The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-05-31
MEMORIAL DAY SERMON.
,HE CONFLICT FOR TRUE MANHOOD

Quit you like men, be STRONGEST Cor. 1913
We are here to contemplate the piin-
ciple of human freedom, SO dear to
every American heart, in connection
with our heroic dead and in the light
of the Gospel of Christ. The main.
tenance and the development of this
principle has not only broken the
scepter of kings and the will of mon
archs. but it has broken in the life of
Christ and his devoted followers the
principle of evil, which enslaves the
body and soul of man more than an
hundred taskmasters.
Let us not suppose that there is a
difference between the principle which
enslaved four millions of our race i'm
the south, and that which cripples
and enslaves our race as a whole.
That principle of evil which held the
negro in bondage in our own fair land
for more than two hundred years, is
hindering the physical and social en-
ioyment, the intellectual and spiritual
development of every man, woman
and child under the canopy of Gods
ethereal blue. The slavery in the
South, the iron scepter of kings, the
oppression by favored few, the starv-
ing demands of capitalists, the unjust
demands of laborers, the schemes and
tricks of practical politicians" the
maintenance of the liquor traffic.
these and a thousand other existing
evils are simply different forms of the
one great enslaving principle of sin to
which the human race has willed to
be subject.
These various forms of evil are the
outward manifestations Of Satan's
kingdom in the world. And those who
uphold the evil in anyform have array.
ed themselves against the army of the
Lord of hosts, which is fighting under
the banner of the cross for the entire
freedom of the whole race.
We differ widely from those who
think that Jesus, being divine as well
as human, had an easy and delightful
task to perform on earth;
Those whose bodies are now mould
eEing in the narrow confines of the
graves ca the battle-fields of the south
whose lives were sacrificed in the con-
hict to rid the nation Of just one lep-
rous spot, or of one form of the enslay-
ing principle of sin, those soldiers who
are to-day physical wrecks, who have
sacrificed in the conflict an eye. an
arm, a limb, an healthy body, and all
the educational opportunities of their
early manhood-these will all testify
TO the fact that the road to human
freedom is not con fiowery beds OF
easel. If the soldiers in the late war
have learned this in trying to rid this
country of one form of evil, what must
the suffering of our Lord have been in
his effort to rid the world of every form
of the enslaving principle ofsin?
In this conflict for freedom the sol.
diers ''quit themselves like men,
Now we have united and free
country. God be praised for the men
who were willing to suffer and die in
order to break the evil existing in the
form of slavery.
In the enjoyment of peace and home
we look back to the bravery of oul
soldiers with grateful delight. But
let us not forget that Paul does not
confine the meanin} If our text to q
single conflict with the enslaving prin
ciple of sin, He does not mean that
it is sufficient to be strong in our eff
forts to break the power of evil exist.
ing in the form of physical subsection
As already indicated our Lord came
and suffered even unto death thai
lie might conquer the evil in all it:
forms.
In view of His victory over sin anC
Satan by making 1T his meat to do hi:
Fathers will; in view of what we can
cOnquc- in, and through Him, we ar,
commanded by Him who is acquaint
ed with the nature of the warfare be
tween the good and the evil, to "pu
ON the whole armour of God that we
may be able to stand against the vile:
of the devil"
There are those who hold up the
church as an object of ridicule because
there are so many in it who doubt anC
fear and tremble; there are those who
laugh at her feeble efforts, and at hel
inability to prevent desertion. But
ask were there any doubling, fearing
and trembling soldiers at Bull Run
Shiloh and Gettysburg? Were there
any deserters in the conflict for nation,
M freedom? From the beginning tC
the end of the war our Eoble leaders
had to strengthen their men by words
of encouragement. "Men do your
duty" "stand to your post, "stand
TO your ground "hold the fort" and
yet there were those who feared and
trembled and finally deserted. Words
of encouragement are more important
in the conflict for universal freedom.
Paul passes along the Corinthian line
and encourages the little company OF
believers in the language of the text
"Quit you like men. be strong"
Many law-abiding Christians, who
propose't to be loyal subjects to the pow.
ers that be, found themselves accident.
Iy in Oklahoma before the appointed
time. What right have we to violate
the law for gain, in one part of the
country and enforce the law in anoth-
er part?
We want men in the church and in
the State who are not only willing TO
abstain from one form of evil, but who
keep in view the entire freedom of
the individual and the race from every
evil. What profit will it be in the con-
flict with evil to abstain from all in.
toxicants. and take the name of the
Lord in vain? What profit will
it be to avoid profanity and have
an unrestrained love Tor money, which
is the root of all evil. 4 chain does
not serve good purpose unless every
link is strong. 4 man may have ex-
celleDt morals and many religious
= Il hifa md vat ha O ell 70 co,,,1 ono