The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-03-22
"oUR own FOR CHRIST"

OUR OWN FOR CHRIST"
Psalms lxxzv.l-IS.
/. Lord thou hast been favorable unto
thy land. thou hast brought back the
captivity Of Jacob.
p Thou hast forgiven the iniquity Of
thy people. thou hast covered all their
sin Selah
g. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath:
thou hast turned thyself from the fierce
ness Of thine anger.
g. Turn us. o God Of our salvation. and
cause thine anger toward us to cease.
g. Wilt thou be angry with us forever
generations?
6. Wilt thou not revive us again, that
thy people may rejoice in thee2
Z Shew us thy mercy, o Lord, and grant
Us thy salvation.
s. 1 viii hear what God the Lord viii
speak; for he will speak peace unto his
people, and to his saints; but let them
not turn again to folly.
8 Surely his salvation is nigh them
that fear him; that glory may dwell in
our land
10. Mercy and-truth are met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed each
other.
IL Truth shall spring out Of the earth;
and Righteousness shall look down from
heaven.
y Yea. the Lord shall give that which
is good; and our land shall yield her in
crease.
13. Righteousness shall go before him;
and shall set us in the way Of his steps.
Christian Endeavor HYMNS, II, 81,
The Endeavor HymnaI-25. I45. 2O9 2IO.
2l3 PA.
Parallel passage Nhemiah lice; Ne
hemiah lilies, HagEli 1875; Haggai
i-S-10f Haggai ii:4-9- Matthew KOS;
Luke xiv;23, Luke xxiv.47; John i.4I;
JohnH iv.3s.
To him who has studied this country
aud the opening of this new century in
the light the past and the future throw
uron them as revealing the hand Of God
in history there is but one conclusion PCS
sible, and that is that il God meant what
lie said when Fe promised that The Cos
pei should be ~ceached TO the whole
worlC this opening century Is the crisis.
and we, the American people, the chief
actors in the fulnllment Of the mighty
task AS we gaze upon the vast extent
and ulimitabIe natural wealth OF our do
main; as we consider our advanced So
cial and political advantages; as we
stand amazed TO see the inventions ami
discoveries in art and science treading
on one another's heels Ga their haste to
ode- their aid Ia conQuering the world for
Christ, We seem as a nation-as the
young queen Of nations-to hear again
that word addressed so long ago 20 the
young queen In the Persian palace. who
kn0Wcth whether thou art come to the
kingdom for such a time as this2'' We
are come TO the kingdom for this very
time and this very purpose. We have
been given these great advantages above
every other nation on earth that we may
40 this work for God How awfulIy i'm
portant fl is. therefore. that first OF all
before We evangelize others We should as
a nation be thoroughly eyangeii5ed our
selves. No citizen with the highest in
terest Of his country at heart. and as
Euredly no Christian. can doubt for one
moment the need for home missions in
this country OF ours
u is not hard 10 trace the analogy be-
tween our country ia the present tine
and the old Jewish nation, the chosen peo-
pie OF God This Psalm vas probably
written at the time Of the partial restor-
alton Of Israel TO Jerusalem Not all the
people have returned from captivity Only
a few saints" have returned And while +.
they mingle their thanksgiving and praise I
for the sight Of their beloved home Sgain. I
with tears OF sorrow over the desolation /
Of the land, they do not forget that that I
desolatlon was due entirely 70 their own Z
and their trethren's sins. and they humbly 4
pray let them not turn again TO folly" I
foreseeing through such a possibility even I
worse punishment than has already be- /
gun TO 2ass.
The singers go on to recall the mercy OF I
the Lord in times past and to rchearse in 4
hopeful note Gods promise for the future /
Once more they see heaven and earth I
walking In close fellowship as in the times
when Gods presence was with his people .
IN beautiful word pictures they sing how
mercy from the heaven, responded 70 by /
truth from the hearts Of men on the earth. .
Joined together shall bring peace aud
plenty to the land And the secret of
this success and happiness2 The same (
old secret everywhere. the presence Of the I
Almighty IN the midst a close daily COM
partnership that shall set US in the way
OF His steps" for In His way is our only I
success II is then our secret OF success +
also IN our work for our own beloved land /.
and dear ones the keeping in the way Of .
the Lord the always following after .
righteousness. righteousness shall go 4
before Him"
We are sometimes tempted TO be dis /
couraged about cur own land more than .
for all the heather countries There .
seems so little hope for enlightened. edu-
Gated people who have deliberately sold /