The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-06-22

us; but you belong to the kingdom o | God. Its imperialism is not of na
 ton, but above all nations It has m
 opinion concerning the inferior work o
 American expansion. It goes fortl
 from America, but is in no sense fo
 America. Its duty is to nationalize
 race by Chrstanizing it. It may O
 may not be American destiny to expant
 it, it is not a judge of destiny. it knoW' that it's work is to teach all nations t(
 achieve their own destiny through mak ing them a preparation for the king dom of God
 | There is a disposition, not unreasona' ble, though overwelghted with self
 content, to imagine that the nationa
 progress of the world finds it's amplest illustration in the United States
 While we laugh at Fourth of July ora
 tory, we agree that it is well supported
 by the facts that produce it. We point
 to our increasing wealth. mineral and
 agricultural possessions, the rapid
 growth of the census the great inven-
 tions, the universal education, the free
 dom of the citizen. We do not ask very
 seriously, Have we yet learned the art
 of government? With the increase of
 population, is the average worth of the
 individual man increased? Do tele-
 phones and trollies and trusts make
 better men? Do Improvements inn proveR Is the spirit of milltarism growing? Are the separations of class eS and races a menace to our real un- ion?
 The optimist and the pessimist can each illustrate his creed from our na- tional life. But the genuine American, whose sympathies so penetrate our mix lures of realities and pretences as to re- alize the divineness of our history and the soundness of the peoples heart, is conscious not so much of our glory or shame as of the revelation of the fact that what we are is preparation for something greater than American life As to no other nation the spirit of his tory says to ue, You have become na- ton with ends-a preparation. He does not know our nation who assumes that nationalism is the test and end Of our progress. There is question deep in our national consciousness, for which the church should be voice-not what is for the nation, but what is the na- ton for? Our solemn obligation, to which the history of the last year has given distinctness and elevation, is not to take our place among the great pow CTS of the world, but to put a new pow CT into the world. to take our place above the great powers. We are a great power, but we are to be interpre- ted not by our position, but our purpose. What we are is not final; to be greater than we are is not final. We are Our endowment and achievement are that we may make the kingdom of God real in the world. We are a preparation, a resultant of na- tio~a al energy and the Divine purpose. We are a preparation, If we imagine that we are a preparation for greater America greater in lands and popula- tions and wealth, the future will dis cover to us that such misuse of a prep aration is a national mistake and na- tional sin that will end in ruin. It re- quires a clear vision, a great wisdom and a noble self-forgetfulness to see and use a prepara ton. A national prepara- tion is a solemn fact, and must be ac- cepted with humility and devotion Our nation as 1t is is a preparation for the Kingdom of God Our historic pur- pose, the limits of our national anb- ton, have fitted us to become mis- nation as in no other nation; the American Board is fitted because it Is the American Board to become board of foreign missions. The past century has prepared Us for an honora- ble power in the world. We are not prepared to take our place among the nations of the world in the competitive spirit of appropriation or conquest. but we are prepared to take our place above he nations and declare to all men, We eek not yours, but you. We cannot let go of Cuba or the Philippines We cannot ct them fall. We cannot let them go. We must nationalize and Christianize hem. We have lived much that we nay give much. We are content to be provincial in the limits of our political ! md national authority, that we may with unselflsh earnestness declare to he world the truths of the kingdom of Sod The present is an opportunity | Rd our temptation. If we yield to the we shall forever lose our op- ,ortunity. We stand at the parting of | he ways In one path is an attractive | in the other an unparalleled | opportunity. God has prepared us for he opportunity. If the church with in- eligence and passion obey the last | word of law from her Lord, and declare | o the nation the reason and duty and | ure success of the missionary patrio- ism, church and state will enter the l wentieth century together, torch bear IS for Him Who is the Light of the World