Year: 1879

twenty years ago, and more Amen


can. We are less separate States


jealous of their independent authOri


ty, and more a consolidated nation


The general education training al


together is breaking down distinc


tions of race. The iron pathways o.
commerce reducing to a few day.


journey our broad distances, anC
giving our people one Commercial


interest are conquering separation oI
section. The religion of Christ
preached in all parts of our land


with an open Bible, an active church
an ever present missionary labor, i,
subduing difference and bitterness
and molding our people as one
True, the molding work is yet but IL
process; but it is process prophetic
of complete union. No human pow
er will be strong enough to stay thit
fraternal progress; and the party ol
the sect which puts itself in the way
shall fall before it. We do not over
look the work which is yet to be done
nor th opposition in the way. We
appreciate the fact that there are for
eigners not Observation-Disclosures
Cling to perpetuate. their peculiar
ideas on our soil. We know well
that there is sectional bitterness il
one portion of our land striving tC
keep it apart from our general
civilization and freedom and even &C.
cepting our Union only as a stern
necessity. We do not forget the
problem, far deeper than any OF
the Others, of the two races in that
section, so utterly distinct, with a
history so opposite, and interests that
seem so perpetually to clash. Nol
do we put ont of sight the lack OF
patriotic virtue on the part of Sc
many influential men of all parties,
which leads them to stir up strife fol
the sake of personal aggrandizement.
Yet acknowledging all this, he must
be shallow observer who does not
see that, back of party strife and mu.
tual accusation, the heart of the ma.
tion beats for unity, and the progress
of the years is toward fraternity
When we compare our nation in this
regard with what it was fifteen years
ago, we wonder not at the divisions
remaining; we wonder at the rapid
progress of assimilation. And we be.
lieve that when these fifteen years
have become a generation there will
be little trace of these sectional trou.
bles that once deluged our nation in
blood. And l repeat it-this pro.
gress to union and assimilation is one
before which every opposing power
shall fall. Its strength was tried in
our long civil struggle as it never
We believe, can be tried again;
and the will of the patton and the
will, as we think, of God was then
declared. And the spirit that could
conquer such a strife willnot parley
long with other disturbers, but will
go forward unfinehingly in its mis-
sioa. of making this. grand nation
truly and forever one.


1t IS not needful, in speaking of
this wealthy place of national pros
Iperity into which God is bringing US,
that should detain your thoughts
long in review of the fire and water
through which in His wisdom He
has led us-the struggle of the early
settlers with the climate and the for
est and the savage; the struggle Of
the young nation for independence
with the mightiest power of the
world; the struggle of American
principles with foreign ideas and di-
Visive projects; and, last and fiercest
of all, the terrible struggle by which
the nation asserted her unity and the
freedom of all her citizens. We
thank God that these things are past
history. May he give us wisdom to
learn their lessons so thoroughly that
He will not need to bring US again
through those depths.


Sd. look higher now than our
nation, and make longer retrospect
than over the two or more centuries
since this people was born on the
western wilds. This is areligious as
well as national day. And there
is another nation than America, or
England, or Germany, or any of the
political divisions Of the world. a
nation of which these civil organiza-
tions are a type, and for whose inter-
ests God has given them being.
The Lord Jehovah has nation in
this world. The church Of Christ is
the kingdom of Kingdoms. We look
back over the long course of eight
teen centuries, and ask; how has
God led his church? We answer; as
He has led this nation. Fire and
water have been the path through
which she has trod. Assailed by all
error and all wickedness; doing her
loving work amid worlds enmity;
no history of a nation has recorded
trials more terrible than those
through which the elect nation has
been called to press on. The thought
full student of church history must
often wonder that any faith should
survive such trials, and prove irwin.
chile by all the might of the world,
save as he realizes that Christ has
established His church and the gates
of hell shall not prevail against it.


But where is the church of the liv-
ing God now? All, what a trans
formation from the past ages! In
stead of the civil power welding the
sword of oppression, her faith is pro-
fessed by the leading nations of the
world. Instead of suffering the loss
of all things, the wealth of the world
is being made tributary to her ad-
vance. Instead of being hunted into
deserts and shut up in caves, she is
assailing the posts of wickedness
everywhere. Instead of the almost
hopeless struggle to hold what she
has gained, she is sending her sol
diers to conquer the world, and
planting her outposts in every ma
tion. If this is the age of prosperi-
ty in any respect, more exceedingly
is it the age of the prosperity of the
church of Christ.


True, there is much here also that