Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-24
SERMON TO VETERANS
FULL TEXT or DIR. FAIRS Dis
COURSE OF LAST SUNDAY NIGHT.
CAMPFIRE ON THE PLAINS OF MOAB,
Drawing His Inspiration from the
Children of God While In the Will
derncss the Eloquent Divine
Preached InstructiveIy.

Inc ttiiHOu NtiN(AtA bs NV III sNA'f'N'
Y. Fair on sunday night last before tho
veterans OF Lee and Pickett camps and
the Daughters OF tho Confederacy, who
assembled Ia the Grace-Street Presby-
terrain church FOR the purpose OF listening
thereto, was a mastery effort, and ere
sted q profound impression upon all who
heard II.
Many Of those who constituted the con-
eregation have expressed desire that the
sermon be published in full, and though
the Dispatch on last Tuesday gave
synopsis Of II tho full text Of the sermon
10 printed this morning.
Taking his text from the 9th verse OF
the 10th Psalm--"We spend our years as
q tale that is told"-Dr. Fair said;
The text bears n singular appropriate
ness to this occasion. 1t refers TO the
tale that is told by camp-fire-the brief
but expressive metaphor presents weird
and beautiful scene. Let MS try 10 picture
Il TO our minds-the cloudless skies are
xemmed with the splendid stars OF the
orient: the plains of Moab spread around
US until the indistinct outlines are lost IN
the encircling gloom: In the distance, cur
tanned from sour view by darkness, lies
the Land OF Promise; near by but hid
den, winding through shades OF night, the
Jordan rippes on its way 10 the sea; on
the hilltops the camp-fires Of the He
brews glow, and in the Stiffness we near
the murmur OF voices.
This psalm seems TO have been written
IN the wilderness. when the great pill
grimage was drawing 10 its close. All the
figures suggest the exodus-the mountain
torrent, the withered grass OF the desert
the night-watch OF an army on the march.
the old familiar story, oft repeated, 10 re-
lieve the monotony OF the long, oreary
night In the text The sacred writer
laments the rapid fight Of the years; 10
illustrate their brevity he compares them
10 a tale that is told full of a momentary,
passing interest, but soon finished. and
then by the waning campfire the tired
watchers lie down TO sleep.
SO is LIES STORY.
So is life's story: However earnest or
long or beautiful, soon told. its battles
ended. IT'S banner furled. and then the
fitful fame expires, the EXPERIMENTATION
falls into an endless sleep. Truly. 1t is
a picture of rare beauty and pathos the
text presents; let W engrave IL indeliDly
upon memory When the day ends, ana
the shadows lengthen across the plains,
as the sunset is reflected in the waters
OF the Jordan, these survivors OF so
many battles. these veterans Of the great
march. pitch their tents in the border
land, kindle their camp-fires almost
upon the brink of the mystic river. With
It's ripple sounding in their ears they
draw close together I'm the winter OF life,
and. while the great pilgrimage is coming
10 the end, they recall the story OF the
past.
That campfire on the Moabitish hills
went out long ago. the dust Of ages
mingled with its ashes the forms tha-
gathered around It faded quickly from
the earth the voices that told the tale
were soon hushed into the silence Of the
seath-sleep. But on the hill-tops OF his
tory the reflection of that campfire
fingers yet: II nlumines the skies; far off
on The distant horizon we catch its glow;
across the centuries its whispered voices
come back; even from the echoless ana
the Seathless shore we hear them still,
The tale that was told that night VIII
never be forgotten. When the lips OF the
actors IN the great drama turned to
dust. other lips took up the story, handed
II down; the world will never let 1t die;
IL will be told and retold Ito the last
syllable Of recorded time
Let US draw near, listen 10 the tale that
we will find It strangely suggestive-al-
most an echo Of our own thoughts. Al
first wa detect an undertone of sadness
for the watchers there were looking
downward. they were looking backward,
and they saw only failure. The psalm
Is largely Retrospective; II reviews the pill
grinage principally from the human
standpoint: 1t re-echoes faithfully the
d!sappontments Of their weary hearts
and the doubts OF their erring and limit
ed vision; its ste tely music falls upon
~ ear with all the solemn and plalntive
melody Of a dirge, Ike requiem ior
lost cause.
A GLOOMY PICTURE. INDEED.
1oor,ng hack by the faint and flicker
ing light Of their campfire, while the
vision was circumscribed within its mar
row circle. they saw only defeat; every
thing seemed 10 have been lost; nothing
satned. After all their long marches
and hard battles they were In the wllu-
erness still, not advancing upon the way
wandering around the same centre nsht-
ing over the same ground coming PACK
10 the charred remains OF the same, ola,
extinguished camp-ires; their object not
attained; the Promised Lana Iar OH, III
visible beyond the distant hills. we
enend our years as tale that Is told -
idle talk. empty words, the sound dying
away into silence; nothing done. The
exodus seemed a failure, the entire pill
grimage a mistake, the throes OF war
that shook. the nation all useless; the
great battles fought in vain.
The mystery OF their failure was en-
HANGED by the remembrance that they had
undertaken II from conviction OF right
and duty 10 God. AS they moved out
upon the great pilgrimage to achieve sepd-
ii and national lnGeUcnQcnCc,
did they not Believe they were obeying
the voice that spoke from the pillar
Of cloud? Was not God going before,
leading, reckoning them forwardY AND
vet. had they succeeded Had their
faith, their prayers, their self-sacrihce
been rewarded? What had they gained
Absolutely nothing-only years OF fruit
less wandering over the hot sands OF inc
desert, through the rocky wilderness, TO
come at last face to face with the hideous
spectre OF grim, gaunt despair. In suffer-
ing worse than the Egyptian bondage,
no nearer the Land Of Promise. After
ALL had they been mistaken? Obeying the
call of man instead OF God. following the
prompting OF their own hearts, rather
than the leading Of Providence?
THE DARKNESS DEEPENED.
The darkness Of the mystery was
deepened still by the costlness OF the
sacrifice. How many graves lined the
wayi Out OF the gloom vanished faces
of the unnumbered dead looked in upon
their campfire How many had re-
eponded promptly TO the call OF country,
gone forth hopefully only TO perish by
the wayside. ranks OF brave men fading
away like a receding wave; youth cot
down like flower, It's rich promise
withered as grass Many Hebrew
soldier had struggled heroically; all that