Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-06-01
Preliminary Decoration Sermon.


the text Psalm ": 1s. Gle hath delivered my
soul in peace from the battle that was against me
for with many came they against me-
lie expressed his pleasure in responding to the
request made to him to preach upon this occasion,
| and bis confidence that all present united with
him at this time, as always, in sentiments Of
honor to the veterans Of the war which main
tanned our integrity as q nation, and secured the
triumph OF the principles upon which our ciyilza-
ton is based. They, in their turn had preached
a living sermon TO us all. In their presence he
gratefully acknowledged the lessons Of patriot
ism and self-sacrifice which their comrades in
| arms had taught him In their achievements and
sufferings on battlefield, in camp, and in prison.
The living and the dead whom his memory, called
up, had belonged to the same Grand Army, and
had taught the same lessons which they and their
companions whose memory they cherished, had
taught to those who were familiar with their
deeds
In this public recognition of God in connec-
ton with these annual rites which preserve the
memory, and still speak the lesson, Of patriotic
duty, they illustrated that impulse which ever
tends to bring the performance Of duty upon
high plane into connection with religion, and in
particular, incnes those who are acting under the
sentiment and are performing the duties, OF patr-
otism, to seek the guidance and the blessing Of the
Most High God. Inthe great emergencies Of war
the country's noblest and purest patriots from
its martyred president down, felt with sense of
unusual solemnity that they were acting under
the eye Of God and his supporting presence
and blessing they must have. And you, who are
striving to keep alive and perpetuate the spirit in
which our statesmen wrought, and our armies
battled, truthfuIly preserve the traditions and
suggestions OF those times, when you connect with
patriotic memorials and ceremonies the pub
lie recognition Of the God OF hosts under whose
blessing you achieved victory.
They did WELL also for another reason in their
capacity as soldiers who had fought, and we're
ready, II need be, once more to fight, for their
country to unite in public recognition of God.
Patriotism finds its justification in his appoint
ments, as well as Its support in the sense of his
blessing. 1t was not because the violence Of war
was wrought on a large scale, by numbers acting
in concert, that 1t is just6abe, but because God
the supreme King OF the world, had ordained civil
government with its authority and its obligations
They who have battled stand ready to battle for
their country. cannot more appropriately Justify
ness OF their purpose, than by appearing, when
with good conscience they may do so, before their
God, to invoke his blessing upon what they have
done, or stand ready to do. Woe be the patriotism
which cannot appeal TO the blessing OF God on
its measures Of violence, and in the name of our
God set up its banners Happy the patriotism,
like that which inspired your devotion, which
can, with good conscience, call upon the God of
hosts for blessing upon its armsl
And now, soldiers OF the republic as YOU have
come into the house Of God, acknowledging that
1t was with respect to his divine appointment that
you fought and under his blessing that you
achieved victory, II Is becoming that you remem-
Der with gratitude his goodness in delivering YOU
from the hand OF your enemies. Let your heart
echo the sentiment Of the Psalmist, q He hath
delivered my soul in peace from the battle that
was against me, for with many came they against
me-" You owe gratitude to God, in the first
instance, for your personal delverance from the
perils OF war. In common with many thousands
OF your fellow citizens OF this state and of hun
dreds of thousands OF your fellow citizens of
this country, you offered your lives to the
hazards of war, to maintain the integrity of
the nation in which God had happily given
you birth-right, and to preserve the Chris
tan civilization which God had implanted in its
dominant forces. You took your lives in your
hands, willing, il need be, to be sacrificed upon
the altar OF your country and to lay down life for
your friends. The sacrifice in many cases was
accepted, since there must needs be Victims since,
in accomplishing higher deverance God
spared not the perfect man. who was also his we'll
beloved son. Worthy OF double honor are they
whose last full measure Of devotion " was ac-
cepted and who lived not to enjoy the fruits OF
victory, and to receive the honor of their fellow
citizens. They who died in such cause, they
who will be honored In all generations of the re-
public's history, they who accomplished so much
for God and for humanity, are not to be accounted
unfortunate, though they lived not to enjoy the
fruits OF victory But God hath provided some bet
ter thing for you. You have returned to enjoy in
peace.the blessings which your helped to main
tain Forth from the storm Of battle you have come
once more, to grateful country, and tolthe affairs
and the firesldes OF your fathers. God hath de-
livered your soul in peace from the battle that
was against you; and to him the God of hosts to
him the God OF peace do you owe your tribute of
gratitude for his deliverance
And then, beyond the gratitude which you owe to
God for your personal deliverance, you owe him
gratitude in common with us all, for the general
deliverance which he has wrought from the evils
which threatened our national peace. and well he
ing, and honor You owe to him deliverance from
theperils of a divided country, which should leave
powerful and aggressive enemy along our entire
frontier. You owe to him the overthrow of
condition OF society founded upon a disregard of
the rights OF man, and which degraded the dig
nifty, and threatened the rights, OF every free-born
son OF toll. You owe to him the removal of a
fertile cause OF foreign complication, and of do
mesuc discord and bitterness, extending to every
community, to every church, and almost to every
family You owe to him the removal of a condi-
ton oil affairs which gave you the odious option
oil assisting to Cypress your ellowman or OF seem
ing to fail IN your constitutional duty and to be
disturber OF your countrys peace. You owe to
him the removal of a subtle influence which mar
alyzed the manhood OF your public men and OF
their constituents, and made American character
seem craven, timd and insincere, to degree be-
yond comprehension to-day. You owe to him
deliyerance from every obstacle which would
hinder you or your children from enjoying your
heritage in any part OF the nations domain You
owe % MN deiverance from any corrupting in
iiuence upon conscience and honor to be found in
the constitution OF your country. You owe to
him deliverance from fear Of any foreign foe. and
from undetermined limits of constitutional au-
thority which contained constant menace TO in
ternal peace. You owe to him the removal of
whatever causes operated against patriotism and
manhood, and hindered every manner of social
reform, and would have stood in the way of the
full development OF the Just, conscientious great
hearted, sound, American character of to-day
Was there ever a nation 80 delivered from enc
mics without and enemies within as is ours to-
day? Was there ever nation which so carried into
practical exempliiication the Christian teachings
OF the rights and the mutual relations OF men?
No wonder that its rise Is hailed from afar as
the dawning Of golden age. No wonder that
immigrants flock tn its shores beyond all capacity
of ships To carry them. 1t holds ont hope Of
blessings beyond measure TO generations yet to
come, and carries in II the promise Of the modi-
teation, II not Of the regeneration, Of society
all over the globe From the last enemies which
would have threatened this its high destiny we
were delivered by the Almighty in the great
conflict In which you were privileged 10 bear a
part. He hath delivered our soul in peace from
the battle that WAS against us, for with many
came they against us and, therefore, from us ALL
and especially from you who have the joy OF
thinking that you were the sword in his hand In
effectng this deliverance, are thanks due unto
his name.
And now 1t becomes us to ask II there is not
higher sense In which these words OF the Psalmist
may be fulfilled? Is there not struggle which is
not against flesh and blood, but Is against princi-
palities and powers, against spiritual wicked
ness in high places? Are there not enemies,
and our brethrens spiritual welfare and lift them
selves against Gods honor? The wise man OF all
the ages has written that better is he that ruleth
his spirit than he that taketh city," And how
ever heroic you may have been in the service of
your country, there Is a higher herosm TO be
shown in the service OF your God however blessed
your measure of individual and OF public peace
acquired by Gods deliyerance, there is more
blessed, and more enduring, peace into which he
can deliver the soul. All, it pains me to see one
who has borne his part in carrying the victorious
arms of his country himself manifestly overcome
by an invisible foe. Has he lost his vigilance
against lurking enemy through his experience
OF the camp? Has he lost his respect for author
ity through his experience of military disciplineP
Has he lost his enthusiasm for high and noble OBJ
ects because he has fought for his country? Has
he lost his heroism because he has often looked
death in the face and never finched? 1t should
not be. The training OF patriot soldier should
make him mighty warrior In that higher strug-
gle in which Christ is the captain OF our salvation
Il should make him wary ,obedient, enthusiastic de-
voted fighting for better country, its citizenship
its institutions Its glory, and its peace, with so
much the more ardor It's is more sacred its
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