The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1913-11-28
to this great civilization we see to-

|
day
History tells us that the fathers Of
Massachusetts once decided that popu.
lation would never be very dense wesi
of Newton, suburban town of Boston
The most hopeful among them thought
settlement would scarsely ever pene-
trate west of the Alleghanies and, ii
it ever did, that the Mississippi river
and western prairie would form a
natural boundary beyond which settle
ment could never pass.
Trails Were BIazed.
But civilization soon began it's west
ward march. Blazing it's way through
forests, crossing rivers, sweeping over
the western prairies it poured through
gaps and tunnelled it's way through
impossible mountains until today it
swarms over all the Pacific coast and
there will come up from north, south,
east and west, from town, city, and
country hamlet, the high, the low, the
rich and the poor
4th. 1 would name as the fourth
reason of thankfuliness, the religious
progress our country has made.
There was time when Israel could
say with joy and pardonable pride,
HE hath not dealt so with any nation.
could point to her history indicating
Gods special providence. But now
that text is quite as applicable to us
as it was to them, for how rich seems
our national history in times and
places where the hand of God seemed
especially to lead and guide us.
Essential to great religious future
| is the extent of domain and numbers
of people. What great advantages we
have in this respect! 1t is estimated
that from Is to IS of the first-class
powers of Europe could be set down
within our borders. According to the
density of population in Asia our land
would eventually support billion of
people.
Harvest of the Past.
Religiously we are standing in the
very harvest time of all the past. The
distant ages have been working to this
grand climax The good of at least
six thousand years augmenting heart
and mind comes to bless and help us.
We stand today where we can look
farther back and yet see farther into
the future than any former genera
ton. The institutions of education and
religion are built more securely than
ever before
There never has been another such
country as ours in an educational way.
Where can we find a country Offering
such liberal advantages to the poor as
well as the rich? Where else can a
boy come forth from obscurity to sit
upon the throne of nation? Where
could humble rail splitter come forth
from the woods to rule great nation
Or where could tanner grid on his
armour and go forth to military re-
nown, WELD the scepter of govern
ment, and be applauded around the
whole world?
Making Great Progress.
Religiously our nation is making |
great material progress at least Ac-
cording to accredited statistics there |
are being built ten churches per day |
in the United States One springs in
to existence every working hour in the
day and every working day in the
year. In our nation there are now
churches enough, allowing a seating
capacity of $50 to the church, to seat
the entire population of the United
States. That scarsely seems possible,
yet it is affirmed as true. This is
thought to be the largest and best ever
age of any country in the world. There
Ire today five times as many Christians
IN the United States as 100 years ago.
At this rate before this century ends
here will be 100 millions of Christians
under the banner of the
Cross in our own land. Less than a
century ago there was one Christian
o every IA of population and now we
have one to four in this nation.
Surely we are living, we are dwell
ng in grand and awful time, in an
lge on ages telling, to be living is
sublime"
Things Good and Bad.
I do not over look or ignore the fact
hat there are many foul blots on our
rational character, systems of graft,
Injustice, and inequality. But after all
We have great things to be thankful
or and we shall most fervently pray |
hat these evils be driven from the
and
There are now nearly 25 millions of
ur people who are protested Chris
ians What hope we have if this vast
multitude should turn earnestly to God
n prayer for the cleansing of our ma
ional character.
In conclusion we might fittingly ask
What of the future? Shall our sin be
h at of tho lows who raiected tha !