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

selves against Gods honor? The wise man OF all
the ages has written that better is he that rueth
his spirit than he that taketh city," And how
ever heroic you may have been in the service OF
your country, there Is higher heroism 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 a more
blessed, and more enduring, peace into which he
can deliver the soul All, 1t 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 discpine2
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 fnched? 1t should
not be. The training OF patriot soldier should
make him a mighty warrior In that higher strug-
gle in which Christ is the captain OF our salvation
Ii should make him wary ,obedient enthusiastic de-
voted fighting for better country its citizenship,
its Institutions, Its glory, and Its peace, with 50
much the ardor rs its cause is more sacred ts
heritage Of more worth than that Of the earthly
country which he accounts worthy OF his best
| effort and OF his hearts blood. In the vision OF
| the spiritual world, revealed to us through the
servant OF God we read OF one Faithful and True
| who leads the armies OF heaven TO do battle fol
righteousness, out OF whose mouth prOceedeth a
sharp sword with which he shall slnite the ma.
| lions, and on whose. garment sprnkled with
| blood is a name written, KING OF KINGS and LORI
| OF LORDS This Is the captain under whom We
are called To battle against spiritual wickedness
and the hosts which follow him in heaven are the
| army with which we ON earth are summoned q
cooperate. Many, many enemies threaten oui
peace but he that is faithful and true will surel,
deliver our souls In peace, II we fight with loya
| hearts under his banner
You call yourselves a grand army, and you are
| but this host Of Chfists soldiers Is a grande
army-grander In Its numbers; grander in IL
leader grander In It's struggle grander In the 70
suits which follow ON its Victories Your ranks
are sadly thinned now, and are being thinned yea
year by year; but the ranks OF that army are in
creasing You decorate the graves OF your com
rades with flowers, and lament that you see then
| no more. The veterans Of that struggle, however
| receive with accamatons their dead again TO life
and rejoice that death Is no more their portion
Great great is the peace into which the Lord OF host
delivers them-peace to their own soul fair scene
Of peace In which they shall abide forever more
All the camp-fres Of that grander army Int
their reunions may we all oomel Having Tough
the GOOD fight Of faith ON earth, having endure
hardness IA good soldiers OF Jesus Christ, ma
we receive the crown Of victory, may we share i
the blessings of the better, even the heayenl
country which, In lis contest with It's rebellion
hosts, now calls for our allegiance