Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-06-02

letItr lIOIn lDc WullN = dtH'if lHNitiHn =
the nations TO virtue and happiness and
tear it up into fragments 50 small that
You cannot read a word Of II. 1t pro
poses to take the consolation from the
broken hearted and the soothing pillow
from the dying Infdelity proposes 10
swear in the president Of the United
States and the supreme court and the
governors Of states and the witnesses in
the courtroom with their right hand on
Paine's "Age Of Reason" or Voltaire's s
"Philosophy Of History. 1t proposes
to take away from this country the book
that makes the difference between the
United States and the kingdom Of Da-
honey. between American civilization
and Bornesian cannibalism If infideli-
ty could destroy the Scriptures, II
would in 200 years turn the civilized
nations back to semibarbarism, and
then from semibarbarism into midnight
savagery until the morals Of a menag-
erie Of tigers. rattlesnakes and Chin
panZees would be better than the morals
of the shipwecked human race.
The only impulse in the right direc-
ton that this world has ever had has
come from the Bible 1t was the mother
Of Roman law and Of hcalthful juris.
prudence. That book has been the
mother Of all reforms and all charities
mother Of English magma charta and
American Declaration Of Independence
Benjamin Franklin. holding that Holy
Book in his hand. stood before an in
fdel club in Paris and read TO them ont
Of the prophecies Of Habakkuk, and
the infdels. not knowing what book il
was, declared it was the pest poetry
they had ever heard That saok brought
George Washington down on his knees
in the snow at Valley Forge ANA led the
dying Prince Albert to ask som one 20
sing Crock Of Ages.
tell you that the worst attempted
crime Of the century is tbe attempt to
destroy this book. Yet inideiity loath-
some, stenchful, leprou-, potiierous
rotten monster, stretches out its hand.
ichorous with tire second death. to take
the hand of this republic. II stretches
it ont through seductive magazines. anl
through lycCum lectures and through
caricatures of religion 1t asks for all
that part Of the continent already fully
settled and the two-tDirds not yet CO.
curiei 1t says "Giyc me an east Of
the Mississippi. with the keys Of the
church and with the Christian printing
presses-then give me Wyoming, give
me Alaska give me Montana. give me
Colorado. give me an the states west Of
the Mississippi. and ! Will take those
places and keep them by right Of pos
session long before the gospel can BE-
fully intrenched.
And this suitor presses his case ap.
pallingly Shall the banu- Of that mar
riage be prcclaimedg "NoN say the
home missionaries of The west. a martyr
band Of whom the world Is not worthy.
toiling amid fatiguos and malaria and
starvation. "Nol not if we can help it
BY what we and our children have suf
fered, we forbid the bauu- of that mar
riagel "No" say an patriotic voices
"our institutions were bought at too
dear price and were defended at too
great a sacrifice TO De so choapiy sur
rendered. Mo- says the God Of
Bunker Hill and Independence hall and
Gettysburg. Il did not start this nation
for such a farce. NO cry 0,000
voices. "to infdelity this land shall not
be married ~
Christ Ms the bridegroom.
But there is another suitor that pre-
sents his claim for the hand Of this re
public. He is mentioned in the verse
following my text where it says. "As
the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride.
so shall thy God rejoice ever thee. il
is not my fgure-it is the figure Of the
Bible. Christ is so desirous 10 have thi-
world love him that he stops at no hu
initiation of simile He compares bis
grace 70 spittle on the eyes of the blinl
man. He compares himself to her
gathering the chickens. and in my texi
he compnres himself 20 a suit0r begging
a hand in marriage Does this Christ
the king. deserve This land Behold Pi
lates hall and the insulting cXpectora
ton on the face of Christ Behold tn
Calvarean massacre and the awfn
hemorrhage Of five wounds Jacob serv
ed Il years for Rachel bat Christ, my
Lord. the king. suffered in torture 81
years to win the love Of this world. a.
often princesses at their very birth arr
pledged in treaty of marriage 20 prince.
or kings of earth. so this nation at il.
birth was pledged 70 Christ for diyin,
marriage. Before Columbus and bis
l2O men embarked on the Santa Maria
the Pinta. and the Nina. for their won
derful voyage. what was the last thinl
they didg They sat down and took the
holy sacrament Of the Lord Jesus Christ
After they caught the first glimpse o
this country and the gun Of one shil
had announced it 20 the other vessel
that land tad been discovered. wha
was the song that went mp from all th'
three decks Gloria in excelsis. Al
er Columbus and his l2O men had step
ped from the ships deck to the sole
ground, what did they dol They al
knelt and cousecrated the new world e
God. What did the Hugueuots DO afte
they landed in the Carolinas7 What di'
the Holland refugees do after they ha'
landed in New York; What did th
pilgrim fathers do after thes landed il
/ New England With benGed knee am
upliffed face and heaven bcsicsing pray
er, they took possession Of this continen
for God How was the first American
congress oponedg By prayer in th
name Of Jesus Christ From its brit
this nation was pledged for holy mar
riage with Christ
And then see how good God has beei
TO usl just open the map Of the con
tinent and see how it is shaped for i'm
measurable properties. Navigableriv
ers. more in number and greater tha
of any other land rolling down on aI
sides into the sea- pr0rhcsying larg
manufactures and easy commerce Loo
at the great ranges Of mountains tim
bered with wealth on the top and sides
metaled with wealth underneath On