Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-05-28
MEMORIAL SERVICES
LARGELY ATTENDED BY G. A. R. COMRADES
AND AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS.
The Annual Sermon Preached Las! Night by
Rev. j. Engls-Msmorial Services a!
Wesley Church.


Last night the comrades of Wheeling
and Stephens Posts, G. A. R., attended
annual memorial services, which were
held this year at the Zane Street M. Z.
Church. The veterans, TO the number
OF nearly one hundred, fell in line be-
hind a drum corps and two flag bearers
at q. A. R. Hall at 1880 o'clock. They
were accompanied by the Women's Re-
lief Corps and representatives of the
Ladies' Aid Society and Sons OF Veter-
ans, all marching In a body to the
church.
Seats were reserved for the G. A. K.
comrades, and their wives and daught-
ers. The congregation tested the seat
ing capacity OF the church. The pre-
liminary exercises were full OF Interest,
the singing of patriotic hymns being
notable feature.
Rev. Engle'S memorial sermon was a
thoughtful and eloquent discourse, and
he was followed throughout by the
closest attention OF his congregation.
He spoke In substance, as follows:
We are assembled this evening so
memorable our departed comrades
This is Gods house. and his day sug-
gests that these ceremonies are re-
ligious. and that they should be par
ticipated in with all the emotions that
characterize worship at other times.
Patriotism is one form OF religion, hence
il is not strange that our worship
should become heroic at times. II the
two may ever be united, they may be
under the circumstances that surround
US now. shall call your attention
this evening to the scripture found In
the old testament, josh, Al, From
these words we learn several lessons.
First, The duty Of commemorating
by a pious memorial, the good
THINGS GOD HAS DONE
for us. The memorials Of Gods mercy
we read of in the Old Testament are
innumerable. National deliverances
also were commemorated by annual
feasts. Such was the feast Of Purim,
the establishment Of which is recorded
ia Esther 9:2O-32. Our Lord gives his
sanction to the principle in the institu-
ton OF the sacrament OF Holy commun-
ion, etc. In each national history there
is some one, surprisingly great event.
A Thermopylea for Greece; Leipsic
for Germany; a Moscow for Russia; a
Waterloo for England; Morat for the
brave Swiss; a Yorktown and Appomat-
tox for America. The Bible is full of
lessons OF patriotism.
Running like a thread Of gold through
the texture Of beautiful fabric, all
through the sacred pages are precepts
and examples Of patriotism. The Jews
were, and are even to-day, peculiarly
patriotic people. When carried away
into captivity by their enemy they sat
down by Babylon's running streams
and hanged their harps upon the will
lows, and refused to sing the Lords
songs in an oppressor's land. BY no
mere chance the gifted Daniel, with
the sentence Of death hanging over
him, bowed three times day In prayer
with his face turned toward Jerusalem,
and the patriot exile band could say
with warm hearts, "If forget thee,
o Jerusalem, let my right hand forget
her cunning, il do not remember thee,
let my tongue cleave to the roof Of my
mouth, if prefer not Jerusalem above
my chief joy" The apostle Paul, with
burning zeal for the salvation Of all
men, in patriotic devotion to his own
people, writes, 81 could wish that my
self were accused from Christ for my
brethren, my kindred according to the
flesh" Even the beloved Christ,
who, after the flesh was Jew, in his
work and teachings manifested pecu-
liar interest in the welfare of his nation.
His gospel was to be preached, begin
ming at Jerusalem, and when he beheld
the coming doom Of his people and saw
in the near future the Roman army en-
circling the city and casting trench
about it, and laying it even with the
ground, he wept over it, saying, 80,
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would
| have gathered thy children as hen
doth gather her brood under her wings,
and you would not, etc"
Patriotism is not only taught and
commanded