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 OF
THE FIRST REGIMENT OF MIN
NESOTA MILITIA.
MARTIAL SPIRIT PERvAl
Even the Exercises of the Church
Which Stands for Eternal
Rest and Pea0

81. LUXE . tudy 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 a 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
c. Nee. 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 edif1ce 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 intefurban cars, at
8 o'clock. Watson's First Regiment
band accompanied this division, which
marched from Seventh and Wabasha
streets to the armory, where 1t was
Joined by the st. Paul companies, the
Il,
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 militiamen
had been accommodated filed 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. Stand
Up for Jesus At the conclusion of the
scriptural reading by Rev DR.. Chitten-
den, formerly of St. Paul's church, Wi
mona, who assisted in the services, the
congregation, led by the choir, sang the
national anthem, America" It was
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
evidenced by the sincerity of the citizen
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: 'It 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 it is to destroy war as a
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 inn
posed upon the hearts and intellects
OF men, but through His boundless love.
God 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 a soldier Of
his country constitute a striking par
allel.
Tt is interesting to note what makes
a Christian soldier and what makes a
soldier of his country. The first attri-
butte Of soldier is obedience Obedi-
ence is likewise the foundation upon.
which the Christian life is built. Dis
obedience on the part of a soldier In
times of war means death. The SOL
d1er 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 a 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
seen every day. They issue from the
SKY, the stars, the moon and all phases
or nature. They are the reveilIe 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
stlnct of the soldiers of Jesus Christ.
Next to obedience, the essential
quality of an efficient soldier is dis
clpline. 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
1ngots 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
good soldier who is thinking Of
sen. me soldier must think of his
comrades. endure hardship. anguish.
disease and death. Only by being will
ing to give up the luxuries Of life
and depart to the seclusion of the tent
can a man become a good soldier All
of this comes as the result of discfp-
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 bray-
cry. Discipline accomplisf1es 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 |
n tes n1t nm Gil md
by these stones rise to higher things |
This is 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 fnfusfng courage into troops |
which are wavering. 1t may be said |
that brute courage has made it pos
siblee 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 |
iuded. 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- |
where there are none to hefrfend or |
to follow.
Faith. too, is an element In the life I
Of a soldier as well as in the life Of a /
Christian How Is 1t that armies will |
fellow 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- t
fnence, and they trust him. i need |
not tell you OF the faith that a Chris
tian must have In the Invisible Com !
rnander. The personality of your I
ers-s-t-t. fha l,ifk, i.,s,rai ro<s