Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-06-13
CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS BUGLE
CALL.
Baccalaureate Sermon by Rev. A. A.
Wallace, of Mexico.

From the Missouri Democrat, Boonville, Mo-
On Sunday last in the Presbyterian
church Rev. A. A. Wallace, of Mexico,
Mo-, delivered the ba~ccalaureate SER
mon to the students of Kemper Fam
lily School. The audience filled every
available seat in the church and num-
erous palms, ferns and flowers lent a
charm to the scene.
The impressive and interesting SER
vices of the occasion were introduced
by prayer by Rev. DR.. Dinwiddie, of
the Methodist church, after which the
speaker announced as his text, the
18th and 18th verses of the 26th chap
ter of l. Corinthians: "Watch ye,
stand fast in the faith, quit you like
man, be strong-LetaL your thiass
be done with charity"
These are startling words, bugle
notes calling the hearers to duty and
to danger-the Christian Soldiers
bugle call. The truths and warning
are spiritual, and addressed to young
men. This is an age in which young
men are called to the front, and on
whom are imposed immense RESPONSE
bilities. Older men are either drop
ping out of line or marching to the
rear. Young men are preparing to
assume, and are assuming, the difficult
and important stations in state and
church. They should be prepared for
the duties before them or shipwreck
will be made of the priceless interests
of our Christian civilization.
"Watch." Train the eye for the
duty. You have enemies to conquer
and noble impulses to cultivate and
strengthen. These enemies are often
insiduous and clothed in garbs to de-
ceive. "Watch!" Lay hold of them
with vigorous hands whenever e
Take no rest. Satan does not rest.
Ministers of the gospel and Christians
may take vacation and cease the war
fare. Satan never rests and needs no
rest, but goes about like a roaring
lion. No morsel is so tempting or
sweeter to his appetite than a young
man. Satan is a person, not a senti-
ment, not a myth, but a realization
and a fact.
Resist him in the beginnings, in lit
tie things. Keep out of your tent the
cancels nose and the camel will not
enter. How often it is that the ivy
with small beginnings wraps itself
around the stateliest oak trunk and
branch, and destroys its life.
Resist little sins. Israel's first de-
feat was a result of the smiles OF
heather women, the daughters OF
Moab. Samson would never have been
shorn of his locks and strength butfor
the lap of Delieah. "Watch." Eternal
vigilance is the price of virtue and
success and safety. The ill-starred
! Elbe would not have been lost but foI
the negligence of two of the crew.
"Stand fast in the faith Believe
something. Have faith. David gave
warning of false teachers. They lived
in his time and they live in ours. They
hated religion then. They hate re-
ligion now. False teachers and false
doctrines abound, and beset the path
way of-the young. "Stand fast" They
are in pulpit and pew, and in the
former manifest themselves by
preaching a religion of gush and sen
timent; and in the latter by adher'
ence to the heresy that Shakespeare
and Milton were as much inspired a
Matthew, Luke and John.
"Standing''does not mean inactivit!
or Indifference. Strong men are no
out growths of Incidence. Muscle
are made strong by use.
"Quit you like men," Be manly
Be courageous. Shirk no known duty
Avoid the temptations of bad com
partnerships and aspire to ahigher ant
better life.
"Be strong" The original of thi
word occurs only four times in TIT
New Testament and each time in con
nection with the Holy Spirit. The,
are important words, and to obey tn
command they express we must re
ly for strength on the influence of tn
Holy Ghost. 1t is a force, not simpl
an agency. The largest ann j
} harmless and ~listless if alone. So ar
powder and ball. But if the powde
is placed in the great gun and the ba
, is sent to its home near the powde
and a spark of fire touches it the cart
is made to tremble by the explosion
Keep close to the Holy Ghost VIII
is our strength and life.