The Penn's Grove record., 1909-01-15
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. CORTLAND MYERS.
Theme: Uncle Sans Mark or the
World.

Theme: Uncle Sans Mark on the
World.
Brooklyn, N. Y.-That the oppor-
tunity afforded to men residing in the
Bedford section to hear the Rev.
Cortland Myers, pastor of the Bap-
list Temple, was appreciated, was
evident from the large audience
which filled every part of the Associa:
ton Hall of the Bedford Branch of
the Y. M. G. A. DR.: Myers theme;
also, was popular, being: "Uncle
Sans Mark on the World" He said,
among other things:
When I was asked to come here
and tell you something of my recent
tour around the world it seemed an
impossibility, there was 30 much to
be said. Where shall a man begin or
end7 Well, we crossed this conti-
nent, which is in itself enough for
one tour for any man; we visited the
Hawaiian Islands, touched at the
Philippines, saw China, Japan, the
Malay Islands, Burmah, India, Cey-
lon; then through the Red Sea, past
Arabia, to Egypt, to Palestine for the
second time, across the Mediter-
ranean, through Europe and Great
Britain and finally home to America
Gods own country!
The one thing that we noticed
everywhere in the world was that
there has been a tremendous amount
of progress, and that the progress of
civilization has been greater in the
last ten years than in the hundred
years previous; and that the greatest
element in this worldwide progress
is the influence of American institu-
lions and ideas. The eyes of the
whole world are turned to the Amer
lean Republic, the worlds purest and
greatest democracy. The civilized
nations of the earth are interested in
the things we have here, and they are
saying: "We must have the same
things as America; we must know
the principles of the American democ-
racy, and we must apply them to our
OWL governments"
In the past few years Japan has
adopted and applied the principles
of democratic government, and China
has awakened and is demanding the
institution of democracy, and God
only knows what is going to take
place there. The Empress of China is
dead, and thank God she is, for,
though she was a remarkable woman,
worthy to be ranked with Catharine
of Russia or Queen Elizabeth of Eng
land in many respects, her policies
have been dealing death blows to
any chances for advancement which
China may have had in the past. We
do not know yet what the outcome
will be, but, in the province of God,
we believe that mighty and marvellous
things are soon tc happen in that vast
and ancient empire, and especially in
the next decade. Already the I'M
heard of and we'll nigh inconceivable
thing has happened. AS the result Of
what has TRANSFERRED, the Chinese peo-
pie are demanding a constitution,
and they will get it sooner or later.
-ltis b same in ndia.aLor Mimic.
the Governor-General of that colony,
is writing back to England that it's
100000, 600 natives are demanding
representation and a greater share in
the government of their land, and all
the English newspapers ard period
icals are talking about the possibility
of a mutiny on the part of the Indian
native army of 100000 men, which
will make Lucknow and the Sepoy
rebellion look like child's play. The
watchword of the people is now
India for the Indians, with repre-
sentative and constitutional govern
ment!" Persia has caught the spirit
of the Western World and clamors
for similar rights. The Turks, the
Young Turks and all the Turks are
saying: I'VE will have constitutional
government, and the Sultan knows
that they are going to have it, in
spite of the fact that his promises are
not believed and his efforts to put it
of as long as possible.
Now the greatest, the most potent
influence in all this worldwide agi-
tation for liberty and human rights
is the American influence of which l
have spoken. When we were COM
ing through the Mediterranean, we
met n of those ignorant fellows on
our ship who know it all" and are
constantly displaying their ignorance;
and he said to me: @Have you seen
that picture back of you Oh the wall?
Well" he continued, "that is the
greatest and finest clubhouse in the
world" His mother told him to Just
keep still, but he went on talking
about it, showing his ignorance, till
his mother informed him that 1t was
a picture of the home of the Presi-
dent of the United States; then / had
my turn and / said to them: Eyes,
that's right! That's the biggest club
house in the world; that's the home
OF the Big Stick" That big stick
has had a wholesome influence over
the entire civilized world!
My friends, the one great mark
that Uncle Sam has put on this world
n all around the planet is the prin-
clple of individual responsibility.
This is the mark of civilization, and it
is the mark, especially, of Christian
civilization. The mark of heathenism
Is the clan, the tribe, the class, the
family, the bunch; it puts a lot of
heads together, and when it has them
all together, they don't amount to
much anyway; but the mark of civil
lzation Is the individual man, his
rights and his responsibilities. To
n citizens OF this country of ours,
uncle Sam says: "You are citizen
kings; o have a crown, wear it;
you have a throne, climb up on it:
your haye a scepter, WELD it; you
nave an individual responsibility. use
it," That is the glory of a Christian
civliizatlon; that lies at the centre of
1t, and 1T reaches to the very core of
the religious life of the citizen: that
is the fountain-head out of which ali
the streams of his life as a citizen
must flow; it is a principle, more
over, which comes to us directly from
the teachings of Jesus Christ, and a
mans personal relation to Jesus
Christ is what brings him into right
relation to God. This is the heart of
the Gospel. and it is the secret of the
Christian civilizations of the world.
Jesus said, IF a man will do His will.
he shall know of the doctrine" If
o want to take the right path, you
VIII not be long in learning what the
right path is. Mans condition does