The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-07-04
OUR NATIONS INHERITANCE,
A PATRIOTIC DISCOURSE ny
REV. J. b. SILCOx.
HIS Text Was, ssHe Hath Not Dealt
So With Amy Nation."-From
Psalm 147:2O.

AT the morning service yesterday at
the Congregational Church the pastor,
Rev. J. B. Silcox delivered a very strik-
ing and thoughtful discourse on Our
National Inheritance He said:
That God deals with nations as well
as with individuals is truth we need
to ever keep in mind On this national
memorial day we do we'll to remember
and recognize the way in which the
Lord our God has led US The Lord
hath done great things for us as a ma
uon whereof We are glad. When we
consider what our national inheritance
Is, We can assuredly say He hath not
dealt SO with any nation.
Captain Gridley of the Olympia, writ
Ing to his wife after the naval engage
ment at Manila in which he had taken
valorous part, closed his letter saying,
God bless you all and give Him the
praise for our safe protection during
the terrible conflict" These words
breathe the spirit of truest patriotism.
They are a reverent recognition of God
in the events and life of the nation.
This is the spirit that should dominate
our hearts on this anniversary of our
nations birth A review of the years
that are behind US, as nation, should
lead US to discern the gracious guiding
hand of the Almighty AS a. people
and as a nation we to-day raise our
EbeneZer saying Hitherto the Lord
hath helped US" The hand of AL
mighty God is as visible in the incep-
ton and progress of this nation as in
the history of the chosen nation of old
God is as active in the affairs of the
world to-day as He ever was. The
Most High rules and overrules among
the nations of the earth The fall of
decadent nations as we'll as the rise Of
nations of yirile faith. are witnesses to
the power and providence of the AL
mighty. As God was ViSibly present
IN the deHverance of Israel from Egypt
SO may His Power and wiz be seen to-
day IN the advance of nations dedicated
10 justice, liberty and truth and in the
overthrow of nations that have tram
pied justice and libetry under their feet
with an emphasis more impressive
tnan the words of the prophet of old,
events are saying to-day The nation
and kingdom that will not serve God
shall perish. yea those nations shall be
utterly wasted" God to-day is taking
the supremacy from one kingdom and
giving 1t to another. He who cannot
see God in these events is blind with an
objectionable blindness Surely We
can use the language OF the battle hymn
of the Republic and say:
nave seen Him in the watchfires of a
hundred circling camps.
4hey nave builded him an altar in the
evening dews and damps
can read His righteous sentence by the
dim and flaring lamps
our God is marching on
We are indeed reading TODAY "a
fiery gospel writ in Furnished rows of
steel. We deplore war We would
have avoided it if we could. Rut
eVents-that is. God have hidden us to
remember them that are in bonds and
TO deliver them. Conscience-that is
God, would not permit us to sit by and
see a weak people Oppressed and daspou-
ed We draw the sword not to grut re-
Venge but to deliver the oppressed. We
wage this war not for territorial extern
sion but for liberty and justice, for God
and humanity. We put our weapons
OF war not in the hands of lust and
greed but in the hand of Justice. We
seek TO heal wounds not to make them.
The iron hand in this campaign is
stretched out from a kindly heart In
the name Of God and humanity America
IS saying to Spain, You must get off
the backs Of this oppressed people. You
nave shown yourselves unfit to guide
the desti1ies of these islands and YOU
must quit them ait once and forever.
your lniqultouS rule must end The
handwriting of God that struck the
death-knen of an oppressive nation of
oiden times, is visible again in the
events of to-day and Spain if she is not
wholly blind may read Thou art
weighed - the balance and found
wanting. God hath numbered thy
Kingdom and finished it, What Drake
began in 1888 Dewey completes in
1898. The mills of God grind slowly
but they grind exceeding small. There
IS day Of judgment for nations as we'll
as for individuals.
John Stuart Mill said he could not
write the history of liberty without a
recognition of that crucif1xion outside
the walls of Jerusalem 900 years ago.
Much less can one write or study rho
history of this Republic without recop
nizing the guiding hand of Almighty
God As we consider our position
among the nations of the earth. as we
recall the blessings of civil ana reli-
gious liberty we enjoy, we cannot do
other than praise God from whom
these blessings flow. Our successes are
due 10 divine guidance. Not unto
us. o Lord. not unto us. but unto Thy
name be given the glory of our great
and growing Republic. We are a ia
Nored people in many respects. We
stand unique among the nations OF the
earth This Republic is new thing
in the history of the world. 1t has no
parallel or precedent in the past Such
magnificent creation never before ex-
isted. he hath not dealt so with any
nation.
1t Is meet and right that we should in
the church on the Sabbath day cele-
brate the anniversary of the nations
birth. 1t is the will of God that great