The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-11-26

| con these words: LET Glasgow flourish by
the preaching of the Word" but after q
while the latter part of the sentence was cut
off, and today we read only the meaning
less wish: "Let Glasgow flourish" So our
| fathers laid the foundations of Christian
commonwealth, saying. LET US build up
nation on the Word of God" Today let us
not forget 1t and be pulled up with the pros.
perity of q material success, with no fear of
God In the midst of 1t.
f, We do not claim that America Is para
disc. We do not forget the dangers that
| threaten us as q nation. We are not I'M
mindful of the tide of infidelity that pours
| In upon us from other lands. The enemy
has been abroad in our land we have been
careless, Indifferent; we have allowed and
encouraged by our silence pus sacks to grow
upon our body polite, until they have burst
and our land filled with gall and NORWOOD.
Here in the land we love so we'll, the enemy
| of our cherished liberties, of our govern
ment, of our schools, OF our churches, of
our homes. of our Christ of our God and of
all righteousness, Is seeking to intrench
himself, that he may overthrow the repub-
| lie and add 1t to the long list of ruined ma
lions who have forgotten God. And we
have been hearing from him lately, and we
have great reasons to thank Him for the
very hardness of the times from which we
have suffered. 1t Is a good thing to be put
upon short rati0ns now and then, or we
would all die of fatty degeneration. 1t Is
good thing for dropsical body to be tapped,
and we have been tapped until we have
fairly shriveled. 1t was good thing for
the prodigal to be brought to want, and IL
he bad not been brought to want he would
not have been brought to his fathers house.
l honestly believe that these hard times that
we have been passing through are going to
be good times for the church of Jesus Christ.
We have been running SO fast we have lost
our breath, and lost our heads, and lost our
hearts, and nearly lost our religion. We
haven't had time for the prayer room, for
the Sunday school, nor for our Bibles, so
eagerly have we been after the golden calf.
i am not fool enough to believe or think
that there are not some methods of political
economy that are better than others, and
there is great deal of narrowness and nom
sense in many of the devices that have been
proposed; but do say this, that there'will
never be permanent prosperity in America
until the people reverently recognize their
obligations to Almighty God.
You know how 1t was in the civil war.
You tried almost everything. You tried
changing your tactics, and changing your
generals, and every form of compromise,
and yet you had disaster upon disaster, and |
you never made substantial Roadway, until |
you did what was right in Gods sight, and |
Abraham Lincoln, at the nations dictation, |
wrote the proclamation of emancipation,
and then came Gettysburg and Appomattox. |
don know how 1t may be with you, my |
hearers, but this is the kind of teaching that
have been brought up under, and l have
no reason whatever for turning from 1t In |
the least, that God Is God of infiexible |
righteousness and holiness, who will not al |
low sin TO go unpublished, whether 1t is in
you, me, or the nation. While on the other
hand, IL a mans ways please the Lord, He
maketh even his enemies to be at peace with
him, righteousness eXalteth nation,
but sin is reproach to any people," More
than the tariff, more than free silver, more
than all things else, our prosperity depends
upon Gods favor. l insist upon 1t that as
a matter of financial result as matter of
political economy, it pays to serve the Lord.
And even though an avalanche OF wick
edness has come upon us, Il believe our
Christ will yet climb to the top of 1t and
melt 1t away with His burning, infinite love.
Even calamities are overruled for good. 1t
is generally after q great conhagration that
the fire department Is improved. Our liber-
ty-loving people are extremely conservative,
and are not aroused until the fifty ninth
minute of the eleventh hour; but when full
ly stirred up they will act in the strength OF
giants and follow the highest wisdom.
In the darkest hour Of the Reformation,
Luther said to Melancthon, "Come, Philip.
let us sing" and the hymn they sang may
we'll voice our danger, our comfort, and our
duty:
"A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing.
And though this world with devils filled
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through u.s."
We cannot forget that there are some sad,
troubled hearts here today. Oh, no indeed.
For we know too we'll how life's roses have
thorns and life's music its undertOnes. Your
garden of life has been darkened like Geth-
semane, your stream of joy has been embit-
tered like Marah. And as you gather
around the hearthstone today you will miss
the loved one taken from you the past year,
and be led to ask "How can give thanks?"
But remember the faithfulness of God In
sparing you many friends and blessings.
The sunshine may have faded away from
your path and home, but may this inner
sunshine cheer you: "G0d makes no mis- |
takes" Our Affections point us to our
homes over there, where there will be by
and by happier reunions than we will ex-
perience in any of our homes today. Then
may you, though with trembling lips in s0r-
row sing out the old notes of David's song,