The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-09-26
SUNDAY SERMON.
Rev. Powick's Interesting Discourse In
the NJ. E. Church Sunday Evening.

Rev. Powicks Interesting Discourse In
the NJ. E. Church Sunday Evening.
The sermon at the Methodist Episcopal
church on Sunday evening was on the
Great Encampment'" III 1 forget thee,
o Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her
cunning. If 1 do not remember thee let
my tongue cleave to the roof Of my mouth,
if prefer not Jerusalem to my chief joy"
Palm 1877, 5 g. Such was the spirit with
which the Lords captives in Babylon re-
garded their native land. This is the spirit
which ever brestbes in true patriotism.
Patriotism is not religion. A man may be
truly patriotic, as was Paine, and not be re-
ligious, nor even moral. But man can
not be truly religious and not be patriotic
No Christian can avoid feeling sense of
gratitude for the patriotism that led so
many to brave the hardships Of war in de-
fence Of he Union, and none can help re-
jocing with them over the privilege they
have just er joyed of gathering once again
at the Nations Capitol to celebrate their
hard-fought victory. Among the lessons
suggested by the greet encsmpment was
one concerning the magnitude of the civil
war. We have heard of upwards of 0OO,
600 of Americas choicest sons having re
sponded to their country's need. But
when figures are piled up in such pro-
fusion they become only the meaningless
symbols of unimsginsble multtudes-we
cannot take them in. But when the Nations
heroes marched through Washington the
other day hundred Thousand strong aud
when we stood fer seven continuous hours
watching the veterans of 1000 engage
ments as they marched 25 abreast urder
their commanders eye, and remem bered
that they represented less than one-twenti-
eth of The Union soldiers engaged, new
generation began to realize as never before
the meaning of that ~ful war.
Another lesson concerns the debt Of graft
itude " owe TO the human saviors OF the
Nation. As we thought Of the stability
and prosperity OF the Nation and then wit
messed the empty sleeves and bsltiDg Grip
pies and bowing forms through whose sac
rifces we have received these blessings, a
new generation began to realize that it will
require more than dollars and cents to dis
charge that debt
Another lesson to such as looked beneath
the surface proclaimed what a horrible and
hateful thing war is Such demonstration;
may throw an unwholesome glamor upon
war and kindle a desire in some for military
| honors; but war is neither more nor less
than wholesale human butchery, under the
sanction of national exigencies, which,
| evil. When We think of the more than
three hundred thousand Union graves that
attest the savsgery Of war we shrink in
horror at the thought
But the moral cost was the most serious,
The whole nation has suffered an mex
pressible debauchery Cf conscience from iii
familiarity with blood and carnage O1t
of the results of the war seems TO be AT
incapacity to deal intelligently with the
great living questions of the present. II il
to be feared that until the, offensive car
cases that died on southern battle field
twenty I've years ago are buried out o
sight, and until the heroic participants il
the struggle have passed from time tt
eternity and new generation comes to the
front, we shall not be able to grspple sue
cessfully with the moral questions of the
times. The Sabbath is assaied, the public
schools are imperilled, the nation is beinl
inundated with rum, and sad to say, null
titudes of those who were on the right side
of that war are on the wrong side of this
Yet this is more important than that was
and its issues are vastly more iar-reachinR
as the souls OF men are more importan
than their bodies, and as eternity is NOR
consequence than time.
Another lesson was concerning the valu
of "record," The p-oudest men in tn
parade were the First Defenders, and justl,
so. They stood by truth on the scaffold--
they are now crowned with her on tn
throne, When they endured the sacrifice
they little thought of the glory to follow.
In the moral conflicts of life we are max
ing our record. 1t will he examined b.
and by at the judgment. 1t will then ap
pear that patriotism is no substitute 70
piety-that man might be loyal to hi
country and a traitor to his God Alex
ander conquered the world and wept, W
are told, because there was not another t
conquer; hut, like many other patriots, h
died miserable slave to his own sppetit
for strong drink. Greater is he tha
ruleth his own spirit than he that tsketh
city"