The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-07-19
PATRIOTISM And RELIGION.
MARTIAL SPIRIT AND RELIGIOUS sENT1-
MENT NOT INCOMPATIBLE.

Sermon Preached in the Methodist
Church at AbbeviIle, =. c., before
the AbbeviIle Military Company,
July I6, 1898, by the Chaplain, HI.
w. Bays. ID. ID.
The services IN the Methodist church last
Sunday morning was especially for the Aobe-
Vile Rifles. Tue Company attended as an Or
ganiZation. They marched Into the church,
while Miss Chalmers, The organist. played a
sacred march.
The service was opened with special an
them by the choir.
Then followed Hymn No. 5G8-
Am / soldier OF the cross
A follower of the Lamb"
When the hymn had been sung the pastor
led the congregation In prayer, at The conclu-
sion of which an offertory followed by the
choir.
After the Introductory service Judge Lyon
arose and first addressing the pastor. turned
To the Rifles and said:
Permit me to say gentlemen, that as officers
and mem bers OF our local military organiza-
Lion, we are glad to have you With us as wor-
shippers today. Your coming thus, TO hear
your chaplain and our pastor Is pleasing 10
US 1t is our honor and we trust that 1t will
be both pleasant and profitable to you, colleo-
Friends, we as church and congregation
extend TO you u most cordial welcome. wei
come. yes, thrice welcome. ever welcome TO
this sacred precinct.
"The sword of the Lord and OF Gideon
Judges vii chapter, 20 verse:
Young Gentlemen OF the Military Company
OF Abbeville: Since you have chosen me az
your chaplain / may address you as COM
rades. Comrades Ia q very tender word-espe-
claly TO those who know its meaning from
the experiences OF four years OF soldiers lie
and soldiers fortune.
Rnf a IN address COmDany or young
men today, some OF whom are the sons OF the
brave soldiers who were once our comrades In
u comman cause.
thus confer upon stranger In your state
and community In electing me as your chap
lain. appreciate the honor because many
of you are the sons Of Confederate soldiers
soldiers whose memory. cherish with the
strongest sentiment OF my nature.
Yes, and shall continue TO cherish their
memory until l 60 down amid the deep
% When the he Son OF God shall come again.
These remarks will suffice as Introductory
to nay purpose, and l announce the following
deduction from the text as theme suitable
for this occasion:
Tc patriotic spirit is closely all,ed With reli0.
ious sentiment.
/ am fully persuaded that this proposition
Is directly opposed by very much OF the sen
timent formulated and expressed IN Inc pull
1, nevertheless, ask your attention TO- the
consideration Of this theme. believing 1t To
be true.
are prominent among all people. These
dominate our race. They are, the social. the
civil, the military. the commercial and the
religious.
Of these great incentives 70 motion, activity
TO answer their behests, the wheels Of com.
merce are put into activity. The social CIR.
Gle huns with the shouts OF gay and happy
revelers. .
The lobbyist and civilian take the hus.ines
and publish their respective creeds 10 anxious
ana hungry devotees.
ia abre are music 10 the soldier. and he seeks
fame and renown In the daring deeds OF his
calling.
The Church of God is the arena for acts Of
sIlrs the heart aud fires the brain. And the
soldier loves his calling and his country no
less because he worshlps The Christians GOD.
These great incentives TO action are so close
temporal and future safety, that our propo-
sition connecting two OF them In a close
union, is almost selfeyident, notwithstand.
Ing the common plea, that the martial spirit
They tell us that the sword Is the sign and
symbol of revolution. So 1t is. And revolu-
tion Is frequently the last resort left 10 a peo-
pie to maintain their civil and religious lib
critics.
The text is key to the sequal OF a revolu-
ton in perfect harmony with this state
ment.
revolution which completely destroyed
and exterminated one nation, executed Two
kings and made Isreal famous In all the an
This revolution was wrought by the sword
under The leadership OF Gideon, son or Joash,
aud by the specific direction OF Almighty
God.
Our first duty in this investigation is TO
consider some OF the more prominent facts
directly connected with the lesson before
FOR the gross impurity and stubborn
idolatry OF Israel, God frequently permitted
their foes To triumph over them, and some.
times carry them into captivity.
During the reign Of Joash the worst 1WorshiP S OF
Baal was almost universal In Israel. God
was weli-nigh lost sight of.
To rebuke this idolatry, God permitted the
MidianItes anu their allied forces to overrun
Israel.
gers spoiled and wasted the land. They led
upon the fat Of the country, until all Israel
was wasted and her fields were left desoate.
Od Joash quiet good man IN N ,bs Inc sard ma15
h erOic and patriotic youth. But seeing the
desolation which had befallen his country,
he could do noLhlng but await the divine d.
rectl0n.
On certain day this young Prince was
threshing wheat in all old wine press where
he had concealed himself from the foe !:
where the angel OF God appeared unto him
Israel out of the hands OF their foes through
his leadership.
But Knowing that seven years OF disaster
and defeat had enervated, If not destroyed.
the courage and patriotism or his people, ne
was unwilling to 60 against the immense
armies of Oreo and Zeba, leaders OF the ar.
mics OF indian, without positive assurance
of Gods personal direction.
the miracle OF "Gideon's fleece" the sure to-
ken OF divine aid.
Then. Gideon began the task OF reorganiZlng
the broken and scattered army OF Israel:
and at last he was a6le to muster 52OU0 men !:
while the forces OF INDIAN and Amslek were
said TO be like grasshoppers, iunumeraOe,
their eamels were IN number like the sand
With this army Of $4,000 warriors Gideon
pitched his camp on the hill sides overlook:
ing the valley or Jezrul, where the united
forces OF the confederate foe were strongly en-
trenched.
And there, under the pale blue sky OF the
east, W hile the stars look ed down from above,
between the hours OF midnight and early
dawn 3,2e0 years ago was fought the famous
battle Of Jezrul, between GIDEON, Tue son OF
and Amalek.
Judge, and all future ages are 10 become the
witnesses OF their deeds.
8. The spirit OF patriotism In young Gid
con was equaled only by his piety and devo-
ton 10 God, and the cause Of religion.
Where the three elements OF q righteous
cause, patriotic devotion. and an abiding
faith in God are prominent In the soldier, he
becomes almost lnvincible in the day of bat
tie.
With these elements combined, sending
away 81, 100 OF the 80 0OU men who composed
his army, Gideon met Amalek 1T JezruI with
only the remaining 800 men, whom God had
appointed to defend Israel,