Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1918-08-19
Conditions We're Ideal for Evening
out Door Meeting and Large
Crowd Assembled In
Court House Park.
REV. ARTHUR METCALF SPEAKS.
Preacher Dwelt Upon the New Spirit
Manifested in Meeting World
War Conditions.

Conditions were ideal for the union
vesper service in the court house
park yesterday evening at o'clock, to
the satisfaction of a large company
of people. The perfect outdoor set
ting added an element Of beauty and
peace to the other influences of the
hour and gave everyone present a
feeling that this hour Of worship un-
der the trees with a company from
all the churches is spiritual exper-
fence of deep worth.
| The service was opened with a
rousing period of congregational
singing led by double quartette Of
male voices. Familiar hymns were
sung and everyone entered heartily
into this part of the program. The
whole of the services were in charge
OF the Rev. J. w. Stiverson. The
Scripture lesson was read by Rev. R.
7. Chipperfield. Rev. c. V. Pence led
the congregation in prayer and a
special song was rendered by the
double quartette. Mrs. Stiverson was
at the piano and section of the
Methodist orchestra assisted in the
music. The Rev. Arthur Metcalf was
introduced as the preacher of the ev-
ening and all who were present were
forcibly reminded again, as all of us
need to be reminded repeatedly, that
all life is one piece and religion is
the effort to see the Divine purpose
and providence running through it
all.
The Sermon.
The text was from Revelation Pill
And saw new heaven and a
new earth, for the former things were
passed away" With this great vision
of better world to grow out of the
trials and expressions of present ex-
perience, the preacher Illuminated a
rapid but graphic sketch of the prog
ress which the race was making when
John wrote and which we can actual
ly see coming to pass about us to-
day.
The new heaven and new earth of
the text were not material, but new
feeling and thought and purpose.
When these words were written, Pal
estine had suffered SO many oppres-
sions and desolations that pessimism
would have seemed excusable, but
this Christian statesman saw that
the old Jerusalem was gone that a
new one might come and that what
was coming to pass was really the
manifestation of the presence Of God
in human affairs. 1t took faith to
see beyond the immediate appearance
to the new heaven and the new earth
but they have actually come to
pass.
We are in the midst of similar
revolution. We are not able to esti-
mate these changed times but new
thought of the Universe never before
equalled in human understanding has
grown up in our minds. We men and
women of America have travelled i'm
measurable distances in the last
eighteen months-far enough to set
at naught the greatest materialistic
propaganda the world has ever seen.
We have had supreme faith in our
country but the sight of what they
have done is revelation. The senti-
ments of the fathers is being focus
ed upon our age and in the fiery trials
of these days the pure gold of the
Christian democracy of this western
world is welded into a shining armor
for brave soldiery which serves a
great future with clear eyes and
dauntless courage.
The preacher dw>it upon the new
spirit manifested IN meeting the
draft. In the Ciyi- War there were
riots when Lincoln sried this means
of calling men tc the ranks, but in
these days draft boards are seeing
high courage, splendid willingness to
sacrifice for an ideal and a sort of
devotion that quickens our pulses
and makes us feel worthy pride in
the results of our generations OF
training in unselfish patriotism. These
young soldiers of ours are ready to
carry the principles of Washington
to the ends of the earth.
Moreover, we are demonstrating
that civilization, no more than bar
barism, can not be isolated. Whatev-
er We may have believed dogmatical-
ly about foreign missions-and some
good people have bounded their SYM
pathy and their sense of duty by linn