Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-04-26

is the God of the vast majority Of the
people of this continent. The people
Of the United States are not crazy for
wealth, they are not drunk with pros
perity. Honest men abound. Rogues
are rare. Sooner or later they are
found out. Then they reap the reward
Of their doings. Our people are slow
to wake up. It takes them long
time to see villainy in their neigh
bors. But when they do wake up. and
when they are sure that there is sin
and fraud and theft. they go for the
wrong doers and mete out to them the
punishment due to their crime.
In proof of this, wish to remind you
of certain tendencies of our time. We
can also point to some things which
are happening and which have really
happened. In the realm Of politics. or
in the sphere Of government. the
trickster, the deceiver of the people.
the low politician, the traitor have had
their day. They are relegated to the
rear. They are out of the race. Health
is catching as well as disease. A
healthy moral contagion is sweeping
over the land. The cry Of the people is
for honest men in the legislative halls
Of the country. And the people in the
long run will get what they want.
They are getting it now. They will
not stop tomorrow, nor the next day.
The new era in American politics has
come. The boss is retired and ma.
chimes are going out of date. The
people are choosing their own leaders.
Our prosperity is Gods gift to the ma
ton. 1t was not given for the enrich
ment of the greedy and grasping few.
The nations wealth belongs to the peo-
pie. They have made up their minds
that they will claim their share of 1t.
They are right. And they will win.
Reform has set in. The people are In
it, Next must follow regeneration.
Whether the church may go into poll
tics or not, her influence is strongly
there. And the tendency is to select
the legislators from the ranks of her
membership. The most remarkable
election ever held in England has just
been held. A large number OF the
successful candidates are earnest work
ers in the Protestant churches. The
revolution has been wrought mainly
| by the clergy of the free churches. The
desire over there is that the people
| shall be considered. They have rights,
and their rights are to be respected,
| The day of the select few in good old
England is past. And shall we, in this
| splendid republic, fall back to second
| place? ! trow not. Let political lead-
ers take notice. The old regime is over.
| The kingdom Of God includes the halls
| Of legislation. The Christ demands
| fair play. The spirit Of Jesus is taking
! hold of the people, and they are no
| longer to be fooled. No. no. The ma.
| ton is not drunk with money. The
| nation is, and is becoming more and
| more serious, sane, sober. The people
| are growing intelligent, thoughtful,
reverent. The kingdom Of God is win.
| ming glorious victories. The golden day
| is coming.
| Last of all point you to what the
| church has done and is doing in proof
| that our nation is not drunk with pros
! perity. The church, like science, the
handmade Of religion, is adapting her.
self, to the needs and work Of the hour.
| The church is more than an evangel-
ical force. She is mental stimulant
and moral regenerator. To preach
Christ crucifed is but a part OF her
great mission. She must stand square,
ly and firmly in the pathway of evil
doors. She must permeate by her in
fuence all phases and conditions OF
life. She must make it hard to dc
wrong, and easy to do right. And sha
is doing it.
Jesus Christ died on the cross fol
human sin. Thank God for that. The
cross is our hope. But He did more
than that. He preached to the poor
He healed the sick. He showed men
and women the way of love, or hon
esty, Of kindness, Of brotherliness. The
social, the political, the moral. the re
1 ligious life Of the people. He touched
and Quickened and saved. My friends
, take heart The country is not going
. to limbo. The devil hasn't all Of tbt
} American people in his grasp. Great
; things are taking place in the name o1
our Lord and Saviour. Let us look tt
Him, follow Him and victory is sure.
/ Nations, like individuals, are power
) | fn1 IN the degree that they cOmm2nc