The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-01
A MOST HISTORIC Year
DR.. Frank NJ. Bristol breaches a
Retrospective Sermon.
He Declares the Past T"ciNemoh'h
IN Have Been "a Period of Prosper
iiy Unparalleled in the '""h'r'
History - The Light of American
ism Is Now IIiunininE the World.

Tie pulpit Of the Metropolitan VI. T.
Church was filled yesterday morning at the
II O'Clock service by the regular pastor
Rev. DIR. Frank NJ Bristol. The Presi-
dent occupied his accustomed pew. DR.
Bristol spoke of the resolutions made By
men at the close of each year, and said
the saying that hell was paved with good
resolutions" was rot true. Resolutions
made ard not lived up to. he said. were
bad. but those which we're kept glorifed
he who made them. Dr. Bristol took for
his text Revelations, Nxi:1O, And he car
ried me away in the spirit to great ana
high mountain He said;
The grardest views Of life, as OF ma
ture, are had from the mountain tops. To-
day the angel OF memory leads us up 10
the mount oil vision and inspires us WIN
a retrospect of the past year. IL mas been
n wear of so many varied characteristlcS Oh
greatness that each one Of us may have
different reason from the other Tor consid-
ering il the most remarkable. If not the
most historic year in our lives. In one
way of reckoning its value and Importance
+, rstrospect of the year is like looking
hack from great and high mountain upon
a lovely valley of fruits and flowers through
which we have passed, reaping blessings as
we journeyed on. Providence has smiled
and the earth has blossomed. Plenty haS
jeweled the rough hands of Toll, and
Honor has crowned the brow of Fidelity.
While the shuttle makes its music and the
engine drones its psalm, while the ham
mers beat their martial strain and the
wires throb and sing with thought. with
well-paid muscle and well-paid brain, we'll
paid work and well paid genius, well-paid
promises and weil-paid faith. We look upon
year OF material prosperity unparalleled
! in our history and which is the amaze
ment if not the CONSERVATION, OF all the
other ~ ions of the world.
But, as we stand on the mount of vi
/ sion today, our eyes are greeted with
| scenes and events which are so great and
politically, nationally, historically so po-
Z tential that they hide from view the mar
veIous industrial regeneration and the
growing financial prosperity OF our coun-
/ try.
Bursting granaries instead of bursting
hanks. noisy mills instead of noisy mobs,
heavy purses instead of heavy mortgages,
have wrought wonders in the industrial
and economic world, but even these have
been eclipsed by the events which have
occurred in the providentiGl evolution of
this nation as a world power-a world
power for liberty, for righteousness. ard
for me kingdom of God among men. Amer
lea has not proven herself coward in the
face OF her sublime and awful duty. She
has not shirked her responsibility as one OF
the civilized and civilizing nations OF the
world Among the stars Of light which in
their courses are arrayed TO fight against
the Sisera of wrong and oppression. OF
bsrbarisru and savagery. America has taken
her place as enc of the most splendid in
The constellation. That star of hope and Of
freedom shines for the world; nor can any
power hide. withhold, diminish or quench
her light. God has taken the light of this
free Americanism oft from under the
bushel and placed it on the candlestandi
nay on the mountain top; nay, in tbs
highest heavens. saying, as he said tC
Israel of old, Arise, shine. for thy light is
come and the glory Of the Lord is riser
upon thee
''But has this been at sacrifice. a fear.
full sacrifice? The world is saved by sac
riiice. Every step Of progress this hu-
mainly has taken has been at bloody cost
In bruising the ssrpent's head humanity
has ever wounded its own heel. The way
of liberty has been lighted By martyrs
| fires. Calvary teaches us the price of free
| dom. The Crucifed is the Liherator ani
he Savior. All progress is through Geth-
semane and over Goigotha- And this grea
year OF the spread of freedom has beer
rich, sadly and sublimely rich in heroi,
death. As We read again the names Of tn,
mighty dead we learn that our country ans
he world still breed great souls. Men o
brain and conscience, men of genius an,
faith. men Of righteousness and heroism
men VINO as the ripe, c0nsummate flower o
Christian civilization still live and die q
prove that Cur humanity is growing age b,
age into the stalwart moral manhood whicl
Is the measure OF the stature of the fullnes
OF Christ -
Continuing. DIR. Bristol declared tina
those prominent men who had laid dow
The burden of life the past year are no
dead, but live anew in the immortal free
: dom which they had helped achieve an,
.. in the spirit and genius OF Christian civil
cation closing with the hope that all me
. might benefit by their example and max
: resolutions which they viii keep.