The times., 1897-05-31
Doctor Talmage Discusses the
Heroic Lessons Of the Day.
CHURCH NEED OF BRAVE MEN
Patriotic Affection Extant Through
ont the Land-Lessons to BE
Learned at Soldiers Graves
Statue of Christian Liberty H.
stead of a Heathen symbol.

terian Church yesterday morning had for
itssubject Flowers on Norther and South
! crn Graves his dissertation being from
the following text: Solonon's Song, iy, 4,
The tower OF David builded For an
arplory, whereon there hang II thousand
bucklers, all shields OF mighty men,
The church is here, SAID Une preacher,
compared TO an armory, the walls hung
With trophies of dead heroes Walk all
about tliis Jowerof Davidand eciii. de iifed
shields and the twisted swords, ard the
rusted helmets OF terrible battle So at
this season, a month earlier az the South,
month later ut the North, the American
churches are turned into armoTies adorned
with memories of departed braves Bios
som and bloom, o walls, with stories Of
self-sacrifice, and patriotism, and pro css.
By unanimous decree OF tie people Of tie
United States of America tie graves of all
the Northern and Southern dead ale every
year decorated All aceitity and bitter
ness have gone out of the national solemnity,
ana a the men and women of tie South
one month age iloraliZed the cemeteries
and graveyards, so we tomorrow, the men
! and women OF The Moth, viii put VI on the
tonbs of oui dead the kiss tf atrio,ic af-
fection. bravery alwaysappIeciatesb brave
ry, though ii tight on lie OF er side, and IL
a soldier of the Federal army had Leen
month ago at Savannah, he would n ct nave
been ashamed To mach in the floral pro
cessions TO the cemetery. ADdi1 l,mcriow
a Confederate soldier should lie al i lling
ton he will be glad 10 put spiie OF hearts
ease on the silent heart OF or dead.
In battle during our last war, the
Couiederates were driving back the ed-
erals, who were in swift retreat, when
Federal officer dropped wounded One
OF his men stopped at the risk of his life,
and put his arms around the officer 10
carry him from the field. Fifty Confeder-
ate muskets were aimed attn yoIng man
who was picking up the officer. But the
Confederate captain shouted: Hold! don't
fire! That fellow is tCo brave 10 shoot
And as the Federal officer, held up by lis
private soldier, went HmpiDg slowly orr
the field, the ConIed. give three
cheers for the brave private; and just
before the two disappeared behind barn,
buth the wounded officer and brave private
lifted their caps in gratitude to the
Confederate captain.
snail the Gospel tie less generous than
of our Northern gun facing this way. the
bayonet of our Southern gun facing the
same way. and as the gray of the morn-
ing mets into the blue of noon. SO the
typical gray and blue OF the old war
times have blended at last, and they quote
the Language of King James translation
without any revision: Glory TO God in
the highest, and on earth, peace good
will to men,
WAR Is more ghastIy now than once.
not cniy because of the greater destruc-
tiyeness Of its weaponry, hut. because no,Y
il takes down the best men, whereas once
it chiefly took down the worst
''The Church of God is in woeful need
OF men who can stand under fire The
lion OF worldly derison roars and the
steep tremble In great reformatory
movements at the first shot how many
fall backl The great obstacle to the
Church's advancement is the inanity, the
vacuity, the soft prettiness, the namby-
pambyism of professed Christians. Great
on a parade, towards in hattie Afraid
of getting their plumes ruffled, they carry
u parasol over their helmet. They go into
batJle, not with the warriors gauntlets,
but with kid gloves, not clutching the
the back, and they must have rations of
lemon custard and canvashack duck.
In all our reformatory and Christian
work the great want is more backbone,
more metJle, more daring, more prowess
We would in all our churches like to trade
off hundred do-nothings for one do
everything. Quit yourselves like men; be
strong
40 nf nF 10
when Napoleon sent word TO him, How
long can you hold out?'' replied, although
he had been forty hours in consecutive
battle, Tell the Emperor / will bold out
two hours, for six hours, or twenty-four
hours, or until France has victory
That is the kind of courage; that is the
proves we want in the kingdom Of God
amid all assault, amid all hardship. amid
all caricature, amid all persecution, doing
full duty.
Again, we mean by this national OBJ
eervance, to honor seif-sacrifice for others
To all these departed men, home and kim
dred were as dear as our home and kindred
are to US.
These heroes risked and lost all for
others. There is no higher sublInity than
that. To keep three quarters for our
SELVES oiiu give Oue-QudFbeT 10 OtnerS is
honorable. To divide even with others is
generous. To keep nothing for ourselves
and give all for others is niagnaninity,
Christlike.- Put girdle around your body
and then measure the girdle and see IL you
are fifty or sixty inches round And is
that the circle OF your sympathes-the size
OF yourself? OR, to measure you around
the heart; would it take girtle large
enough To encircle the land and eucircle
the world? You want to know what we
dry theoiogians mean when we talk OF
vicarious suffering. Look at the soldiers
graves and find out. Vicarious! Pangs
ness for others: blood for Others scpulcher
for others
Those who visit the national cemeteries
at Arlington Heights and at Richmond and
Gettysburg see one inscription on soldiers
tom5s oftener repeated than any other
Unknown. When, about twenty-one years
ago, was called to deliver the grafton at
Arlington Heights, Washington, / was not
so muci impressed with the minute guns
that shook the earth as with the pathetic
and over whelming snggestiveness Of that
epitaph on SO many graves at my feet
Unknown! unknownl 1t seems to me that
the time must come when the Government
. IT the United States shall take off that
taph. They are no more unknown!
ne have found them at last They are
the beloved sons Of the republic.
Would it not be well to take the statue
OF the heather goddess off the top Of
the Capitol tfor 1 have no faith in the