The Somerset reporter., 1897-06-03
The Memorial Sermon.

The annual Memorial Day sermon was
preached in the Congregational church,
Sunday by Rev. II. w. Kimball, pastor
of that society.
Russell Post G.. A. II. with Russell
Relief Corps and Wildes Camp attended
the services as organizations, there being,
with several comrades from Bates Post
Norridgewock, ~ Grand Army men, 81
members of the Womans Relief Corps
and about 20 Sons of Veterans. The
large church edifice was crowded, it
being necessary to place chairs in the
aisles to accommodate all in attendance.
Flowers and plants were placed about
the platform and the pulpit was draped
with the National flag. Very accept
able patriotic music was rendered by
the usual church choir, with Mrs. E. B.
Hill, organist Instead of the usual re-
sponsive scripture reading the pastor
read poem written for public occa-
sion by James Russell Lowell
The sermon was comprehensive,
thoughtful, practical discourse, timely as
well as patriotic, of which the following
is brief abstract:
1t is we'll to stop amid the rush of life
and call to mind the heroic deeds of
men. The nation can well afford the
time thus spent for she has need of the
lessons of patriotism which are taught
and the love of country which is gender
aH hu c,,oh occasions g Al,
Grand Army of the Republic, | welcome
you to this memorial service with the
earnest prayer that the lessons of the
past may help us to be nobler men in
the present, that the remembrance of
all that was loyal and heroic in the
lives of your comrades gone may kindle
in our hearts fire of zeal for righteous
ness and truth.
Life is struggle, in boyhood and
i'll manhood. Man is little picture of
the universe. The struggle between
right and wrong goes on in the world at
large. The world is Gods great canvas
upon which he is painting the struggle
of a race redeemed by loving sacrifice.
What is the secret of history?
The struggle between right and wrong =
with continued victories for the right
because men are willing to give their
lives for it. Humanity is continually adj
vancing until some day in the far dis
tant future the last victory shall be won,
the final surrender of sin shall be made,
and God shall be all in all
3-The lessons that come from this
struggle with slavery. (a)-Our fore
fathers made compromise with sin when
they framed the constitution. Slavery
was then little cloud and might have
been scattered but it was left alone.
God exacted righteous penalty for the
compromise. "They enslave their
children's children who make compro-
mise with sin" OLA few men stood
squarely for the right They sided with
the truth when they had to share her
wretched crust. Out of the smoke of
this great struggle over slavery comes
one clear truth. In one way or another
human progress is over bleeding hearts.
(e)-Other men were not so brave.
Webster went back ON his convictions in
the famous speech of 1880. Let us be
humble, however, for more is required to
make a man brave than to call some one
else coward. (d)-The war-cloud
broke and in four years of bloody war
this nation suffered penalties for her
sins. God is not Knocked.
by this war the deepest paradox of
life is illustrated. BY those things
which this nation suffered on account of
her sins she was saved from her sins.
The suflerings were the penalty, the
sufferings were the redemption
peace has come. But new strug-
giles are going on. We have to face
the questions of capital and labor-th
tenement house problem, the social
problem-the liquor curse. Our best
heritage from the dead is not what they
accomplished, but their spirit living
again in the men of today.
Fold up the banners. Smelt the guns
Love rules. Her gentler purpose runs.
a mighty mother turns in tears
The pages of her battle years
Lamentng all her fallen sons.