Morning journal and courier., 1884-05-26
At Center Church.
Decoration Day Sermon by Rev. D
 Newman smyth.

Decoration Day Sermon by Rev. Dr
 Newman smyth.
 Yesterday morning Dr. Smyth preached as follows: tIn an interesting chapter of an- cient history. the first chapter of the book of Exodus, we read in the eighth verse these words: Now there arose up new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph So the hero of one generation. is forgotten in the next The great service which Joseph ren-
 dsred to Egypt was ere long unknown to another king upon Pharaoh's throne. It is
 easy to forget nation's debt to the men
 who have saved 1t from famine OF sword.
 Already new generation has arrived in this
 country who know not the patriotism of the
 war; Nature herself is effaeing from the memory Of the earth the lines of fortiica-
 tions and the signs of battle6elds. Why then
 should we wish to keep in remembrance
 those fefmezs fearful days? Why should we keep sacred the soldiers day of memorial.
 and the veterans appear before God
 to remember in his courts the
 works of other days? Were our reeol
 lection before God of those great days re-
 newal of the enmities and passion of the
 war, the soldiers who love peace because they made it would be the last to re.
 kindle' the embers of strife. But there is stiil for us great and
 holy use to make of the memory of the war ;
 duty not of commemoration only of the
 manhood of our generation which lies buried
 in the hero's grave, but also of renewed con- secration of our spared lives in the purest patriotism and noblest spirit of that heroic
 age of the country. Accordingly, propose to address you upon the continued need of
 the spirit and virtue of the true soldier
 Allow me then in the first place to single out and emphasize some of the qualities which enter into $ true chivafric manhood. When Oliver Cromwell came to the head of the
 Puritan commonwealth, he asked Parlia- l ment for soldiers who made some conscience of what they did. The famous Ironsides regiment was line of men who made some conscience of what they did. + And you re- l member how to the soldier at his post nc word was so supreme az the simple word duty That sense of superior duty for 1 which. many have dared to die, is the first l element and the present need of true manhood. Conscience in work is always our | first great requirement; and the lack of con- science in work isnow the desperate peril oi | onr industrial civilization. We need men | i soldier's sense of duty. No community can afford not to bring to the birth, to raise, to educate and to honor suck l men. Another characteristic of the soldier. ! ly manhood, which we still need, is honor. Il Yes, gentlemen, in 8 Christian pulpit, and under the very banner of the prince of peace I would utter again and again that old l chigalric word honor. It is Christian word | Of conscience and honor courage will be I born to manhood. One of the blessings oi our war was the ringing emphasis which il laid on courage. Business makes men smart, I but not true and brave. Commerce makes f men capable and plausible, but not sincere 1 but not Independent. If courage is to come I nd-dWell with us, it must come straight l down from heaven. Suffer me to mention fourth element oi i true chivalric manhood to which am sure every soldierly instinct will respond. | mean most manly quality which we know better than we can define, will call it 8 cer. tain largeness and light of soul. We need to ! stand above our own labor as the Lords ! freemen. A man who does not have such large interest in life, who has no love above himself which commands him, condemns | himself to inevitable smallness of soul. The man incapable of any moral enthusiasm ol i magnanimous endeavor for the good of his | country and his fellow men is himself g beggarly and paupered soul in the midst ot 1 wealth. Oh, for large men now iu every calling and work of life ! Men whose characters gre built upon the rock and in whose souls there is something of heaven's own light |. Let me now remind you briefly of our present need for these manly qualities. There have been thrse great conflicts for American institutions and | the forces are now marshalling for B fourth. The first was the conflict of the pilgrim fore | fathers with the wilderness and the savage \ tribes. Phe second was for the independ-
 ence of this country. The third was for the physical unity and integrity of the nation. And now we are all living in g fourth age of conflict for our institutions and homes. We have finally to determine whether the people
 are morally capable of free self-govsrnment. hesitate not to speak of these high civil duties in this pulpit, which for over 200 years has never been silent in those great Isconhicts which belong to our political his-
 tory. Forgetting the passions which time has cooled, let us press forward as good sol
 diers to the duties which are still before us. Look, all you who would shake yourselves free from the defilements of this worlds common ways, who would stand up erect
 and free, your true immortal selves before God, look unto Jesus, the Saviour from sin, | the hope of the world, who for the joy set
 before endured the cross, despising the
 shame, and is set down at the right hand ot the throne of God"