The times., 1899-04-24
GODS HAND Visible
In OUR EXPANSION
The Cabinet Addressed by Dr.
Wesley Reid Davis.
Divine Mctives Underlying he Span
ish-American War.
a Remarkable Sermon Delivered ut
the Request OF the President
4 Remarkable Sermon Delivered nj
the Request OF tE,c President
ia His Church.


formed Church New York, occupied the
pulpit in the Metropolitan IL E. Church
yesterday morning, and delivered by re-
quest of President Mckinley his sermon
on The Son CT Nan as Typifying the
New America" The entire Cabinet, with
the exception OF Secretary Hay, was pres
ent, but Mr.. Mckinley was unable TO at
tend, owing tc a slight indisposition, which,
although not serious, confined him TO the
White House, upon the urgent advice of
his physicians.
Dr. Davis first delivered this sermon in
the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church
several weeks ago. and the remarkable
force and argument OF the theme having
been brought TO the attention of the Presi-
dent, he requested that ii be repeated in
the Metropolitan n. E Church for the
benefit CT himself and Cabinet.
Mr. Davis devoted the first part Of his
sermon TO z review of the life of Christ,
comparing his personality and deeds with
those OF men who have since exercised
tremendous influence in the progress Of
the world. In this way he led up TO the
concluding part cf his theme. which was
expansion and the destiny of America. He
said in part:
Christ was a great man, but he was
more than a great man. He was man in
concrete When We put Christ among
other great men We do observe the differ
entistion. Great men are logical sequences
They are preluded. They are not acci-
dents any more than q rose is IA accident
above a rose root or an apple is an acct
dent on an apple bough. Great men are
the incarnaticns of the dreams and ideals
OF the people. But all great men are
limited by the peculiar geographical
locales out of which they come. A great
man can only stand for his section CT the
race. He is tied down TO his own peculiar
latitude Beyohd that you can seldom
carry him. Great men are logical repre-
sentatiyes of the race, but at the same time
they are geographical expressions of peo-
pies. You could not conceive of either
Socrates or Caesar finding their birth gates
in the northern hordes Of Europe. Socra-
tes is a Greek all through Caesar is
Roman all through Not only is this true,
but it would be a most difficult matter TO
try to make an exchange of great men,
having them stand up elsewhere than in
their own special sockets, limited by their
own locale.
Close to Our Time.
Coming close to our own time, for the
better purpose of illustration, take Carl
baldi as the type of the new Italy; take
Gambetti as the type OF the new France;
take D'Israeli as the type of England.
aggressive. strong, dominant; take Bis
marck as the type of a united Germany;
take Abraham Lincoln as the highest
type of the American; now attempt 10
re-deal these men, these big human cards,
see il YOU can set up another game With
them Transfer Garibaldi to England;
transfer DIsraeli to Germany; transfer
Bismarck TO France; transfer Abraham
IL, l. hat lQraey
hinged. strangely magnificent Lincoln.
How awkwardly he walks on the Pincian
Hill or along the Corso. He is not com
Portable He does not feel at home. He
can be at home but in one spot, the spot
of his native soil, and in the front OF his
own nation
Great Men Compared.
TRY to put D'Israeli into Germany.
What confusion results. Try to put Carl
haldi into the House Of Parliament. How
seriously mixed affairs do grow. Given
the problem of finding a man large
enough in the range Of his personality and
the diameter of his heart to grasp and
lead mankind, that problem would be the
despair of the world. You say such man
does not live; such a man has not lived.
beg your pardon. That man has lived:
he is alive today The man who has taken
humanity unto himself through the throb
Of his own valve of life. That mans
breast is like the sky OF God going round
the globe. He is the highest expression
OF man possible. The son OF man has
wrought into the warp and woof of his
being all the nerve lines of the race He
is the single coronation of the ideals, OF
all kindreds. peoples, and tongues. He
was born at the confluence of three races,
the Greek the Roman, and the Jewish,
yet you never think Of Jesus as jew.
nor as Greek. nor as a Roman He has
the wonderful tr2nslucence of the Greek
intellect; he has the splendid Roman
sense of order; he has the broad spiritual
faculty which made the jew the seer of
the world. But he is not limited by the
Greeks haughtiness of mind. He is mo-
compromised by the Romans aggressive
lust for conquest; he is not tethered
by the racial prejudice of the Hebrew.
He has taken these three races just as
he has taken all races into his heart and
holds them there. But Interesting people
meet within the circle of Christ's breast.
Americas Divine Mission.
Where can We find a people which
within the girth Of its own people has
been broad enough 10 take in every tribe
and tongue and nation? What nation
men2 ] answer America. l answer that
logically and defy you to rupture my pre-
mise and my sequence. America alone
has caught mankind in one sweep of well
come, and has incarnated mankind in her
personal equation. Marshal the nations
for q moment, look into the face OF each.
and you will see that the face of each
carries the peculiar individual type, which
binds that nation TO geographical locale
and color.
Great Britain, with its wonderful sys-
TEN of colonies is only English: Japan
with its widening empire Of imitation is
only japanese. China. her minds are like
fints. into which seed cannot be sown,
severely keeping to herself. is left to her
self and is always in the rear. The Turk
of the fourteenth century Is the Turk Of
today. Greece. though less Greek than
ever. is bound to a geographical spot.
France. aye France. with her culture car
ries the frailties and limitations of two
hundred years ago. She has the same ten
dency to impulsiye action. the same play
ing to the gallery. the same failures, often
as dramatic as iudicrous.
within America you find France and
Italy. Greece and England. Japan aud
china-all northern Europe and all The
Far East. Out OF kindreds and peorles
comes the blood that flows in these ar
ieries aud tides through the valves of this
heart. wasting nothing because having
the strength and subtle courage to take
all and tTansmute all she takes. and she
has done this by her policy Of greeting and
regard.
Inspired Expansion.
Why is it we have new islands OF the
sca now within the circle OF our controig
a force not OF our own came pushing
US from behind. and before we knew what