The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1897-03-26
THE BANNER IN WAR.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Draws Insrira-
ton From "Old Glory"
It's Lavish Display In the National Capital
Directs HIS Thoughts to the Use of
Banners as RalIying Points
In All Warfare.

4
Is based ON the text:
In the name OF God we will set up our banner
Psalms Xxx, 5
hate war! In my boyhood we may
have read the biography of Alexander
or of some revolutionary hero until our
young heart beat high and we wished
we had been born over 100 years ago,
just for the glory of striking down a
Hessian. For rusty swords hung up
on the rafters and bullets cut out of
log houses in which they were lodged
during the great strife we had I'M
bounded admiration, or on some public
day, clothed in our grandfather's sol
dierly accouterments, we felt as brave
as Garibaldi or Miltiades. We are
wiser now, for we make vast dis
tinction between the poetry and the
prose of war. The roll of drums and
the call of bugles, and the champing
of steeds foaming and paving for
the battle; 10000 muskets gilt
tering among dancing plumes;
God save the King" wav-
ing up from clarionets and trumpets
and rung back from deep defiles or the
arches of PROSTATE city; distant capt.
tails of kingdoms illuminated at the
tidings; generals returning home under
flaming arches and showering anna
ranths and the shout of empires; that is
poetry. Chilled and half-blanketed,
lying on the wet earth; feet sore with
the march and bleeding at the slightest
touch; hunger pulling on every fiber of
flesh or attempting to satisfy itself
with a scanty and spoiled ration; thirst
licking up the dew or drinking out of
filthy and trampled pool; thoughts of
home and kindred far away while just
on the eve of deadly strife, where
death may leap on him from any one of
a hundred bayonets; the closing in of
two armies, now changed to
hundred thousand maniacs; the
ground slippery with blood and
shattered flesh; fallen ones with
ing under the hoofs of unbridled
chargers maddened with pain; the
dreadfulness of night comes down
when the strife is over; the struggle of
the wounded ones crawling out over
the cOrpses; the long, feverish agony
of the crowded barrack and hospital,
from whose mattresses the fragments
of men send up their groans, the only
music of carnage and butchery; desc
late homes from which fathers and
husbands and brothers and sons went
off; without giving any dying message
or sending a kiss to the dear ones at
home, tumbled into the soldiers grave
trench, and houses in which a few
weeks before unbroken family circles
rejoiced, now plunged in the great sor-
rows of widowhOod and orphanage;
that is prose.
But there is now on the earth a king
dom which has set itself up for con-
hicts without number. In its march
1t tramples no grain fields, it sacks no
cities, it impoverishes no treasures, it
fills no hospitals, it bereaves no fami-
lies. The courage and victory of Sol
ferino and Magenta without carnage.
The kingdom of Christ against the
kingdom of Satan. That is the strife
now raging. We will offer no armis-
tees; we will make no treaty. Until
all the revOlted nations of the earth
shall submit again to King Emanuel,
''In the name of God we will set up our
banners"
Every army has its ensigns. Long
before the time when David wrote the
text they were in use. The hosts of
Israel displayed them. The tribe of
Benjamin carried flag with the in
scription of wolf. The tribe of Dan
a representation of cherubim. Judah
a lion wrought into the groundwork of
white, purple, crimson and blue. Such
flags from their folds shook fire into
the hearts of such numbers as were in
the field when Abijah fought against
JehOram, and there were 1000, 900
soldiers, and more than 500, 600 were
left dead on the field. These ensigns
gave heroism to such numbers as were
assembled when Asa fought against
Zerah, and there were 1,5S0, 600 troops
in the battle. The Athenians carried
an inscription of the owl, which was
their emblem of wisdom. The flags of
modern nations are familiar to YOU all,
and many of them SO inappropriate for
the character of the nations they rep
resent it would be impolite to enumer-
ate them. These ensigns are streamers
borne on the point of a lance and ON
the top of wooden shafts. They are
carried in the front and rear of armies. |
They unroll from the maintop-gallant-
it among other ships of the
same squadron. They are the objects
Of national pride. The loss of them ON
the field is ignominious.
The three banners of the Lords |
hosts are the banner of proclamation, |
the banner of recruit and the banner
of victory. When a nation feels its |
rights infringed or its honor insulted;
when its citizens have in foreign chimes
been oppressed and no indemnity has
been offered to the inhabitant of the re-
public or kingdom, a proclamation of
war is uttered. On the top of batter
les and arsenals and customs houses
and revenue offices flags are immediate |
" swung out. All who looks upon them |
realize the fact that uncompromising |
war is declared. Thus it is that the |
church of Jesus Christ, jealous for the |
honor of its sovereign, and determined |
to get back those who have been car
ried off captive into the bondage of |
Satan. and intent upon the destruction |
of those mighty wrongs which have so
long cursed the earth, are bent upon |
the extension of the Saviour'S reign of |
in the name of God sets up its |
banner of proclamation.
The church makes no assault upon
The world. i do not believe that God /
ever made better world than this. 1t |
IS magnificent in its ruins. Let US stop |
talking so much against the world. |
God pronounced it very good at the be-
ginning. Though a wandering child
Of God, see in it yet the Great Fathers !
III
by the storms of 5000 years, she sails i
bravely yet, and as at her launching in
the beginning the morning stars sang
together and all the sons of God |
shouted for JOY, so at las, when COM