The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-31


the pastor, Rev. DR.. James Mcleod.
Rifles stacked in front OF the pulpit
and the presence of several flags to-
gether with the large number Of blue
uniformed listeners, gave decidedly
military air to the service. The music
was suitable to fhe occasion.
DIR. McLeod's sermon topic was
1.-THE Hollest War" 1t was In matter
and subject discourse particularly
calculated to interest and help the SOL
dler audience. The text was: Flight
the good fight of faith. lay hold on
eternal life" l Timothy, vi: IL: DR..
Mcleod said:
st. Paul, in his Eplstles. makes fire.
quent use Of martial metaphors. This is
not strange when we remember that he
was Roman citizen, and that both as a
citizen and as a prisoner of the Lord, he
was brought into close contact with
Roman soldiers. Moreover, a state of
war Is so suggestive of spiritual con-
hicts that the keen mind of the Apostle
seized upon the striking analogy. and
under the guidance of the Divine Spirit,
he used II for holy purpose.
Although st. Paul was q man of peace,
and although he was an ambassador of
the Prince of Peace, he nevertheless be-
lieved In holy wars. He never belonged to
stalwart a character for that. He knew
his Bible, and. therefore, he knew that
by Divine authority wars were carried
on, and that again and again, the hosts
Of Israel were marshalled to fight the
battles of the Lord. He knew that God
had raised UP mighty men of valor whom
He commissioned and expressly COM
nanded to make war upon nations, on
account of their sins, and to prosecute
It, until they were utterly destroyed.
st. Paul knew the meaning Of these
words of Christ: Think not that l am
come to send peace on the earth; came
not to send peace, but a sword" He
inevitable, and when to be a faithful
soldier, is to be a faithful servant of
God.
HOLY WARS DEFINED.
But what are holy wars? When we
think Of the horrors of war, of battle
fields covered with the dying and the
dead: of weeping widows and fatherless
children. and homes made desolate
when we think of the sick, and the
wounded, and the bereaved; when we
think o. all the dreadful calamities and
sufferrgs which accompany and which
follow In the track Of war, is 1t possible
then any war can be holy? Is 1t not rath-
er an unspeakable curse?
From one point of view. the answer
must be yes; war is a great curse. 1t is
one of the heaviest judgment that a
righteous God has inflicted upon sinful
world. 1t has been the severest and most
deadly instrument for the punishment,
and sometimes for the destruction Of
nations. Undoubtedly, some wars have
been a great curse. Wars originating in
ambition. and avarice, and the accursed
thirst for power; wars csrried on to graft
fy a tyrant's appetite for conquest; wars
IL ,f -
such wars have not single redeeming
feature.
There have been holy wars. And If
ever war was holy, that war of which
this day reminds us was holy war. 1
will not try to stir your young blood by
q recital of the causes which led to our
awful civil war. and by recalling the
dreadful carnage that 1t entailed. The
story is familiar. 1t has been handed
down to us, and II will be handed down
to the generations following. 1t was a
fearful war, but 1t killed slavery, and
1t saved the nation.
1t is a blessed fact, for which this gen.
Grafton might to be devoutly thankful,
that in this broad land with its seventy
millions of souls, our glorious flag
does not flood over the head of a single
slave. The war that secured that blessed
result was a holy war. 1t made and ii
will keep us united people.
THE HOLIEST WAR.
But there is a holier war than this,
and it is this holier war of which st.
Paul speaks, when he urged young Tim
othy to fight the good fight of faith, and
to lay hold on eternal life. This is the
holiest war in which any mortal can en-
gage. Carefully drilling is very impor-
tant in physical warfare, and 1t is no less
important in spiritual tactics. is the Bible.
Of ha Natl r1
study the Bible. 1t is Gods book. In 1t
you will find His mind and will plainly
revealed 1t is the drill book of the Chris
tian soldier, and 1t contains the story
Of redeemlng love. 1t Is Jesus Christ
our great Captain, who, through one of
His chief officers, commands us to fight
the good fight of faith. let us heed His
command.
There is only one kind of armor that
is of any value in this spiritual warfare,
and that armor is invincible. 1t is the
"armor OF God" We have a description
of it in St. Paul Epistle to the Ephesiauc.
Read it, study it, take it, wear it, use
met and sword. We need them all. With
the girdle of truth, and the shield OF
faith. and the breastplate of righteous
ness, and the helmet of salvation, and
the sword of the Spirit, which Is the
word of God, we are ready for the con-
| fiict, and we are certain of victory.
1t requires courage, fortitude, faith
perseverance, and love to God and man
to make a good soldier of Jesus Christ
But these we can have, and with these
we must win the day. And when the bat
| tie is over, and when there is no further
need of our armor, and when we look
| back over the battlefield. may each one
| Of us be able to say with St. Paul 81
| have fought good fight, 1 have finished
| my course, / have kept the faith; hence
| forth there is laid up for me a crown OF
righteousness which the Lord. the right
eous Judge. shall give to me in that
| day"
REV. MR. GIBBONS SERMON.
In the Dunmore Presbyterian church
last night, the pastor, Rev. William F
| Gibbons, preached an eloquent sermon
| on Gods Banner" which was filled
with thoughts on Memorial Day. ThC
services throughout were of patriotic
character, and were attended by Yer!
| large congregation, Several anthem
were rendered by the choir in specially
fine manner. The speaker took his tex
from Psalm vi, A: Thou hast given {
banner to them that fear thee" Part o
Mr.. Gibbons sermon was as follows:
| rpha TsraaIitao xuora not marlixa paO