Daily Republican., 1878-03-25
The Military at Church.


On Sunday morning, Company C.num
bering thirty-five members uuder the
command Of Capt. Macalister, attended
the Hanover Presbyterian Church, to
listen TO sermon from Rev. Lafayette
Marks. Notwithstanding the incle.
ment state Of the weather there was a
good audience present. The Company
made very good appearance, and their
new uniforms and soldierly bearing cre-
ating considerable comment.
The Reverend gentlemen took for his
text the third, fourth and fifth verses
of the second chapter Of Paul's second
letter to Timothy: "Thou therefore en-
dure hardness as good soldier for Je-
sus Christ" ...,.
No man that warreth entangleth
himself with the affairs of this life; that
he may please him who hath chosen
him to be a soldier; and if man also
strive for masterieo pet is he not crowd
ed, except he strive lawfully"
In the above text the speaker said
the apostle was very largely influenced
by his surrounding, he adduced his illus
trations from objects that were perfect
ly familiar to him. This letter was
written to Timothy, young man who
had just entered the ministry, and it
was perfectly right that Paul should
illustrate christians life by metaphor
ically applying that Of soldiers
That was the age Of a vast military
dynasty. Paul, on his every side, saw
the innumerable legions of the mighty
Roman people. The Emperor Nero was
then to the world what Emperor Will
liam is now to Germany. Rome held
the nations of the world subservient to
its will through the iron-crush of the
heel of we'll disciplined and victorious
army.
As the life Of soldier requires dis
cipline, perfect obedience and tenaci-
ty of purpose, Timothy could not be a
faithful follower beneath the snow
white banner Of the triune God, unless
he possessed these virtues, virtues that
being daily exercised before Paul's vi
sion led him to apply the metaphor, as
alluded to in the text, to the formation
Of Timothy's christian experience.
You cannot Judge of the character of
a soldiers unless, you have seen his
courage tested. Upon dress parade
you see the gapdy uniform, you hear
the clash of the weapons of warfare,
their arms shine resplendent in the
rays of the sun, they execute the Off
eiai mandates with wonderful precision,
and their movements were regularity it
self; but the scene changes, nothing is
heard but the awful notes Of the roar
ing artillery and the groans of the
wounded and dying, nothing seen but
the iitful flashes from the musketry
in the hands of the opposing armies and
the field of carnage strewn with corpses
of the victims of sectional hate;
but, behold our soldiery advancing!
many Of them, most of them, nearly
all of them march with steady step to
the battles very front; but those who
linger, who are they with their arms
and accoutrements thrown from them,
and horror depicted in every linia-
ment of their countenances, telling dire
stories of flank movements by the enc
my and the flight Of their comrades:
who are they? They are the towards
that infest the camps of every army.
Oh. there is a vast difference between
playing soldier in the hey day of peace
and that of the real hardships of con-
tlict, when the enemy, with glstening
is streaming over the para
pets.
1t is the same with a christian, if he
expects to glide into the haven Of
rest by attending few drills and in
the time of adversely shirk his respon
sibilities, he will be very much mis-
taken.
In the life of soldier and that Of
there is a marked unanimity.
In both there is involved principal of
loyalty.
A soldier must surrender up every
hing. He is no longer himself; but is
under the command of another. He re-
'pects, aye reveres the honor of the flag
that floats over him. As obedience and
loyalty belong to every true soldier,
The speaker endeavored to impress up
IN the minds of his auditors the re-
luirements that our Saviour expects of
hose who possess these virtues; and
also spoke of tho utter void that remain
n ones existence unless we possess
perfect obedience and loyalty,-the
'equisites of soldiers position be meath
he banner of Christ.