Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-29
SERMON TO KNIGHTS.
DELIVERED BY REV. JOHN H.
DICKINSON BEFORE RATH-
BONE LODGE

at Emmanuel Chapel, Sunday evening,
April Esd, 1900. by Rev John H. Dick
enson, before Rathbone Lodge, X. of
r.; text: Watch ye. Stand Fast in the
Faith. Quit You Like Men. Be
| Strong" LIST Cor. 16: IS.
The speaker said in part:
! st. Pauls favorite mode of express
SION was on the language of military
lie, sometimes the athlete, or the race
| course was used to impress his teach
ings. Here i'll closing his first epistle
to the Corinthians. after giving them
| sundry instructions about the Christian
| life. the Lords Supper charity. love.
the resurrection and the treatment of
the poor. he suddenly stops. and in
serts these words, Watch We. stand
fast in the faith. quit We like men,
be strong" before the final salvation
and closing greetings, which ne no
| doubt wrote with his own hand.
Here st. Paul's heart must have
! been aglow with admiration and love
these words: no doubi all OF their diff
these words, no doubt all OF their DIFF
| iculties and surroundings then came
| before him like Il vision and we seen
him as he turns to the writer and
| says: tell them, to watch. to stand
| fast. to quit themselves like men. to be
strong"
Watch ye; the soldier Who sleeps at
his post endangers the whole army and
| is not worthy of the name. TO be n
| good soldier watchfuness and diligence
are essentials. Not only does careless
| ness affect the individual watcher, but
| the whole company. regiment. or army.
| Admiration cannot be expressed for the
| faithful watcher, whether 1t be man or
| beast. 1t was in the ruins OF the an
| cient Pompei that the faithful senti-
mel remains We're found, who waiting
to be relieved. and no relief came died
| ut his post of duty. Just as heroic ana
| faithful is the horse or dog, Watching.
| perhaps licking the face of his master
| he dies With him, before he will be un-
| faithful.
What is true of the soldier life. Is
| true in the spiritual life. We are SOL
d!ers; around us gathered in number
less array, clad III armour strong. are
the faces of the world. the flesh and
the devil. a great deal depends on the
citadel by the Watchers negligence.
| then the Church. the army OF Chris
| endom is in danger How important
Is the individual watcher. Care not
how strong we may bc he who ceases
to watch is in danger. Boast not o,
strength. All need to watch. Rcmem-
| Der the apostles. Peter. James. Jcnn.
| they fell asleep-are You better than
| they Two things then, are necessary
to the Christian soldier, watchfulness
| and prayer.
| On one occasion when the Southern
army was falling back. the day was
| saved because Jackson stood like a
| stone wall-he stood fast.
So the apostle wanted the Corirthian
| Church TO stand fast in the faith" nor
to WAIVER. or move from the things he
| taught them. but to hold last (what-
ever happened). to the teachings OF the
| Lord Jesus. He wanted them not to
be influenced by the heather or any
outside surroundings. They were not
to take part in any of the heather
festivals. but they were to stand in
the liberty wherein Christ had made
them free.
Now ST Pauls desire Is not only that
these people shall be watchtul, but that
they acquit themselves like men. Just
| simply mcn-that's all-care not how
the world may express It, we say with
| st. Paul, acuuit yourselves like men.
| Be men. Birth nor condition or posi-
ton make men. it may make gentlemen
| according TO the worlds standard. but
not men. There may he more man
hood in the boy of sixteen who works
| III the Crime and dirt. but who sup
| ports his mother. mayhaps in the sec
| ond story OF some alley or in vet
| worse condition. than in the wealthy
and large person who sports in the sun
| shine.
| The greatest men, of war and of lot
ters and of state. have been thosc who
| perhaps had not much OF this world';
| goods, nor did they have many advan-
| tages, but worked their way from OBJ
| scure places and positions to places Of
| prominence and usefulness Nor is
| sheer force and brutal strength IN in
| dication of manhood. or manlnesa, but
| sometime the very opposite. Nor are
| yrt heorc deeds which call forth APP
| plause always an indication OF man.
| for sometimes the same person is q
| moral coward 4 great leader may he
n veritable lighting machine. and may
| indeed be willing to fight the whole
world but may lack sympathy. and he
so full of SELF and eeflshncss that il
crowds out the true man in him.
Twas not so with the great hearted
Wellington. who was humble though
victorious. nor was ii true OF the great
| manly men. Fredk. Barbarosa Wash
ington, Jackson, Robert Lee and Gen.
| Joubert.
What we need most in the world is
men-mcn OF corvictions-mcn of hon
esty-fearless mon. We need not so
much money for charity work among
our fellows. whereby We pauperiZc
them; but we need to help them &c.
on their feet. and TO make them under
stand that they are men With name
possibilities. ] { we can brin" this la
tent force out of them. which every
man has burning in his bosom-then
this is Gods work
There is more manhood in the finger
or conductor OF street car. seen not
long since. who supported and lifted as
tenderly as his own mother an old
lady from the car steps to the side
walk. than in nm army of idle loarers
better dressed but of the baser sort.
God gives us men, who acGuit them
selves like men In politics I'm the