The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-08-12
Rev. W. II. SOwelI breaches at the
First Baptist Church.
SUBJECT 1.-THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER
"Ile that Loseth His Life for ChriStS
Sake Gains It,
REV. HALSELL AT CUMBERLAND CHURCH
"Behold the Lamb Of God. "-"Prepare
We the Way of the Lord and Make
His Path Straight"

Rev. Riley. pastor Of the First Baptist
church in this city, which church Is bold
ing Its services temporarily in Bryan hail.
being absent from the city on his summer
vacation, Rev w. H. Sowell, pastor of the
First Baptist church at Carter, Texas, filled
the pulpit yesterday at both mornng and
evening services. Rev. Sowell is an abe
and eloquent minister from Pennsylvania,
having removed TO this State only two
years since from Scranton, Pa, where he
had been pastor of the Baptist church for
several years. The members of the church
in this city were SO well pleased with his
efforts yesterday that after the services
last evening they prevailed on him TO
promise to return here and preach for them
on the fourth Sunday in this month.
Rev. Sowell took for his text the latter
part of the thirteenth verse of the sixth
chapter of Ephesinns, Having done all
to stand" the subject being THE Chris
tlun Soldier" He FIRST drew ii parallel be-
tween literal soldier and soldier Of
christ, showing that In the days of our
savior, no mntter whether a man was u
soldier under Nero or follower of Christ,
ne must possess the power to do three
thlngs-do, dare and die-and that those re
quirements had always been and were yet
necessary for soldier no matter what
kind, citing as examples of daring among
sudlery William Wallace George Washing
ton, the American colOuists and others aud
hosts of examples In Chrlsts soldiers
through all ages.
Do" Handling the requirement Of do
Ing, he said that soldier must not only
dare but he must do but that intelligent
action In doing was as necessary as the
doing Itself; that intelligent action properly
directed the doing; that happiness cul-
inmates In the knowledge and performance
OF the duty; that soldier of Christ does
not do In order TO obtain merit hut does
| because he possesses sslvHtion he does not
do as nm irksome duty, but as grand and
glorious privilege, the love of which Is
| brought about by his love for and faith in
| Christ; that faith confidence and love be
| gets courage and prompts him TO do; that
! the Importation of information from a
| trusted leader inparts courage and impels
| a soldier to do That often IN the military
| the impellng power was a gigantic intel
! lect which on the part of the leader, the
! commander, gave the soldiers courage and
| impelled them to do, while weaker Intel
! ect In the leader would spread cOnstelna-
| tlon among the men md In many instances
| cause q panic among the soldiers.
| Power to die. Every soldier in no mat
! ter what cause he Is enlisted must be will
| Ing to lay down his life for the cause in
! which he is fghtlng lie must think more
Of the cause in which he is a soldier than
| he docs Of his life. Christ says. lie that
| loses his life for my sake gains IT," If Il
! soldier thinks more of his life than he does
] sacrifice the cause in order to save his
! life For this reason In olden times II was
customary before q battle for a heralder
! ia 90 along the line of battle and announce
/ to all who NAV hive been faint hearted
! that they should retire. lie cited the cnSe
! of Gideon, who was chosen TO lead the
! hosts of Israel ana chose 10000 men, but
under Gods direction when the faint heart
ed had been turned away Gideon had only
300 men left In line, and yet won grand
/ victory He said Chrlsts supreme test is:
"lf any come after Me and hateth not his
| own life he can not be my disciple.
In conclusion he said that he was glad
to be able to say that IN all ages Chris
tians have been found coming mp fully to
every requirement. every test The glare
of the torch, the dunge OF the galows, the
fash of the sword has not deferred them
from heroic deaths when It became neceS
sary. As examples and comparing the
deaths OF the military leaders of the world
and the soldiers of Christ. he said: Han
uibal, the great earthly soldier, died the
death of coward Caesar died the death
Of the oppressor Napoleon died the death
he could for the uplifting and elevation OF
man and the Advancement of the cause OF
Christ yet through The hatred of men tht
| stntCl &c Of lt Ptp
when he was led from the martyrs dun
geon ont on the green sward and command
ed to halt he fell on his knees In prayer
and when the sword was drawn 10 hehead
! him his faith was mistaken his hope
frightened and he gave up his life for hi:
Masters cause. Luther, after spendinl
years Of his life In defending Justification
; by faith and protestantlsm after singing
J FOR years