The Greeley tribune., 1908-07-08
rpl-E MEANING OF CELEBRA-
TION OF NATIONAL HOLIDAY
Rey. John noane Delivers Spichu'u
Patriotic Sermon Last sunday
Urges More Thought and
Less Powder


Text: Jerimiah 1879. lo-And at
what instant l shall speak coneen-
ing a nation. and concerning king
dom. TO build and to plant it: ii they
do that which is evil in my sight
that they obey not my voice, then
will repent OF the good. wherewith l
said | would benefit them.
A century and a quarter of nation
| al life has placed us at the front OF
the nations OF the world. Each re-
turning Fourth OF July finds us still
further in the van of prosperity and
national greatness. The expectation
of greater achievements yet to Some
characteriZes us as people iotN
optimism becomes at once our hops
and our danger. We are confident
OF our future and reckless in ar
preaching it. The story is told OF .
| fleeing cavalryman. who. when tn.
enemy was in hot pursuit, delibera-
| tely dismounted and tightened ms
saddles girth which was slipping,
and mounting again escaped we
need to stop sometimes and. giro
ourselves anew for the race OF our
national hfe lest We shall be over
taken by national ruin in the midst
| OF our vain boastings. Pride goeth
before a fall and we are proud ma
ton. However we'll grounded that
pride may be there is danger in II
for confidence breeds recklessnes.s
Other people have climbed the
heights of prosperity only TO forget
tne road by which they came and to
turn aside into the easier road that
leads down to oblivion. II would be
we'll for us at each returning In
dependence Day to use less powder
and more thought that We may re-
call the principles that have made us
great. the truths that have made US
| free.
Anniversaries and centennials
crowd our days and We delight il
glorifying the past. But our faith
ers' deeds can never be our saliva.
tion nor is there any hope in remi-
nicence. Only as We breathe in the
spirit of our fathers and do their
deed can We hope TO continue in
their greatness. To sneer at the
Puritanism OF their day. to disdain
the practice of their virtues makes
the noise OF our celebrations a mock
cry and reproach. BY the same
severity of living. not in detail but
| in spirit; by the same aspiration,
not in name but in direction, We
may continue the onward strides of
our nation toward an abiding great
ness. and only so. While We mag
nifty their virtues We may not hope
TO prosper in our vices, for We are
but squandering our patrimony. The
impetus of their goodness will not
carry US through the mire of our
own sin.
We need not, however, recall the
good old days and wish for their
return. Never were there better
days or deeds or men than there are
today. Any disclosure of corrupt
ion in high places or low need not
shake our faith in national progress.
We ought to be better than our faith
ers, however. else We are not so
good, for their virtues were the out
come OF a splendid. upward strug-
gle and to rest in their virtues loses
US the strength of struggle. We
may well question whether we are
equal to our opportunity: whether
We are true to our traditions. ioval
to that faith which has made US
great. For faith il is which has
made us great. and faith is the ONLY
foundation of any greatness. He
who does not believe in something
greater than himself can never rise
and he who has the loftiest faith will
rise the highest. Because we have
had the faith which rests nowhere
short of the eternal and omuipoteut
God, simple faith which refuses
the impediments of ritual and for
mallsm and touches God himself. we
have risen thus to our present place
among the nations of the world
lhere IS none greater and we NAV
thank God for it. He has given to
US all that We have of worth,
II We continue true to him he will
piess US. II We are infidel and faith
\ less We cannot prosper. for every law
OF nature will turn us backward. To
whom much is given OF him will
much be required, and because God
mas poured out his mercies upon us
ne VIII expect from US returning
gratitude and service.
DO not know that God has anv
higher call for a man than that TO
good citizenship. II one responds tn
tna' can II does not matter so much
"hat his business may be il only it ia
.hat IN which he can best prove his
good citizenship in the service of
ms country. He will then do that
which God has fitted him to do.
win all my heart l believe in human
ny, IN the men and women of our
nation. The vast majority of them
are at heart honest and earnest in
ene purpose to be true to the respon-
,oiii.ies sra resting upon them. They
are patriotic, self-sacrificing and
loyal to our national institutions.
is II not fitting at this time. whe,
our minds are filled with the recoi-
iections OF past victories and eloriaa
oeiore us to ask ourselves. what is
me relationship between the two
,ne nation and the church? VIVA,
nave they been to each other. and
are they interdependent?
Inc church is a divine ins,i,utio,
human and fallible it is true and
YET the exponent of God in ~