The herald., 1896-06-29

|
When all men are true and just to rem
der to God the things that are His and to
| the nation what belongs to 1t, then we
will hear 1t said, Our God, our country,
| our flag.
At the close of the sermon Miss Del
| phine Todd sang The Star Spangled
Banner, the audience joining in the cho-
rus.
First 1ethodIst
The First Methodist church was deco
| rated with flags and flowers last even
| ing and great crowd assembled to hear
the pastor, Rev. DIR. John A. B. Wilson,
discourse upon the duties of patriotism.
The congregation frequently broke out
| into applause. The text was Samuel,
| x:12.-"Be of good courage and let us
play the men for our people and the cities
| of our God"
He said in conclusion: A poor soldier
of Indiana lay mortally wounded in an
early battle Of the war. A comrade
| stopped over him and held his canteen
| to his mouth. Just then a squadron Of
| cavalry went dashing by with the old
| flag streaming in the breeze. Pushing
his comrade from him, the dying soldier
cried, Go, go follow that flag!" choos-
ing to die alone rather than that one
single arm should be absent from the
| defense of the banner of freedom.
Ny brethren, that flag must stand for
an American Sabbath, one common day
| of worship and rest for every citizen, for
| every weary wage Garner in this broad
| land, wherein no wheel Of commerce or
traffic shall turn and no corporate greed
shall be served at the expense of God
and family and home and country.
That flag shall stand for little red
school house on every hilltop and no sa-
| loon in the valley, until free and patri-
otic and unsectarian education shall be
the privilege Of every child beneath it's
| stripes and stars.
That flag shall stand for the rights of
! womanhood until she shall be no longer
numbered with paupers, lunatics, idiots
and convicts, but with the ballot of her
own protection in hand she shall her.
| self have a country.
That flag shall stand for country
| saved from the damnation of the legal
ized liquor traffic which is so rapidly be-
coming foreign invasion; $1oo,o0O.O00 Of
English capital invested in breweries on
American SOIL Think Off
1t will cost something. Yes, it will
| cost something. But we must grapple
with the problem Of today which is be-
fore us and not expend all our energies
| in extolling the deeds of our fathers.
| Let us, indeed. extol their patriotism,
but emulate their brave example by
dealing heroically with the unsolved
| questions of our country's future. Life
is noble only in sacrifice, and he only
who dies for country lives to posterity.
| 81 IL
| opened in the Roman forum, which the
oracle said could only be closed by the
| sacrifice Of that which was most valu-
able to the state. And what so precious
to the state as heroic patriotism? Mar
Gus Curtius, an eminent citizen-soldier
mounted his warhorse, and, fully armed.
as If for battle, rode into the gulf which
closed upon him forever, a noble sacri-
flee to his country's veal.
And no good or great thing has come
to any country but through the sac
| rif1ce of its noblest and best We have
our free institutions because the pat
riots of '76 dared to die for them.
The army Of civilization shall not be
| defeated on the soil of this country.
The problem is to be gloriously solved,
and we are the men to do it. BE of
| good courage. Let us play the men for
our people and the cities Of our God"
Central Presbyterian
The interest felt in the communion
services of this church was manifest in
the large audience at the Y. NJ. c. A.
hall yesterday morning. Fourteen new
| members were received, and the un-
| usual coincidence was mentioned that
fourteen was the number received at
each of the three communions conduct
ed by DR.. Fowler. All but one of the
fourteen were adults and one an elder
in the church. The text was John xii:2-
the table with him." In part the speaker
said:
1t was in loved Bethany that Simon,
the healed leper, gives a feast in honor
| of Jesus. Much interest centered around
| Lazarus who had been raised from the
dead. He is at this feast leaning on
Jesus bosom. He is not speaking as
| modern spiritism does of the secrets Of
the next life. But in this one view we
| have Of the resurrected Lazarus he
speaks louder than words by his acts as
| to this life. What he thought about the
life that now is we see by the way in
which he took it up again.
| He plainly aff1rms that the right life
is the Christian life. Evidently it must
not be a life Of unbelief. 1t must not be
a life of questioning about the claims
| Of Jesus Christ. Lazarus does not re-
| turn to this world an agnostic. He has
seen that other world and it is the kind
| of world that Jesus claimed it to be.
Lazarus is not wrenched from his old
faith by testing the realities of the great
beyond. But the Lord Jesus, the Lord
of earth and heaven, still continues his
Master and Lord.
Lazarus also tells us the right life
should be life among men. He did
not turn hermit or join the Essences. He
evidently had no use for the so-called
religious ORDERS" He Is in closest re-
lation with the people, keeping his Saw
ior company as he mingles freely with
them. Thus man in becoming a Chris
tian becomes not less but more a man
than before. Lazarus responded to sis
terly affection. The Christian life is not
abnormal or unearthly. 1t is a down.
right, healthy, human thing.
1t is to bel rejoicing life. Lazarus
| in coming among men once more does
not make his appearance at funeral
but at feast. Such coming together,
eating, drinking, and enjoying good fell
lowship, is not out Of character for the
Christian If he can take Jesus to the
harmless festivities.
But the best lesson of all is that what
Christ has done for us should make us
glad to sit with him at his table. That
feast of Simon was feast in Christ's
honor. Far more is the Lords Supper.
If we have been raised from deadness
in sin to a new life, we shall rejoice
to put honor on Christ. He is not the
moon to us-something very bright and
beautiful, but very cold and distant. He
is the sun of the soul, filling with
warmth. Excuses to keep us from his
side will not be thought of. His dying
wish and dying love will meet with a
glad response. And thus that scene of
love in Bethany may find a counterpart
here and nova feast of fat things to
every believing. loving heart.