The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-05-31
OUR LAND AND NATION
ITS PAST, ITS PRESENT, AND ITS
 FUTURE WELF4RE.

W N"" ou' A'hH ohouau
 and Arbitration-The Duty of the Citi-
 zens of the Republic-Sermon at Ep-
 worth M. E. Church by Rev. E. M. ripple
 Yesterday.
 Rev. Bertrand M. ripple, pastor of the EpWorth M. E. church, delivered an eloquent discourse before a large con- gregation at Epworth church yesterday morning, subject: America on Times Horizon"
 The pastor is awakening great inter- est at Epworth church, and his ad- dresses are clothed with vigor and power. The sermon yesterday touched upon topics of national interest and is as follows:
 So Joshua took the whole land ac- cording to all that the Lord said unto Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inner itance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes And the land rested from war. Joshua xxi, 23:
 'Longfellow says that in ancient times there stood in the citadel of Athens three statues of Minerva. The first was of olive wood and according to popular tradition had fallen from heaven. The second was of bronze, commemorating the victory of Nara thon, and the third of gold and ivory, a great miracle of art in the age of Pericles. And thus in the citadel of iYooa eto le l, Ir aI,i shape of soft and delicate wood, just fallen from heaven; in manhood g. statue of bronze, ,commemonting strug- gle and victory, and lastly, in the ma turty of age, perfectly shaped in gold and ivory-a miracle of art!' But I wish to use this figure to illustrate the history of humanity In the Garden of Eden, beautifully tender in it's fresh ness, as it comes from the hand of God. Easily impressed; easily cver- thrown; later on entering the period of struggle and warfare, and even yet fighting on, with many laurels of vic tory on the brow, and with many con- tests yet to win; by and by will come the age for which a voice in us cries out. the age of perfection, the age when We will posses the beauty of which we are capable.
 Jehovah seems to be an evolutionist In his control of mankind. l rather think history witnesses to this fact It is a well worn question of debate in all youthful societies ambitious to develop modern Websters and Calhouns, whether or no the world is growing better. Yet I believe there can be no gainsaying this that man to-day is far superior to man in the days of the Pharaoh's, in the days of Israel's bond age There are nations now as far in advance of Egyptian dynasties as steam Is in advance of sail, as electric ity in advance of horse power, as mono- theism in advance of polytheism. There appears to be in the mind of God an ideal man, an ideal nation an ideal social life towards which He Is grad ually drawing us
 ITO that end He selects certain in- dividuals for certain great works. There was Moses with the task to instruct and to lead the chosen race to Canaan's s border land. Joshua was brought forth to take the promised inheritance.
 Jeremiah and Ezekiel came at Gods call to rebuke, exhort and promise. All the while Jehovah was training the Jews to higher conception of life and religion. Look at Socrates, feeble flame in a midnight sky. Yet the di- vine hand was moving his heart for a purpose
 God, moreover chooses His nations to carry on this work of evolution and drops them only when they fail to re- spond for the development of His plans
 'It took the Egyptians quite a time to show the world that religion of many gods is a failure. Abraham's de- scendants were to play a great part; they partially fulfilled their destiny but after all, failed in the realizing of their glorious calling because they re- fused Gods leadership. The Athenians once the proud rulers of the earth demonstrated the impotency of pagan culture and they lost the opportunity for high possibilities when Paul was driven from Mars Hill Rome tried the life sustaining power of mind and matter and came out of the trial with the recommendation of suicide to cure the misfortunes of living And when at last she accepted Christianity she was found wanting by the Master inas- much as she took the letter without the spirit. God chose the kingdoms of the middle ages and we mark their downfall through the attempt to smother religion in cells and dungeons.
 "The divine hand reached out to take England And how well has Great Britain labored in the work of higher education. And once upon a time the mighty king of the heavens put it in the heart of Columbus to sail out into unknown wa ters, and To! America. I believe that Gods hand Is over America. I believe He has chosen this people to bring man near. ah. perhaps into the reality of the ideal which is pictured in the divine mind.
 Now, every life has consciously or unconsciously pattern after which it is shaping itself Every person has a God at whose shrine he worships Ev- cry nation recognizes some divinity some unseen limitless power. And as the connection between a people and their God becomes more marked, as the Jehovah of that nation appears more and more prominent, the ideal of the nation is apparent. That is, every God has his own definition of perfection. his own estimate of perfection, and as the ,fa 4rT