The Penn's Grove record., 1897-04-16

than the Israelitish nation on the banks oil
the Rel Sea, the rafting shields n the
Gathering hoofs Of an overwhelming host
close after them. An army could just as
easily wade through the Atlantic Ocean from
New York to Liverpool as the Israelitee
could have waded through the Red Sea. You
need to sail on Its water to realize big
II is, How WINS the crossing effected2 By
prayer. Exodus XIV. is: .And the Lord
snid unto Moses: Wherefore criest thou
unto Me2 Speak unto the children OF Israel,
that they go forward'-that is. ..Stop pray
ing and take the answer" And then the
water began to be agitated and swung this
way and that way, and the ripple became a
billow, AID the billow climbed other pillows.
md now they rise into walls Of sapphire, and
invisible trowels mason them into firmness,
and the walls become like mountains, topped
and turreted and domed with crags OF crys-
tai, and God throws M invisible chain
around the feet of those mountains, 80 that
they are obligeIto stand still, md there,
right before the Israelitish army, is a turn
pike road, with all the emerald gates swung
wide open. The passing host did not even
get Their feet wet. They passed dry shot,
the bottom OF the sea as hard as the pave
ment OF Pennsylvania avenue to New York's
Broadway or London's Strand. Oh, what a
God they had! 0rI think l will change that
and say, "What a God we have"
What power puts 1t hands upon nstron-
omy In Joshua's ttmo and made the sun and
moon stand still? Joshua X, IL, "Tlen spoke
Joshua unto the Lord" Prayer As q giant
will taketwo or -four great globes, an In as
founding way swing them this way or that,
or hold two OF them at arms length, SO the
Omnipotent does as He will with the great
orbs OF worlds, with wheeling consultations
and circling galaxtes, swinging easily star
around star, star tossed after star, or sun
and moon held out ut arms length and per-
fectly still, as In answer to Joshua's prayer.
To God the largest world Is a pebble.
Another reason why we should obey the
Pauline injunction OF the text and pray for
all that are in authority Is that 30 very
are involved in their doings, A selfish rea-
son, you say. Yes, but q righteous solflsh-
ness, like that which leads you to take care
of your own health and preserve your
own life. Prosperous government means a
prosperous people. Damaged government
means Il damaged people. We all go. up
together, or we all go down together.
When we pray for our rulers, we pray for
ourselves, for our homes, for the easier gain
ing OF a livelihood, for better prospects for
our children, for the burning of these hard
times so far down the embankment they can
never climb up agaiu. Do not look at any
thing that pertains to public interest as hav.
ing no relation to yourself. We are touched
by ail the events In our national history, by
the signing OF the compact in the cabin OF
the Mayflower. by the small ship, tho Halt
Moon. sailing up the Hudson; by the treaty
of William Penn, by the hand that made the
"Liberty belr' sound Its first stroke, by Old
Ironsides blowing the high seas, and, II
touched by all the events OF pnst America, GER
tatnly by all the events OF the present day.
Every prayer you make for our rulers, II the
prayer be OF the right stamp and worth any
thing, has a rebound of ~benediction for your
own body, mind and soul.
49,. - -. l~-k
Is that the prosperity Of this country IL COM
ing, and we want a hand in helping on Its
coming. At any rate 1 do. 1t is a matter of
honest satisfaction TO a soldier, after some
great battle has been fought and some great
victory won, to be able to say. "Yes, l was
there. I was in the brigade that stormed
those heights. was in that bayonet charge
that put the enemy to flight" We'll. the day
will come when all the financial, political
and moral foes of this republic will be driven
back and driven down by the properties
that are now on their way, but which come
with slow tread and In "fatigue dress" when
We want them to take 'the double quick"
By our prayers we may stand on the noun
tain top and beckoh them on and show them
a shorter cut. Yea, In answer to our pray
ers the Lord God of Hosts may from the high
heavens command them forward, swifter
than Mounted troops ever took the field at
Eyiau or Austerlitz.
III lOfz aOtiHuu WIS hSSAli6u. l1er peOpi6
prayed nightly. The ships OF her enemies
waited for the high tides on which to come
in. In answer to the prayers offered the
tide, as never before, was detained twelve
hours, and before that twelve hours had
passed a hurricane swooped upon the
enemies ships and destroyed them, and
Holland was saved II God detained the
high tide In answer to prayer, will He not
hasten 1t IN answer to prayer? Surely 1t
has been low tide long enough. May the
Lord hasten the high tide OF national well
fare American citizens, our best hold Is on
Col. We rave all seen families In prayer
and churches In prayer. What we want
yet to see Is this whole Nation on its knees.
The most OF them are ~dead-those who in
1851 moved IN that procession that marched
from the city hall of Wash ington down
Louisiana avenue to Seventh street and then
through Pennsylvania avenue to the north
gate Of yonder Capitol to lay the cornerstone
of the extension of that Capitol. The presi-
dent who that day presided and soiemnly
struck hat stone three times in dedication
long 6 quit earthly scenes. and the lips of
the grea. orator OF that hour are dust, and
the grand master of that occasion long q
put Town the square and the level and the
plumb with which for tho last time he pro-
nounced a cornerstone well laid. But what
most interests me now is that inside that
cornerstone, in a glass Jar, Theoretically
sealed, is a document of national import,
though in poor penmanshIp. 1t is the PEN
ma nship OF Daniel Webster, which almost
ruined the ~penmanship OF this country for
many years, because many thought II they
had Daniel Webster's poor penmanship 1t
might indicate they had Webster's genius.
The document reads as follows:
.If 1t shall hereafter be the will OF God
that this structure shall fall from its base,
that Its foundation be upturnei and this de-
post be brought to the eyes OF men, be II
| Than brAxr.,, that an thfc dax, tho Natfnp ~
the United States OF America stands firm;
that their constitution still exists unim-
paired aud with all its original usefulness
and glory, growing every day stronger and
stronger In the affection OF tho great body OF
the American people and attracting, more
and more the admiration of the world, and
all here assembled, whether belonging TO
public lilo or to private life, with hearts de-
vourly thankful to Almighty God for the
preservation of the liberty and the happi-
ness OF the country, unite in sincere q
fervent prayers that this deposit and the
walls and arches, the domes and towers, the
columns and entablatures now to be erected
over 1t may endure forever. God save the
United States of Americal Daniel Webster,
Secretary Of State OF the United States"
That was beautiful and appropriate at the
laying OF the cornerstone OF the extension Of
the Capitol 1fiy-eight years after the corner
stone OF the old Capitol hnd been latd. Yet
4 "a SOLatAFAOAo VI oaA SBtoh oS $500
laid in 1776 and at the re-establishment Of
our National Government was laid again in
1865. But are we not ready for the laying
OF the cornerstone OF a broader and higher
National life? We have rs q Nation received
so much from God. Do we not owe new
consecrntion2 Are We not really to become
u better Sabbath-keeplng, peace-loylng yir-
Woodworking, God-wershlping Nation2 Arc
we not ready for such a cornerstone laying2
Why not now let 1t take placer With long
procession OF prayers, moving from the north
and the south, the east and the west, let the
scene be made august beyond comparison.
n prayer that the great e~xpounter wrote
TO DO put in the cornerstone at the extension
oil the Capitol / calculate as our own suppli-
cation, ''God save the United States OF
America" only adding the words with which
Robert South was apt to Gloss his sermons,
whether delivered before the Court at
Christ-Church chapel or in Westminster
Abbey, at anniversary OF restoration OF OIL.
yer Cromwell amid the worst tempest that
ever swept over England: ITO God be rem
dered and ascribed. as Is most due, all praise,
might, majesty and dominion, both now and
forever. Amen"