by
Revs. Leslie r. Drake and
A. j. Sturtevant.

There was large attendance at the
Seventh-street NJ e. Church yesterday,
where nearly all the Protestant
churches united in a special ThanksglV-
ing service.
Two discourses We're delivered-one by
Rev. L. r. Drake and the other by Rev.
A j. Sturtevant. A feature of the serv-
ice was the singing by the choir of the
Sixth-street NJ. Z. Church, under the
direction of Mrs. Frances Moeller, e. w.
Littleton presiding at the organ.
DUTY OF THE HOUR"
Rev. Leslie r. Drake. pastor of the
First Christian Church, preached on the
subject of 1.-The Duty of the Hour For
Christian Citizens The text was from
IL. Samuel, xiii, 11-12. The speaker
said:
Paul tells us of many heroes IN this
eleventh chapter of Hebrews, VINO
through faith subdued Kingdoms,
wrought righteousness and stepped the
mouths of lions. There was another
whom he had in mind, whose manly
heroism shall help us solve the great
problem that interests all thoughtful
minds in this hour. The duty of the
Christian citizen. His biography Is
found among the mighty men whom
David had. The historian says he was
Shammah, the son of Agee, the Hara-
lite. He held no position of trust or
honor. Was a layman (as We would
say, and citizen. The circumstances
leading up to his notable victory for the
Lord We're very similar to our own
times. It is true that they had no rail-
roads. colleges or newspapers, neither
did they feel the merciless grip of the
heartless trust, nor did their hearts sink
within them at sight of their maiden
aunt clothed in polkadot bloomers max
ing a century run upon pneumatic tires.
Neither had their mothers become so in
Ierested in the Senatorial race that fall
they neglected to put up winter supply
of fruit.
Shammah with his fellow citizens had
gone out late that summer TO harvest a
patch of lentiles that they had sown ii.
the spring. While at this task a troop
of Philistines came dashing down upon
them and put all to flight except Sham
nah. He had grown weary of running
from their common enemy, drew his
sword, and with a cry in his heart to
God won a great victory.
Wherever one man will stop running
and take a stand for the right God will
get a victory over sin. Resist the devil
and he will flee. We need men of cour-
age as we'll as men pure in heart. Cow
ardly Christians are not the salt of the
earth. 1t took one courageous man to
save the IsraelteS. One valiant man
has even turned the tide of affairs to
the salvation of his country. The burn
ing words of Patrick Henry unsheathed
a million swords and liberated three
millions of bondmen. 1t was a slender
cord of hemp that strangled Juhn
Brown, but his standing upon the gall
lows, with upturned face in that awful
hour, awoke the sleepy North to her
sense of justice as nothing else could do
True the Northern bullets made
countless widows in Southern homes,
and there are nameless heroes sleeping
in unmarked graves on Southern battle
fields. but the metallic voice Of the auc-
tioneer is silenced forever in the slave
Ioarket.
God is Just as anxious to-day to get
brave soul to take a stand for the hope of
the world as He ever was. The bugie call
to duty sounds without. The duty of
the hour is the redemption of the world.
The Church of Christ has failed to
grasp the method of Christ. The church
has sought the deliverance of men pure
" through spiritual means. 1t has gone
forth with prayer, song and scripture,
all of which are necessary, but 1t mas
failed to take the power that multiplied