Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-08-15
The duty Of dying for the Country.
SERMON PREACHED BY REV. JOHN
FRASER, AT DERBY CENTRE.

And one of them named Caiaphas, being the
high priest that same year, said unto them Ye
know nothing ut all, nor consider that It is eX-
pedient for us that one man should die for the
people and that the whole nation perish not.
And this spalle he, not of himself; but being
high priest that year, he prOphesied that Jesus
should die for that nation and not for that ma
ton only, but that also he should gather in one,
the children of God that were scattered abroad.
john Iii 1852.
How the fact of Caiaphas being high
priest, should make him a prophet can
not understand, except, as it made him
politician. ! do not suppose that in
bis ponliiical character, at the head OF
the Sanhedrim, he possessed inspiration
or infalIibility any more than the Pope
at The head of council or college Of
cardinals. The spirit he was o., creeps
ou! in the term expedient which he en-
ploys, for on the expediency of politicians
hung all their law and their prophets
he thought it foolish to hesitate about
sacrificing unjustly, one innocent man
when it would serve as he reasoned, the
public advantage. He thus enuncia.es
{ damnable doctrine for the apostle tells
US that the damnation Of those who would
do evil that good may come, is just. And
bis e1pedient or artifce failed as such
sxpedients always fail, Of the end pro,
posed, Although our Savior, according
to his council was put to death, tie Ro.
mans came and took away their city and
nation. The Romans themselves in the
death Of Julius Cesar, furnished a proof.
tba; the assassination or Illegal execution
bad men, even, can do no good to a ma
ton. 1t is bur cutting of the hydra
head Of tyranny which increases the
nomber Of tyrants. Righteousness alone
sxateth nation. As people, we are
brought to the present pass, because our
councillors, in past years, have, Caiphas-
like, substituted cxpediency for principle .
They advised not that one man should 7
die, but that a whole race should be
counted dead in law, to preserve the
Union. Christ has again been bought
and sold and suffered amongst malefac-
tors and thieves, in the person Of his
poor.
But God allowed and oycrruled the
evil counsel Of this Acbitophel, for his
own holy ends. Though bad man, he
was made to serve a good purpose
Though pseudo prophet he uttered
true prediction. There was more in it
than he knew or meant, for Christ was
10 die to atone for that people, and not
for them only; but for the children Of
God who were scattered abroad
We purpose to consider these words,
not in the sense in which Caiaphas gave
sentence, nor yet in the sense in which
the evangelist applies it to Christ, as the
Saviour of the world; but simply as the
foundation Of a few remarks on the pat
riotic duty OF dying, if need be, in de-
fense of our country; that the whole
nation perish not.
!. We remark, then, in the first place,
that our soldiers who die in this war, die
that the nation perish not
1. Like them, you should be ready
thus to devote yourselves, because the
national life has always been preserved
BY the death of her best children. Our
lend was at first settled by those who |
brayed thousand dangers, that they !
might here plant principles which the
world would not willingly let die. They u
we're cast on an inhospitable coast, at an
'nclement season of the year. They .
we're exposed to wild beasts, and savages U
more cruel than wild beasts. Learned I
men and refined women were willing in e
.he long struggle for a country, to die
unknown, and leave their names union "
bred; knowing that though all flesh, as "
he grass, withereth, and the glory Of man, 0
IS the flower of grass, ,falleth away, yet the h
word of the Lord endureth forever. They n
left freedom, order, education, religion, r
as the national institutions which God Il
could never let die. Il
Afterwards, when this nation was to n
take her place among the nations of the tc
earth, it was with the great price of the y
'acrifce of her noblest sons, she obtain p
ed her freedom. She was baptized with
q baptism Of blood. The farmer left his D.
plow in the furrow, and the smith his Ii
iron by the anvil. The physician thought m
that for once, to destroy life was better al
Than to save it, and the minister, after II,
'skins for bis text, "He that hath no II,
sword, let him sell his garment and buy Y
Dne,' concluded, with Demosthenes, that n,
The first, second and third thing in III
speaker was action and so led his peo- &C
pie 10 the field of battle. Then was W
shown the spirit that burned in the heart ~
10 the masses. =,
How many great and good men have il.
''ed, that this nation might not perish W