Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1843-11-17
From The Citizen Soldier.
A Revolutionary Relic.
A SERMON

A SERMON
Preached on The eUe of The BalHe Of
Braadywas By the ReO. jacob PrOut,
Sept. 10, A D. l777.
"They tina, take the sword shall perish !
by the sword"
Soldiers and CORatrymen: - We have
met this evening perhaps for the last
time. We have shared the toll of march,
the peril Of the fight, the dlsmOy Of the
retreat alike we have endured cold !
and hunger, the conumely Of the inter.
nal foe and outrage OF the foreign op
pressor. We have sat, night after night,
beside the camp fire, shared The same
rough soldiers fare; we have together
heard the roll OF the reveiIe, which
called US TO duty, or tho beat oI the tat
TOO, which gave the signal for the hardy
sleep Of the soldier, with the earth for
his bed and the knapsack for his pill
} low.
| And now, soldiers and brethren, we
have met in the peaceful valley, on the
, eve Of the battle, while no sunIight is
a dying away beyond yonder heights. tho
sunIghl that TO morrow morn will g'lm'
q mer on scenes OF blood. We have met
n amid the whitening tents Of our En-
d campment, in times Of Terror and Of
q gloom, we have gathered together, God
d grant it may not be the last time,
q 1t is q solemn moment, Brethren,
. does not the solemn voice Of nature
# seem TO echo the sympa;hes Of the hour ?
Ths flag of our country drOOps heavily
h from yonder staff, the breeze has died
. along the green plain OF Chadd's Ford
a, the plain that spreads before us, glls,en
a log ia the sunlight; the heights of the
Brandywine arise oomy and grand be
4 yond the waters Of yonder stream, and
IN all nature holds q pause OF solemn sill
,r ence, on the eve OF the uproar Of the
i. bloodshed aud strles Of 10 morrow.
r. "They that take the Sword shall perish b.
10 the SpOrd," e."
l. And have they not taken the swordi
10 Let The desoIaled PLAIN, he blood
n, soddened valley, the burned farm house
n, backening in the sun, the sacked VII
1n age and ravaged town, answer-let thC
l. whitening bones Of the butchered farm
al or, s,rewn along the 6elds of his home
IN stead. answer-let the starving mothe
lc with the babe cIingiDg TO her withereC
Of breast that can afford no suslenance, lie
no her answer, with the death rattle ming
e. ling with The murmurng tones thu
mark the last struggle for life let tn
ry diving mother and her babe answer!
f. 1t was tut a day past and our Ian
lily slept in the lighl OF peace. War wa
led not here-wroDg was not here. Frau(
of and wo, and misery, and want, dive
The not among Us. From the eternal sol
Try tude Of the green woods, arose the blu
smoke of the sel,Ier's cabin, and golde
fields Of corn look cd forth from amid th
III waste of the wilderness, and the glU
music of human voices aw0ke The siIenC
Of the forest
the Now! God Of mercy, behold th
ler change! Under the shadow Of pr
sat text, under the sanctitv Of the name
lila God, invoking The RedeemOr to The
mis- aid, do these foreign hireiugs say OF
he people! They throng our towns, the
n a darken our plans, and now they er
- compass our posts on The lonely PalI
Ent Of Chadd's Ford.
nth "Tbey that take the sword shall pc
the ish by the sword"
re- Brethren, think me not unworthy
the belief when tell you that the doom
mo. lhe Brush is near! Think mo not va
cad when tell you that beyond the col
Of that now enshrouds US, see gatherlI
,lch thick and fast, the Darker cloud a,
lth the blacker storm of Divine ReIrit
oaI' llon.
un' They may conquer US on the morro'
nIch Might and wrong may prevails and
esls may be driven IRON the field; but
'nce hour of Gods own vengeancs will com
sand Ave! il lhe vast soIlIudes oI eterr
rec space, If in the heart OF tho boundle
the universe, there lhrobs the being oil
'ler awful God, quick 10 avenge and sure
'rat punish guilt, then will the man, Oeor
fs of of Brunswick, called King, lee IN
q for brain aud in his heart, the vengeance
and the Eternal Jehovah! A blight will
p.- upon his Iile; a wiIhered brain, an
bes cursed intellect; blight will be up
,lor, his children and on his people. Ort
81 Of God! how dread the punishment!
gly- A crowded popuIace peoPlog
ther dense towns where the man OF mon
f his lhrves, while the laborer slarves; WI
ason s.rldlng among the people IN all
nate forms Of lerrot; an ignorant and u
,aiy defying priesthood chucklng over
lace, mlseros Of millions; proud
te- msrcess nobility adding wrcng
hiuI wrong, and heapiOg insult upon rob-
we're ay aud fraud; royalty corrupt TO
mur' very heart, sraloctacy FoIlen IN