Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-06-09

And h" divided the people that Was with him
of :.
In the whole marvellous range of holy
felicities with which the pages of D.
vine Revelation are crowded, | can
think OF no inspired line so betitting
this occasion as that of my text.
take it for granted that this meeting OF
the members of the Grand Army of the
Republic is in some respects a memorial
meeting a meeting held in memory OF
days and scenes and trials and hard.
ships and dangers through which the
Lord led you with safety and, which
have secured the blessings of happiness
and prosperity TO our common country.
The spiritual meeting also, so TO speak,
OF men who escaped the edge OF the
sword" in the late civil war, with men
who counted not their lives dear unto
themselves" but yielded them up and
placed them as willing sacrifices upon
the altar of their country. And, al
mitting that this is such a meeting, my
brethren, then, according to our belief
as to the nature of the unseen world
and the character of its inhabitants. the
name of this place, for the present,
shall be "Mahdndim' place of tho
meeting OF "two hosts :" the one seen,
the other unseen. The one sitting here,
still clothed in the habiliments of the
flesh, the other lying yonder, covered
with the dust OF their mother earth, in
the city OF the dead. Indeed the name
OF this place for the presentfAall be to
us MIhDlaiB,,' trih dHE>r kmsumg
also. 1t shall be the place - meet
ing of that host whictSit6Vp but TO
meet an angry brother /eht hat
host of angels whicBh a. .th
with them to guard tIHaX
1t is from this sugg
that | desire to drs
editication, this mo pIids,
rather than from an - Political
principles and questions inv Pd in the
iratricidsl contest which WAL try to
forget, in the light of what it cost but,
from which patriotism draws fresh in.
spirstion in the presence OF what it
purchased. For it was never we'll for
the world when the pulpits, designed
for the oracles of the Gospel of peace.
rung out with battles aud alarms, and
the soft and still trumpet of mcekness
and charity, which should sound from
thence, was outnoised and drowned
with the thunder of drums and the
roaring OF cannons.
The commission Of the Christian
minister instructs him to put on no
armor, but "tho whole armor Of God -
TO enlist no volunteers, but tor Heaven
and to proclaim no war, but between
men and their lusts, from which all
other wars and fghtings proceed
may very we'll be excused, therefore, if
! do not understand the language of
your discipline and drill. If cannot
talk in rank and file and, IL do not
flank and rear my discourse this morn.
ing with correct military illusions.
Let US, then, at once turn back 10 the
text and see what we may learn from
it. Jacob had gone down to Padan
Aram. He had taken with him no
sheep, no oxen, no cainels, no goods.
or wealth of any kind-nothing hut the
clothes upon his back, bottle OF wa.
ter swung from his shoulder on the
one side, a hayersack of bread swung
from his shoulder on the other side,
and, pilgrims staff in his right hand
instead OF a warriors sword. lie had
served his uncle Laban fourteen years
and had lived six years beside in the
same country. lie was now returning
to his native land-where he was almost
n stranger-with fiocks and herds and
menservants and maidservants, even
very great company.
IL his leave taking from Laban,
though only an incident of every day
life, was picturesque and affecting, his
anticipations OF q perilous encounter
with his powerful and exasperated
brother, gave place to still more pictur.
esque and affecting scene when he met
Esau. But, between the two-between
the leave-taking from Laban and the
meeting with Esau.-is interposed a
surprising ard splendid revelation oi
the powers of the unseen world. "Ja.
cob went on his way and the angels ol
God met him and when Jacob saw
them, he said, this Is Gods host and
he called the name Of the place Maha.
naim." Observe that just when he was
expecting to meet his angry brother
armed TO the teeth, and leading against
him an army Of equally angry soldiers
bent on the destruction of him and his,
loi he meets the angels of God
Consider only, my brethren, what /,
invariably the language of Holy Scrip
ture concerning those august inhabit
ants OF Heaven, and then picture tc
yourselves the patriarch's astonishmeni
! and JOY. The radiant countenances