The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-21
''NAEE ROOM FOR YOURSEL YES''
CID PROGRAMME STILL GOOD
FOR OUR NATION.
DR.. Paden Says We Have Stayed at
Home Long Enough--Must Make
Room For Civilization Principles.

Make Room for Yourselves was the
topic of Rev. William Paden's sermon
at the First Presbyterian church Sun
day morning. DR.. Paden said in part:
In this gospel we have some account
of the interplay of grace and grit in
the conquest of Canaan. This is the
story: When after the main forces Of
the enemy had been broken, and the
conQuerors began to divide the land
among themselves, the sons of Joseph
received one of the choicest portions
But they We're not satisfied Their
privileges, instead of stimulating
seemed to sap their courage and in
dependence, and they came to Joshua
with petitions for more territory. I'VE
are a great people," they said. I'VE
want more room. You must carve US d
larger place We are too much
crowded" Then the old soldier made
the answer of our text: eff you are
& great people, why are you troubling
me? Do you not see those fine hills,
covered with forests and rich with IN
failing streams? If you are q great
people, get UP into this wood-country
and clear these highlands and these
valleys below you, still the hiding place
of Canaanites Why don't you con-
quer and colonize them? If your mid
way mesa on the foothills is not large
enough for you, get We up into the
mountains, get We down into the val
leys, and make room for yourselves.
This programme still holds good for
US, as, insofar as we represent Chris
tian civilization, the evil spirit has no
righteous claim to a square inch of
this planet. The full right and title
belongs to men of good will, and that
right and title covers both highlands
and lOwlands. In the good time com
ing. God-fearing nations must make
Gods will done over all the earth as
it is done in heaven. Meanwhile, we
have our part to do towards making
that good time come. We must get
over the old Judaean fallacy that cur
opportunities and responsibilities are
to be forever limited by geography.
And, agreeing together as to the thing
to be done we must see that it is done
to the ends of the earth. Sooner or
later Christian civilization must accept
Joshua's programme and conquer,
clear or, if need be, COLOMBO the heights
and depths of this so-called wicked
world.
Each Christian nation has its own
part in this programme. The Ameri-
cans have not been over-modest in re
peating our claims. You have probably
heard them say, I'VE are a great peo-
pie, times latest product, and the
best, and all that sort of thing. The
events of the past few months have
taken US at our word and syllabled for
us anew the injunction of the old He
Brew hero, IF ye be a great people,
get We up and out and cut down for
yourselves" We have stayed at home
quite long enough; the time has come
when we must ascend into the high
places or descend into the low places
of the earth, and make room for the
principles of our civilization. BY the
power 1t gives US we have reached our
majority. We can no longer expect
outside Joshuas to protect us from our
enemies, or enlarge the borders of our
influence. We must ourselves conquer
adjoining barbarianS and care for the
sanitation of adjoining pest-holes. The
time is past forever when we can sit
at home, declaring what we would do if
some Joshua would only give us the
management of Spains mismanaged
possessions. They are now virtually
ours, and there is nothing for US to do
but to live up TO our opportunities and
glorIty the conquests OF our army and
navy by the cOnquests of our civiIiza-
ton.
10 do this we must not boggle at the
difficulties which beset US at home We
are Christian people, and so ought
TO be strong with the power of God
Are we not sometimes guilty of the
whine which came up to Joshua from
the sons of joseph? When we find
ourselves being crowded by unbeiiev-
ing scholarship or unspiritual art and
literature, selfshness in high life, or
goodness in high places we break out
all over with committees. each trying
to whimper louder than the other The
sum of their complaints is the old com
nj int ~ 70 I,,s-l
people, Gods favored people, and bold
bad men are crOwding US You must
give us more ROOM" now the spirit of
j OShua answers still the spirit of God
If ye are great people, get We UP into
the high places and make room for
yourselves" when things go wrong
the childish thing to do is to sit down
and howl the manly thing is to pitch
in GnG mend matters.
And as there is room for us farther
UP, there is also room farther down.
a Christian people has no more reason
TO go to pieces over the brutalizatiOn of
it's lower classes than it has to whine
over the despiritualization OF its higher
classes These two sorts OF pessimistic
complaint are usually found plunged in
the same gulf of dark despair While
the one son of Joseph complains that
he is being crowded to death by world
liness. the other complains that he is
being crowded until he doesn't feel
very good himself by wickedness. So
conventions of Christian people will
tell each other, g I any Joshua they
can buttonhole. hoW they are being
crowded to the wall by drunkenness
and gambling, profanity and Sabbath
breaking, and L know not what other
| sins Of temper, unbelief or animaIism.
Or they will whimper over the way they
are being crowded by ignorance, preju-
| dice or superstition until one might
| think providence had really not given
| these good people, his own favored
| people, a fair deal Because" as they
say. you know we Christians are a
great people, we are recipients of
| supernatural assistance, and so we
ought to have more room: for our
quarters are getting uncomfortabIy
narrow" Again the God of Joshua
responds as he did to the children of
| Joseph, IF We be a great people, strong
with the spirit of God, get We down
into these valleys and make them
| wholesome for yourselves" This text
has special application to US as men,
bers Of Christs church. For so-called
| Christian nations may fail to work to-
gether for the good of the race. and
our own powers that be, social, edu-
catiOnal or political, may be false to
| the spirit of Christ but Christ's church
| ought to be ready to respond to his
spirit to the uttermost