Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-02-25
A Patriotic Sermon.

community, and we include all of the
large cities, have the privilege of list
ening to as fine and broad-minded
sermon as was delivered by the Rev.
o. 8. Metzler in tho First Methodist
Church last Sunday morning on the
text Seek ye First the Kingdom of
God and his Righteousness and all
things shall be added unto you" Mat
thew sixth coapter and SO verse.
1t was one of those sermons that to
be fully appreciated must be heard;
or if read, should be reported verbatim.
No synopsis can even approach doing
it justice. 1t was a national sermon
suitable for the occasion of Washing
toms birthday anniversary, and treat
ed largely of our national life and
prosperity and the causes coHtributory
thereto. The great underlying
thought was that our nation was
founded as a christian nation. 1t was
born, matured and reared in christian
ity. Its founders were God living and
God fearing men. Its great father and
leader, the anniversary of whose birth
we to-day commemorate, was praying
man. He entered battle with PRAYER
upon his lips, and had written in his
diary as guiding motto of his life
''strive to keep alive in your heart that
little spark of celestial fire called con-
science" The Declaration of Inde-
pennence and the Constitution of our
mighty commonwealth both recognize
the value of religion in national life.
He forcibly showed that the ':relig-
ious spirit' was largely responsible for
our phenomenal prosperity and devel-
opment; that we should guard we'll
this spirit; that we should reject from
our shores all those who come and deny
the religion of Christ or who would
advance any other doctrine not
in harmony with it, and over and
above all that the Bible was the only
true guide in all religious matters; that
for nation to disregard it's teachings
would prove II menace to it's very life;
that every true American should
stand for it in all public places; that it
was the cornerstone of education and
should be accorded prominent place
in our public schools; that countries
where education most prevails are the
most religious and the most prosper
Gus; that education and conscience
begotten of the religious spirit" were
marked characteristics of many of our
greatest Americans and leaders and
the enviable place they hold in the
love and esteem of the nations people
was due largely to the fidelity with
which they adheared to these enobling
qualities. They sought first the king.
dom of God and His righteousness, the
other things followed as a natural Sc
quence.
The best qualities of humanity from
all the great nations commingled in
the blood of the American and these
dominated by the religious spirit con-
Stituted the truest type of American
ClUlZenSnlp.
1t was delivered with a remarkable
earnestness in an eloquent and master
ful manner. The language was choice,
the illustrations were apt, the sequence
and conclusions were natural, the ar
gumemt convincing, the utterance
clear and distinct, and the periods
beautifully rounded. 1t was in short,
remarkably patriotic sermon.
The PRESS would have been delight
ed to have given the sermon in full as
delivered by the Reverend gentleman,
but the fact that it was largely extern
poraneous, and no stenographer pres
ent to take it as delivered, rendered
this impossible.