The Newtown bee., 1894-06-01
Affairs About Town.
 THE PATRIOT SOLDIER.

THE PATRIOT SOLDIER.
 SERMON PREACHED AT ST JOHNS
 CHURCH, SANDY HOOK, MAY 27, BY
 REV 0. o. WRIGHT.
 Text, Cor. 16 IS, "Watch ye, stand fast in 1t Lhe ialth, quit you like men, be strong Let all that ye do be done in love-"
 There was never a time when these words were more significant than now. There was never place in which they were more applicable than here. There was never state of society in which this grand appeal of the great Apostle could come with such combined force of self interest and patriotism and Christian de- votion to each and every individual as this in the midst of which we are living. The world is always in state of crisis of some sort, but the present is 8 time of crisis which involves more and greater interests of the whole human race than mas ever been experienced by any people. We have reached a certain stage in the progress of Christian civilization at which the great issues of the day are no longer confined to states and nations alone, but affect and concern at once every people on the face of the earth. The patriotic citizen of this land, at least, stands in vi- tai, personal relations to all men. The theory Of our government and the spirit or our institutions put every man on the same common level of personal liberty and moral esponsibility. It is no longer a question of empire but a matter of in- diVlduality. It is not matter of race, but question of character.
 IT IS NO LONGER A QUESTION
 of might but question of right. The power of control is not vested in the bull let but in the ballot. It is not the gov- ernment of the people by despotic power, but the government of the people by themselves. The majesty to which we bow in reverence, or Tn fear, is not that of kings and potentates surrounded by standing armies and decked in all the splendor of martial array, but the simple majesty of the law which we help to make for ourselves and which in the na- ture of the case we are bound to respect and obey and fight for if need be for our own safety and the common good.
 Our simple, Christian socialism makes every man our. neighbor and fellow citi- zen, whatever his race, or nation, or re- llglon, or character, or circumstances ip life. Strange, heterogeneous elements, social, political, educational and ecclesi- astical are commingled and massed to- gether with the common purpose of find Ing home and liberty and happiness. The man who chops our wood, perhaps, involves us in diplomatic relations with the government of Italy and our laun- dryman raises the serious question of a new treaty with China.
 Aliens of every sort, good, bad and in- different, ignorant and intelligent, loyal and lawless, paupers and criminals, many who are patriotic and many who never heard of the Declaration of Independ- ence, to say nothing of the ability to read it, jostle us and each other as we go to the polls to exercise the sacred right and duty of self-government. l state the the case in this form, not to complain that these things are as they are, but in order to raise the question of all ques- 5ions of greatest importance to all these people who have come here and consti- ute this strange medley of society, wba shall be the result of this novel and un- commingling of races and nations, with all their diyersities of ex- periences and prejudices. religions and practices. Will the principles of our re- publican government and institutions prove to be
 EQUAL AND SUFFICIENT
 to the conditions imposed upon them? Will these millions of aliens learn to love this land of liberty and become lava bid ing and patriotic citizens? Will intelli- gent self-irterest lead the great majority of these swarmiDg multitudes to conform to each other and to maintain those true inalienable rights and privileges which make this country the asylum of the op- pressed, and poor and persecuted of ev- cry land? Will these people learn to gov ern themselves in that grand American spirit of liberty and true righteousness which gives the greatest freedom to each and all consistent with the safety and greatest good of the whole?
 These are the grave questions which must come home to the heart and mind of every serious and thoughtful man who loves his country and seeks the good of his fellow men. That God rules in the affairs of nations making even the wrath of man to work to His praise there can be no doubt. 1.-The earth is the Lords and all that therein is; the compass of the world, and they that dwell therein. ' We can trust in Him whatever may come, and we need not be anxious about the re- suits except that as God works by means and we are factors in the divine plans and progress of the world we need to know what is expected of us as co-workers with Him that we may have grace to do our every duty in accord with His spirit and purpose. It may seem that any one man can do very little to better the con- ditions of the world, so broken and con- fused are the relations of men, but there was never time when any one man could do so much and so we'll to help to win the victory of faith and
 RIGHTEOUSNESS ON THE EARTH. Never was so much expected of each in- dividual in the world as now. Never as now was each man ruler with the re- responsibilities of government resting upon him. The cause of right has become the cause and the right of every citizen of the commonwealth, of the town, and the state and of the country and of the world. The victory of the kingdom of truth and love depends upon the fidelity of the rank and file of the common people in every relation in life. In one of the battles during the late war of the Rebellion, a young officer stood at the battery, which had dwind]ed down to a single gun. That single gun he loaded again and again, and fired 1t hour after hour into the thick darkness with an aim which had been given him in the light. At last the bugles rang out the victory of his army, and then he said, sI knew that whatever oth. CTS did, for me the victory meant keeping my gun loaded and fired.' And even SC every man who is law-abiding and faith full to the duties and privileges of his cit izenship is helping to establish and main tain those principles and institutions oi society and government which are neces sary to the highest welfare and happi ness of mankind.
 Il f s.r- quit you like men, be strong. Let al that ye do be done in love.n I taks these words of St Paul and address then
 to every good citizen. The christian ideal and standard of life embraces every
 relation of men. The kingdom of heavel
 includes all the kingdoms of the world
 The relations of righteousness and lov,