The record-union., 1898-12-06
Sermon at
DaviSville.

Torrance, pastor of the DavlSvllle
Presbyterian Church on Sunday even
ing last. His text was from Luke H., IA
-"Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace and good will toward
men,"
This proclamation was announced,
said the pastor, by an angelic choir in
the hearing of Judean shepherds on the
night Christ was born. 1t has been
waited over seas and lands from it's
Oriental cradle to its Occidental throne,
upon which God seems to have estab-
lished the scepter of righteousness with
which He intends to rule the nations OF
the earth.
The center of Gods operations for
Christianizing the world has been
transferred from Palestine to America.
From Palestine God sent His servants
to Christianize the nations. Now God
is not only sending the nations to
America to be Christianized, but He is
aiding America to plant "Old Glory,
the banner of religious liberty, on the
islands in the midst of the sea.
Within the next few days we will
be celebrating the 1,S9Sth birthday Of
the Christ, the King of Kings. Around
this pivotal event in the worlds his
tory circle the rise and fall of many
nations. During the year 1892 B. c..
God rescued his chosen people from un-
der the iron heel of oppression and
tyrannical butchery In the year of
our Lord 1892 God inclined the heart
of the noble Queen of Spain to equip
Christopher Columbus for that MEM
orable voyage over the trackless ocean
in wi he 1,alo
land
The last century of Americas history
has been replete with incidents for
thrilling recital and profound disquisi-
tion. We live in one of the most dis
tinguished ages of the nations exist
ence. Although thirty-seven years
have rolled away since the first bomb
burst upon Fort Sumter, we have not
forgotten the patriotic thrill that shot
through the hearts of all our fellow
| countrymen-how that within three
days a hundred thousand volunteers re-
sponded to President Lincoln's call for
seyenty-five thousand men.
And then there were those anxious
days and nights for four long years
when We watched the wavering battle
lines Of two of the bravest armies that
the world has ever known, as step by
step, and inch by inch they contested
for victory on thousand battlefields,
from Sumter to Appomattox. Neither
have we forgotten the thrill of joy
that permeated every heart when the
strife was ended and peace, perpetual
peace amongst ourselves, was declared,
and those gallant armies so quietly
disbanded and exchanged their weap-
ons of warfare for implements Of in
dustry.
We all remember how for the past
two years our sympathy went out for
the oppressed, crushed, starved and
butchered Cubans by the Spaniards,
Who should have alleviated the suffer-
ing Of their own offspring, instead of
engendering it. How our hearts burned
With sorrow at the untimely death of
our sailors who perished with the
Maine, and for their bereaved friends
and how the stifled sobs of the loved
ones of the Maine disaster infiamed our
righteous Indignation for the perpetra-
tor Of the diabolical deed, be he man,
nation or devil, God knows, He to
whom vengeance belongs.
After all peaceful agencies had been
exhausted to have Spain loose her mur-
derous grip upon her rebellious and
helpless subjects, and our neighbors. a
state of war was declared by America
April IL, 1898. Then there was hurry
ing to and fro across the continent of
volunteers to the number of 100000 or
| more, equipping of soldiers for battle;
transporting them East and West over
seas to the scenes and fields of carnage
And fO the wonder nf hn
within the short space of 113 days.
with the loss of 2,01O American soldiers
in battle and in camp the Spanish Ar
| mada, the pride of the oceans. was sent
to the bottom of the sea; Cuba made
free, and Porto Rico and the Philip
pines with their millions of souls gath
cred by America under her wings as a
hen gathers her chickens.
And tonight we rejoice together be-
cause OF the news that was flashed
through the ocean from Paris that the
terms Of the peace protocol of August
18th last have been agreed upon by the
Joint Peace Commissioners of Amer
lea and Spain Terms which make
tyranny tremble and the isles of the
seas rejoice
AS people who have experienced the
joys and comforts which free and in
dependent nation like ours affords, we
surely can with all our hearts shout
| and sing with the angelic host. "Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will toward men,"
My countrymen, it now remains with
US as individuals and a nation to keep
Cuba free, and secure to the Porto
Ricans and Filipinos the same blessings
which we enjoy.