Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-06-09
G. a. R. SERMON.
CONTINUED FROM 1sr PAGE.


ca ia Africa will probably be the lever
to lift that benighted people into the sun,
light of christian knowledge, faith and
civilization. Your arms made Africa 8.
redemption possible earlier, and thus
your work was greater than your con-
ception.
Who knows but what that was the way
of infinite wisdom, not only to preserve
the union and perpetuate the most hope
ful nation of modern times. but through
the emancipation of her enslaved ones
to lift the darkest, most enthralled, and
largest continent on the globe. up to
the broad, intelligent, pure. useful and
happy attitudes of evangelical gospel
life.
In the light of the history of "a years, a
bright era of progress for this country
and the church of Jesus Christ in it, no
country ever made such progress, and
evangelistic christianity never made more
rapid strides, or built such permanent
see and the world sees
that you conquered strong foe, with
brain and rifle and bayonet, with skill
and numbers and sword, and powder
and blood and life. You accomplished
no mean act. In eternity, who knows
but that it will appear that the union
forces were counselled by the same wis
dom and power that directed Isreal
against Amelek with Moses uplifted
hands: and thus you were with the
forces of destinv that swept the foe with
the swing of conquest" Honor
enough for a great age and great peo-
pie. You may well be proud of your
position, and the nation may well be
grateful for your chivalry.
In the centennial exhibition at Philadel-
phia modern implements of warfare had
a conspicuous place, and to the minds of
the intelligent, the ever conspicuous his
toric facts. and their destructive force,
was prophetic of the end of war.
The present vacillating condition of
the nations of Europe. in their threaten
ing attitude against each other, cannot
be accounted for, only that each is afraid
of the destructive force of the other in
any age but this war would have deyel-
oped there long since. Inventive science
has brought the warrior trembling at it's
feet, and the tendencies of the age are
with the purposes of the Messianic re-
ligion, peace on earth :" and these be-
ing the days of arbitration, which origi-
mated in the United States during Presi-
dent Grants administration, we see in
the spirit of the age the hope of the flu
ture, when nations shall learn war no
more, and the further prophecies of the
Word shall be as generally and literally
fulfilled as DR.. VIM. Butler saw them
fulfilled in India, where swords have
been beaten into ploughshares and
spears into pruning hooks. Utility will
then be the sphere of iron and not des-
truction.
1t was to bring about more perfectly
the reign of the prince Messiah, the
prince of peace,-that the fathers in the
May Flower embarked for this country
from Plymouth, England. They tell us
in the May Flower compact that their
purpose was the glory of God in the
advancement of the christian faith. y
Your efforts agreed with their aim. The
Grand Army of the Republic in helping
to perpetuate our free institutions will
ever prevent the noble purposes of the
fathers from being thwarted. Then a
nation of warriors possessed these lands,
who like the Ishmealites were against
every man ; but with the Puritans, in the
name of God, commenced the reign of
Messiah here. Landing on Plymouth
Rock, in that noble record they set up a
memorial to the rock of ages, on whom
they more implicitly trusted. That
trust was Indicative of this nation g mot
to in it's early life, and trust will be of
her, in her future developments, In
God we trust" Leaning on the arm of
the infinitely intelligent and benevolent
One. she was never more alive than now
to the amelioration of suffering, to the
advancement of social enjoyment and
physical prosperity. To advance these,
education is fostered, despite the defeat
of the Blair educational bill, which
though defeated, is not killed. May
God speed education with the Bible in
the public school. Education is compul-
sorry in England and Germany. I hope
it may soon be here. Industry is rife
and idleness--the custom of fools.-is fast
becoming a shame and vice. Philan-
thropy is abroad in the church and out.
Inventive science of the age is active and
very progressive. These are all looking
to the better and not worse condition of
the people Of the earth. The nations of
the globe are very adjacent to each other
through steam power and the telegraph,
through which they are increasing their
friendly relations. and their malevo-
lences are being discounted. European
expenses for war purposes are standing
menaces to their ruin. Think of more
than $40, 900, 900 per day, spent to keep
up standing armies and 70 pay interest
on war debts such facts indicate peace
with its benefit to the nations in the fu-
ture.
This universal peace is Indicated in the
dependence of the nations one on another,
out OF which has grown the great internation-
al interests OF the world. sources of profit and
strength, by which the people are drawn
tn0athpr in common fntarnRt
terprise. These interests must increase in the
very nature OF things; and in all and with all
we find the financial, scientific and intellectu-
al and even healthy evangelical rivalry,-all
antidotes to war and precursors Of peace.
That universal and lasting peace is coming,
is evident in the fact, that vice was never as
much held up for condemnation as now.
While there may be abundance of it in high
and low places. public opinion is in favor of
man race. Christianity Is abroad and though
he nations are not less courageous, war Is
viewed in a different light, 1t may yet be
necessary.tO appeal to its decisive force; If so,
Loyalty will supply the demands for men and
money. Yet the vicious instead of the honor
able In it. Is seen to predominate. War in
christian sentiment, and SO it will give way to
peace policies; and we are glad that we. live
in the days when a Universal Peace Union is
extant and we not only favor the resolution
adopted at its session in Carpenters Hall in
Philadelphia, July llth. 1876, which counseIIed
adherence to its policy in dealing with our
great international peace commissioners, who
should strenuously oppose the diplomacy of
any one power or united powers, dragging the
nations into war, or allowing 1t at all. only as
the last remedy after all other righteous
measures were exhausted.
To insure His reign of peace and make it
perpetual, it must be first individual and then
national, ChFists mode to bring it about is Pc
culiarly His own. 1t is spiritual process. He
takes hold of the individual heart and works
inwardly. He directed attention to the cleans
ing of the inside of the platter. Men had at
tended to the outside only AS the heaven is
placed in the meal to perform its work the
kingdom of Heaven like unto IL. '' is in you -
and from thence it goes out, yielding the
peaceable fruits of electromagnetic fruit
and act of life giving convincing evidence to
our friends and foes that we are in the king
dom of Christ and that 1t is in us.
The kingdom of Christ on earth and in men,
teaches them loyalty to the powers that be. The
members of the g. A. of the r. before me and
those whom they represent, are representa-
tives of the loyalty of this great people. when
loyalty meant something. 1t is easy TO
be loyal in time of peace, and especially to
such q government as this of the United States
OF America. But to be loyal in time of war
~ oRad xx~ffa fnr.I oASrl