Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-08-25
God and Our Country =.


ian church, on Sabbath morning Aug. 9TH, the
first service held since the closing Of the church
for repairs. large congregation was present.
Allusion was made to the Presidents proclama-
tion, calling for national thanksgiving and
prayer. summary of the proclamation was
given, together with the great events which have
transpired since giving additional reason for
thanksgiving and praise, especially that the
prayers of Gods people have soon been
signally answered in the rapid progress of nego-
tiations for peace, begun by Spain.
Reference was made to an artistic representa-
ton of National thanksgiving which occupied
a whole page ola Chicago daily newspaper on
July I6th in which an angel prOclaims with a
trumpet the words of scripture: THE Lord
wrought great salvation for all Israel Il Sam.
xix: s.. They got not the land in possession by
their own sword, neither did their own arm
save them; but thy right hand and thine arm and
the light of thy countenance, because thou
hadst a favor unto them" Psalm Xliv g. This
was chosen rs the text.
The first part of the text is Jonathau's defense
of David his friend, before Saul his father. He
spoke good of David and declared that he had
not sinncd against Saul, but had done works of
greatest good to his nation and his king. He
had put his life into his hand and had slain the
Philistine giant. But he at once recognized the
fact that David, his friend, only the instru-
ment, while the Lord God was the efficient
cause THE Lord wrought great salvation for
all Israel" The second part of the text has ref.
erence to Gods dealings with His people lin the
times of old;'-how he drove out the heather
with His own hand and planted His own people
in the land of promise. For they got not the
land in possession by their own sword, &C.
The Lord alone was exalted i'll bringing His peo.
pie to the land which flowed with milk and
honey. BY His distinguishing grace He had put
a wide difference between Canaan and Israel.
The etiectual power of his favor wrought nightly
for His chosen people and against their enemies.
The warriers were brave and fought with zeal
and energy under most skillful leadership, but
their valor and leadership were all subordinate
to that mysterious divine working by which
their enemies were overwhelmed in defeat. The
best efforts Of all the men-at-arms were employ
ed but as these would have been futile
without Gods favor, all honor and praise
to the Lord of hosts is given by these words of
of inspiration.
But such distinguishing favor is not confined
to Israel of old. The God of Israel is the God of
nations in all ages and lie has dealt and will
continue to deal with all nations according
to the same immutable principles and laws Of
truth and righteousness. Ii is Just as true to-day
as it was in the days of Moses and Joshua and
David and Solomon and Ahab and others, that
righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a re
proach to any peoples" and just immutably
true now as il was when the psalmist observed
it. that The wicked shall be turned into hell
and all the nations that forget God" just as true
now as then that all nations that forget God are
doomed to go down to their utter ruin and de-
struction.
We are busy to-day, as a nation carving out
piece of the most remarkable history that has
ever gone on record. We read through all his
tory for parallel and find it only in those rare
and marvellous records of the Old Testament
scriptures. Unbelievers may attribute our sue
cess to accident, or to the skill and courage only
of our soldiers. But people who believe in God
only need to look at what has been done at
Manila and Santiago to be convinced that
higher power and wisdom than that of men
tna
not less remarkable than the triumph of Gid
cons three hundred, armed with their lamps
pitchers and trumpets. If indeed, record of
our recent events were given in the Old Testa-
ment history, infidels would be diligent in cry
ing ii down as fabulous and impossible, as they
have been in clamoring against the truth of the
Old Testament record.
Our nation began this war with small army
of but twenty-five thousand regulars and n navy
small enough to be despised by the whole world.
We were without adequate coast defenceS and
had indeed no preparation for a conflict with
any power. And yet in little over one hundred
days, we have won unparalleled naval victories
and have passed through most brilliant land
campaigns. Cuba is free Porto Rico and all ad-
jaCent Spanish Islands are ours; the Ladrone
and Philippine islands are in the power of tn is
nation to be disposed of as the highest and best
wisdom may dictate. The loss and destruction
wrought by the different sides out of all pro-
portion and challenge comparison with records
of all conflicts outside of the Old Testament his
tory. The hand of God is most CONSPICUOUS in it
all. Close the eye to the presence of
y
explanation for the great facts But give that
hand its place and all is clear, An all control-
ing purpose calls forth these mighty move
ments, whether we be able to read it or not.
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform.
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the the stocm."
We are not yet far enough along fully to ap-
preCiate what God has wrought out by this war
for us nation, and through us for the world.
We are sure there is a vast volume to be read
which is not yet open to us. Future generations
will be able to look back and see what God
means by this conflict as cannot see ii, look
ing forward. But there some things as
clear as the light of day to all thoughtful chris.
tian intelligence.
l. For one thing, this is clearly an epoch-nlak-
ing iCar very important line of history here
makes a short sharp turn and takes new di-
recton. We hereby establish a precedent for a
new cause of international Interference. We
have put into execution as a nation what has
long been recognized the right and duty of
every individual, and that is the right and duty
to interfere to prevent manifest wrong. Christ
ian people were amazed to find as the out come
of all the discussions about Americas right to
| interfere with Spain's barbarous work in Cuba,
that there no precedent for such interference
| on merely humane grounds In other words it
came out that there was no international law,
established by precedent, recognizing our nation s
| right and duty to prevent the manifest wrongs
| perpetrated by Spain for hundreds of years in
| her island colonies. All great authorities in
| ternational law were agreed that the United
| States had no legal right to interfere except in
! so far own interests were affected and be-
cause of the dastardly act of blowing up the
| Maine. 1t is true that our commercial interests
we're seriously affected by the interminable war
between Spain and Cuba. 1t is true that il was a
most expensive and onerous burden to police the
! high seas and enforce our nutrality obligations
| and keep down tlibustering from our shores.
And it is true that the blowing up of the Maine
and the death of two hundred and sIxty-slX OF
! our seamen was q most irritating and infaming
cause of war-like feeling, And it is true that all
! these causes were emphasized in our declaration
of war against Spain, because our nation did not
! want even to seem to DO an Illegal act. Yet the
| cause of this war-the cause OF our interference,
, was the cause Of fh,mdHity,-the assertion of our
right and duty as nation to put a stop to the
manifest wrongs, the crueltes, inhumanities, bar
barities of this tyrannical and heartleSs nation
1t is not to avenge the Maine that we make
| war. We have right to take vengence except
God may use us to bring punishment on the
| guilty. Dearly beloved avenge not yourselves
but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written
| vengeance is Mine, will repay saith the Lord ,
God has avenged the Maine in this great conflict
! in a most summary manner; and not the Maine
| only. but SpainS wrongs in her island colonies
| for centuries. But God has compelled our nation
to arise and put down new precedent good
| and sufficient cause of itself for internatona
| interference, and that is ''the cause of human
ity"-the prevention of manifest wrongs. Goo
says by thunderous appeal, through this war, tc
all enlightened nations: your wars must cease