The Washington times., 1901-07-08
GOD, HOME, AND COUNTRY.
Our Responsibilities the Subject of n
Patriotic Address.

A large gathering of the members and
friends of Trinity Methodist Episcopal
Church was present at the 6:3G O'Clock
twilight service last night, the occasion
being the anniversary service in COM
memoration of the nations birthday. The
text, taken not from the Bible, but from
the natural patriotism in every breast
was God and Home and Native Land" ="
Ths service was both religious and patri-
otic in character. and was conducted by
the pastor of the church, the Rev. ]. c.
Nicholson, D. D.
The fact that the United States has just
successfully passed the century and "a
quarter mark, stronger. happier, and
more hopeful of the future than ever
before. was commented upon, and the pre-
diction was made that under the guiding
hand Of Almighty God America would al
ways, as she has in the past, stand for
liberty, patriotism, and moral strength
among the nations of the earth.
Patriotic songs by the choir and the
congregation comprised the greater part
Of the programme. The service was open
ed with the hymn, America" by the en-
tire church. followed by short prayer
by the pastor. in which he implored the
divine blessing of the Heavenly Father
upon the entire United States and the ISL
ands of the sea which have lately come
into the possession OF this Government.
In connection with the growth Of the
country to the Philippines and the West
Indies. which was referred to by the
pastor, DR.. Nicholson read from Romans,
xiii:1-7:
Let every soul be subject unto the
higher powers. For there is no power
but of God; the powers that be are or
dained of Cod
DR.. Nicholson's sermon, however, was
not one on the so-caned expansion. His
subject was Our Responsibilities" He
spoke OF the acquisition by the United
States Government of the Philippine
Islands, and brought into his discourse
an outline Of the work which must be
done in the new possessions. both for
the glory Of the flag and the glory OF
God 4 great opportunity had come. he
thought, for the United States 10 do
wonderful work among the unbelievers
in Jesus Christ. He was confident, he
said. that the advent Of the United
States in the Philippines would result in
great benefit to the people there, and
that the effect upon this country, if
proper caution and respect OF God are
observed. would also be for the better
For the first time in the history or
this country, now l25 years old, the
United States stands among the other
nations Of the earth world power She
Is. he auueu, d HaNiOIl "a ufSAillE. dS SllN
has always been since the signing of the
Declaration of independence, but na-
tion and a people, also. a part of whose
destiny has now been fulfilled. There
must be no thought Of turning bacl. now
that the face has once been set firmly 10
the front The religion of Jesus Christ,
and the glory of God, and the flag of the
Republic will henceforth go forward,
hand in hand, arm in arm, for the better
ment OF the whole world,
An address along the same general
lines of thought was made by Theodore
d. Sloat, a student at Dickinson Theo-
logical College, whose topic was our
National Blessings
Mr. Sloat drew a comparison between
the United States and the Good Samari-
tan. All other nations observed the suf-
ferings of Cuba, said he, but they went
by on the other side, while America gee
assistance and raised Cuba and Porto
Rico from a condition OF bondage TO
state Of freedom, with the path Of pros
perity and happiness plainly marked for
them both In the Philippine Islands also,
he said, tie hand of the United States had
been raised in the defence of the oppress
ed The national blessings to which he
had gone Tor the subject Of his talk, he
believed to be the greater happiness
among the people and the prospect OF
long period of peace.
hymn Of Francis Scott Key was sung
by the congregation. poem by Edwin
Markham, our Deathless Dead was
read by Miss Gertrude Sheldon. Rudyard
Kfpling's ''RecessiOnal" was rendered by
the choir The service was closed with the
Star Spangled Banner sung by the en-
tire congregation