The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-05-25

Spain or with England but that the
lessons of the Ewars and of Memorial
Day be forgotten, that the young men of
today may forget to eonsecrate their lives
to Christ, their country and mankind.
An appeal to the highest Christian
patriotism is the impressive duty of the
hour.
49, THATCHER POST.
Thatcher Post marched from the hall,
with firm step, its members attired in
the familiar Grand Army uniform, to
st. Paups church where the members of
the Relief had already assem- bled. The
church was decorated with the familiar
post flags and under them was stack of
arms and drums.
At the close of the usual service Rev.
Mr. Shepherd, the rector, delivered ssr-
mon from II. Samuel 1919, "Be OF good
courage and let us play the man for our
people and for the sities of our Cod and
the Lord do that which ssemeth him
good" The idea which the sermon de-
sired to convey was that we can ju dge
men not by ordinary but by extraordinary
circumstances; that the quiet, unob-
trusive, gentle man not infrequently,
when occasion .demands, becomes hero.
The words o. the text said the spea ker
were, remarkable ones. They wouldsbe
considered SO in any age ors falling from
the lips of any man They are not the
or Isaiah. Thy are thu words of that
rough, domineering, soldier Joab, who,
az his life was thorn in the side of
King David. And yet this rough, harsh
man, without, seemingly, touch of re-
liglon in him when called upon to face
great crisls in his country's history gives
| utterance to the grandest courage and
| most profound philosophy. He is mill
| tary man by training and knows the
power Of numbers, discipline and
strategy. Bat drawing mp. his handful of
men in battle array he rides along the
| lines just before the conflict and cheers
his men with these words of the text. In
these words We find patriotism and re-
iigion inseparably Joined. In time of
stress and danger they were the patriotic
AID religious utterances of the seemingly
irreligious man, the religious element in
his patriotism that lifted him to some
thing greater, nobler, and holier than
anything to be found in his daily life.
He saw in his oountry's danger on the
battlefield as In other places, that unless
be had Gods help the BATTLE would go
| oSo1A6h JOdD was uOU LIZA
or Uheologian but he knew two things;
that man must do his part in the battle
Of life and that God would do his part.
So we see in Joab's advice to his COM
rades in arms a hint of the great truth
that noble courage Is indissolubly linked
to religious faith. The man's faith Was
something more than blind patriotism.
When the crisis came it enabled him to
see that God is in the world controlling
all things for the accomplishment of his
purposes.
But it is not necessary to go back 30
centuries TO find man able to recognize
the fact. The history of our own land
will afford many examples OF the same
thing. In the memory of living men and
women there have bsen exhibitions OF tho
noblest faith and courage born OF faith
in God. Thirty years ago. after war of
words, arguments, entreaty and threaten
ing, the first gunsof the rebellion was fired
against Fort Sum ter. Then came that
uprising of patient and long-suffering
people. There is no need to recall in de-
tail the events of that struggle. 1t 10 all
written in characters Of fadeless glory up
Oh the nations history as an inspiration
to future generations. But Ii it had
been our fortune to pass along the
ranks of those hosts who marched to the
battles it might have been our privilege
to have heard many man saying to his
comrades resolutely and fearlessly the
words that form our text this morning.
/ How nobly those men kept their word
the cemeteries where sleep the heroic
dead whose resting place you crown with
flowers from year to year attest When
II the angel of the resurrection shall sound
the reveille that shall rouse the sleeping
dead to judgement and endless life, 1t
may be that foremost in the approval of
God may stand those who give toll and
l. cparifico and Iifa that tho naffnY1 might
live.
In the Jewish soldier Joab were united
patriotism and religion. Rightly con-
sidered the two things are inseparable.
now not which is worse. q religion
without patriotism or patriotism without
religion. A patriotism that does not
recognize God as the arbiter of the
destiny of nations, religion that does
not stir mems hearts with patriotic i'm
pulses are hardly worth the thought of
sober minded men. Patriotism and ia,
ligion are kept alive and increased by
visits to the scenes Of patriotic deeds,
like those at Marathon, at Jena, at our
own great battlefelds. The present years
OF peace after tho war are the pivot upon
, which the fortune of the nation is
turned. The destiny of man for genera
tions to come will be Influenced and de-
termined by the men of this age and this
! country. Every race able to leave its
impress upon human society has been
dominated by some great idea which has
given an impulse to it's life and shaped
! its civilization. That of the Egyptians
was life, of the PersiansA light, of the
Jews purity, of the Greeks beauty. of the
Romans law. of the Auglo Saxon civil
and religious liberty whose symbols are
. reii sion and patriotism. These two ideas
have established most of the elevation OF
humanity in the past and must oontri
butte most of its progress in the future
All the signs point to the time when
, America shall stand first in GIL the ele
ments that go to make up civilization
Charles Sumper wrote at time "wher
the whole continent with its various
states shall be plural unit with one
) constitution, one liberty. and on,
| destiny; when the national example viii
/ be more persistent than the army nnt
: navy for the conquest of the world
Then will come the final competition o.
& races, when the Anglo-Saxon race with
! unequalled energy, with the majesty O.
numbers, the largest liberty and the
/ pllrest Christianity will leave ths Imprint
) of its civilizations on humanity and con
, troll the destiny of mankind. Our on,
great need, urgent and constant is re
iigious patriotism or patriotic religion
|