The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-19
MILITARY MEN HEAR 1T AT THE
SHRINE OF ST. JOHN THE
EVANGELIST.
REV. DIR. DUDLEY w. RHODES
ADDRESSES EIGHT. COMPANIES OFF
THE FIRST REGIMENT OF MIN
NESOTA MILITIA.
MARTIAL SPIRIT PERvADE!
Which Stands for Eternal
Rest and Peae

st. Luke's day was observed at the
Church of st. John the Evangelist yes
terday by special afternoon services
for the members of the First regiment.
Minnesota national guard, eight COM
panies Of which, attending in body,
listened to a special sermon by Rev.
Dudley w Rhodes. The companies
present were C. d, E and H, of ST. Paul.
and A, B, F and I, Of Minneapolis. Col.
G.. Nice. Reeve. with the field and staff
officers of the regiment, was also in
attendance. In addition to the militia
men, who filled almost every available
space in the church, a large number Of
civilians crowded the aisles and door
ways Of the edifice in an effort to hear
the sermon of DR.. Rhodes.
Previous to marching to the church
the rendezvous of the regiment was at
the armory, on Sixth street, where the
ST. Paul companies formed. in waiting
for those from Minneapolis, which came
over on chartered interuFban cars at
3 o'clock. Watson's First Regiment
band accompanied this division, which
marched from Seventh and Wabasha
streets to the armory, where IT. was
Joined by the st. Paul companies, the
regiment then marching to the church,
Portland avenue and Kent street. Only
one section Of the edifice had been al
lotted to the public at large, and this
was crowded long before the arrival
Of the regiment, while those seeking to
gain admission after the mflitiamen
had been accommodated filled the lawn
and sidewalk. Forming in a. column,
two abreast, the members of the regi-
ment filed slowly into the church, while
the band, which had entered first, rem
dered Beethoven's Hope Celestial"
When the members Of the regiment had
been seated the combined choirs of st.
John the Evangelist and St. Luke's
churches entered, singing with splendid
effect the professional hymn, tStand
Up for Jesus" At the conclusion of the
scriptural reading by Rev. DR.. Chitten-
den, formerly of st. PauPs church. Wi
mona, who assisted in the services, the
congregation. led by the choir, sang the
national anthem. America" 1t was
a grand chorus of male voices, whose
power and spirit was an inspiration in
keeping with the occasion, and seldom
in times of peace is a more feeling
tribute paid to patriotism than was
soldiers as they sang their country's
national hymn.
DR.. Rhodes announced as his text.
the words Of Paul to Timothy, Endure
hardness as good soldiers Of Jesus
CHRIST He said in part: TT might
be thought unusual and to be one of the
contradictions of life to see a body of
men drawn together by the spirit Of
war assemble in a Christian church.
whose mission 1t is to destroy war as
FACTOR In civilization, yet nothing has
done more to bring about universal
peace than those enrolled in the armies
OF the world. But it is not by arms
that the peace of Christ has been i'm
posed upon the hearts and intellects
OF men, but through His boundless love.
COO does not send His peace through
the agencies Of war The sacrifices Of
the soldier on the field of battle are
free will offerings to the cause he holds
dearest, while the peace of God is es-
tablished by. the acceptance Of the
means which He offers, yet the duties
of soldier of Christ and soldier of
his country constitute a striking par
allel
1T is interesting to note what makes
Christian soldier and what makes a
soldier Of his country. The first attri-
butte of soldier is obedience Obetli-
ence is likewise the foundation upon
which the Christian life is built Dis
obedience on the part Of soldier in
times OF war means death. The SOL
dler has but to do and die and not to
ask the reason why. When one looks
at regiment on the field of battle
moving with precision, like mighty
machine at the breath Of the command
Ing officer, 1t is then that the secret of
the Christian life is revealed The or
ders Of the Great Captain are to be
do 1cscr,
sky, the stars, the moon and all phases
or nature. They are the reveille of
the morning. the curfew of the night
The fool may read the orders of God
yet the duty Of the soldier is the in
stinct of the soldiers of Jesus Christ. :.
Next to obedience. the essential
quality of an efficient soldier is dis
cipline, which means the sinking of
self in the great mass, SO that when
the order comes the whole line is
driven as one mass even as are the
ingots OF the iron in the furnace The
great secret of Napoleon's success as
general was the discipline of his
soldiers individually. No man can be
a good soldier who is thinking of
self. The soldier must think of his
comrades. endure hardship, anguish,
disease and death. Only by being will
ing to give up the Injuries of life
and depart to the seclusion Of the tent
can q man become a good soldier All
of this comes as the result of discip-
line. Brave men tremble in the field
when receiving their first baptism Of
fire and bullets. but discipline changes
their natural fear to courage and brav-
cry. Discipline accomplishes the same
end in the Christians life. The Chris
tan must be willing to be sunk in the
great mass of humanity. He must
give himself to- others. Let him put
his feet on luxury, sin and vice. and
by these stones rise to higher things.
This is a Christians discipline.
What shall be said Of courage as
in the Christians life? In the soldier
there may be physical disabilities. but
the soldier who has not courage is
never great. When you read of the
great men fnfusing courage into troops
which are wayering 1t may be said
that brute courage has made it pos
sible for their names to be written
among the stars. but in the Christian
life this Is not SO. Christian courage
is not like that to which I have al
luded. The courage of the Christian
is harder to attain than that which
enables men to face laundering guns
and storms OF lead. 1t Is the power to
say no and yes in the strength of con-
viction; it Is the power to say ones
prayers when there are those about
age. The leadership which Is coura-
geous is that which manifests itself
where there are none to hefriend or
to follow.
Faith too, Is an element in the life
of a soldier as well as in the life Of a
Christian How IS 1t that armies will
follow one man rather than another?
1t is faith which enables them to do
So They know In whom they believe
The men In the field have the same
faith as he who stands upon the en-
fnenee, and they trust him I need
not tell YOU Of the faith that q Chris