The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-11
4 PATRIOTIC WAR SERMON
THE PRESIDENTS PASTOR DELIv-
ERs A REMARKABLE ADDRESS.
RiPples Of Spontaneous Applause
sweep Over the Congregation A.
He Refers to the Recent Victories


services al the Metropolitan Methodist
Episcopal church. He went alone. AMI
was deeply impressed by the discourse de-
Ivered by the pastor. the Rev. Frank
Bristol. .. d. The church was crowded
long before the services began.
Dr.. Bristoi's sermon held the attention
OF his audience throughout. At times his
patriotic utteraaces that r!pples of spon-
taneous applause swept over the congre-
CATION. In part his sermon follows:
palm xcvii!:l-'Oh, sing unto the Lord
q new song. for He hath done marvellous
s aalb :oi IT,, rF f hand and HIS holy arm
The poets and heroes whose songs and
deeds made the Old time splendid were
pure enough of heart and large enough OF
brain 10 be able 10 find the Divine pathos
no accident. no fate. Law is universal.
The more scientific a people become, the
stronger viii be their belief ana trust in
Providence and the less confidence will
they have In luck. accidental clanee and
the other absurd.ties The ancients never
Dreamed that there had been provided in
gunpowder and dynamite; the possibili-
ties of a modern navy and the possibilities
or Manila and Santiago victories by which
America doth take occasion by the hand
anu make the bounds Of freedom wider
1T Is science. or knowledge. that brings
US. In touch and in alliance with provi-
asnee. The more science the more Provi-
dencs. Yes: the more science the more
good in the worlds history The providen-
tal does not always mean. or even Imply.
the miraculous. God may work His will
by the agency of the means of nature
and the thoughts of rlen. We should not
quarrel with the elegant old proposition.
The winds and the waves are always on
the side OF the ablest navigators. for the
ATTEST navigators know how 20 use the
winds and waves and are in league with
the mighty laws that govern things. God
IS on the side OF good, favoring good finan-
ciering. good politics. good gains, good
battleships, good discipline, good gener-
alship and good causes
In the olden time men and nations al
lied themselves with Providence by faith:
today men ana nations ally themselves
with Providence by knowledge. There was
a time when the people found nature III
sympathy WITH their struggles for free
dom ana the storm overthrow the Egyp-
tians IN the sea; and the sun and moon
stood still in the day OF battle TO give the
righteous cause a good chance, and the
stars In their courses fought against S!sera
Is this, then, less provident:al age than
the age OF Moses? Is the light growing
less prov!dentiai than the pillars of fire?
tai than shower of mamma? Is a South
Caronna cotton crop less providental
than the quails of the wilderness? Arc
the orange groves of California less prov
Was the discovery Of America less prov!-
Dental than the finding of Canaan? Was
the coming of the Pilgrims and Hugue-
nots less providential than the exodus OF
the children OF Israel? Was the DecIara-
ton OF Independence less provideatial than
the Decalogue of SINAI? Were The guns
OF Dewey and Sampson less providential
than the rams horns OF Joshua, The lamps
and pitchers of Gideon or the rod of No
SEES? Were Manila and Santiago less prov
idential in the history OF human freedom
than Jericho? Is Christian civilization less
providential than was Jewish barbarism?
III God ever had a peculiar people, He
mas them now; They are the product of
past. The men who stand before Santi-
ago are not the product of a day or Of a
century: they are the rich consummata
mower OF the ages. the highest evolution
OF history. They represent a manhood that
mas climbed century by century I'D the
steps of light and liberty. and now stand
In sight of the g.oritied SUBMITS of the
universal freedom and the universal broth
erhood of man. The men who offer their
iives on liberty's holy altar today caught
their inspiration from the men who fought
for their convictions IN our civil war and
those great men OF our civil war had
heard OF the revolutionary heroes and
were proud to emulate their deeds of pat
ton had inherited the spirit OF the Pill
grim Fathers. and We're determined 10
prove themselves worthy of their noble
ancestors. There is your Providence in
history. DO you look toward Manila and
Santiago and say superior guns did the
business? / say superior men stood he
Hlhu Ihe scnools. and God, the supreme,
stood behind the religion. There Is our
lesson OF Providence. The miracle work
ers today Are the educators the men and
women VINO are giving as an intellectual
mastery Of nature and armored mastery
OF ourselves; the teachers who are plac-
ing in our hands the invincsble. all-con-
querlng weapon OF truth. who are be-
slowing upon this generation the power.
the omnipotence of knowledge When We
compare our American Y per cent of H.
hteracy with Spain's Il per cent. OF iIlit-
eracy. We boldly say the school masters
won the battle OF Manila and the battle
Of Santiago. no less than the battle OF
SadoWa
We are witnessing the victories Of truth
IN passing events, il Il tgue~-the truth Of
great convictions; the tTath OF splendid
courage; the truth OF free American man
hood: the truth Of wise ana patriotic legfs-
lAtion the truth Of naval and military dis
clpine' the truth OF scientific warfare;
the truth Fof correct strategy. great acCu-
racy, perfect aim, the truth Of true hero
ism; the truth OF just cause that g
working out the freedom OF ;Ae cp-
Il