The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-01-13

justice. Inc neart Is the vital point.
There is the seat OF the passions and the
Cover it with the breatplate of
justice. Root out of 1t every vice, fill 1t
with justice, not merely in the sense Of
giving every man his due, but as COM
pretending every virtue. The Christian
soldier must be temperate and chaste.
even as athletes are required to be. He
must be brave and loyal and true. He
must have faith in his cause and assur-
ed hope of victory. He must bear help
ing hand to his fellow soldier and es-
pecially he must love his God.
THUS grit, and protected by the breat-
plate. the Christian soldier must be shod
with the preparation of the Gospel of |
peace. The march is long and weary |
There is no resting place until victory is
won and peace achieved. The soldier must |
bear the yoke of the Gospel. He must
be an apostle IL not. like the commission
ed apostle at least an apostle within
the sphere Of his own influence For, as
surely as Paul converted multitudes by
his preaching, SO surely can every Christ
Ian convert multitudes II he lives the
Gospel. In his home, at his work, where
ever he meets his fellow man, the true
Christian cannot fail to impress the beau
ty and holiness of the Gospel of peace.
The Helmet.
Next the Christian soldier takes the
helmet of salvation. The head must be
protected, and that is done by taking
Christ, the Captain General of the Christ
ian hosts, for leader Happy they who
fought under the great captains of his
tory. They were heroes, too who stood
by the victors at Santiago and Manila.
But to fight under Christ, who is in
vincible, to know that defeat can come
nrNlx fr~<@r - 81 ~ -
is assured from the onset If only the
soldier will remain loyal-how glorious
the lot of the Christian soldierl In earth
ly battles no man can foretell the result.
for the victory Is not always to the
strong, nor does fortune always favor the
brave. But in the Christian warfare the
result is always certain If the soldier will
only not throw down his arms and turn
away True, the battle lasts long, nor
does 1t cease with the going down Of the
sun. The Christian soldier is never allow
ed to rest upon his arms. There can be
no truce or treaty with the enemy, no
retreating into winter quarters to recruit
his shattered forces.
Voice of the Captain.
But should the soldier weaken the
Captain will sustain him. Should he grow
afraid, the voice of the Captain ringing
above the din of conflict will cheer and
encourage him. Nay, should he fall, as
fall he may through WEAKNESS, the Cap
tain will lift him up and place him in
the forefront of the battle anew. Talk
not, therefore of cowardice in the Christ
ian battle. Who could be a coward under
such a commander? Talk not of danger.
The Captain asks no soldier to face dan
ger except following himself as leader.
Talk not of difficulties After all 1t
costs less ito gain heaven than to gain
hell. Count, IL you can, the self-immolat-
ed victims demanded by hell Number
the dishonored graves or-tbe victims of
intemperance and lust. Reckon the
wrecked lives caused by the mad desire
for money. Heaven does not implacably
demand such victims, or exact such sac
rifces. The poor are furnishing, but the
gambling hells are hourishing. Children
cry for bread, while saloons are waxing
fat. There is scarcely church free from
debt In the country while money is pour
ed in measure untold for every kind >of
vice and iniquity. Yes, after ALL when
you measure the cost 1t costs less to
gain heaven than to gain hell.
Shield of Faith.
"Then the Christian soldier takes the
shield of faith. Faith alone can nerve
the soldier for the battle. Faith alone
can make it worth his while to fight.
The fool hath said in his heart, there is
no God. Observe 1t is the fool that said
1t, for reason alone can read the name
of the Maker writ large on his work. And
1t Is In his heart not In his intellect, that
he said It, for infidelity Is the thin pre-
text commonly assumed to Justify in
diligence in the passions that are surging
up in the human heart. The man with
out faith has no motive for virtue, and
no strength to practice 1t. Virtue is to
fAIIxr nd fhn Y1aar In r,rQ n
1t a fool. But faith supplies the motive,
and furnishes the strength. Faith teaches
the proud man his nothingness Faith
teaches the lustful man that the body Is
for the Lord, not for iniquity, that his
body, nodded after the body of Christ, Is
sacred to Him, and the temple OF the
Holy Ghost to be kept inviolate. Faith
teaches the afflicted that tears are con-
secrated in the tears of Christ, and that
every pain is holy in the pain that
wrought death to Christ. Faith teaches
the Christian how to triumph over the
world, the flesh and the devil, even as
Christ triumphed over them In the desert.
conquering and to Conquer.
1.-THE soldier is thus equipped for de-
Tense But he must not merely defend
himself; thus armed. he must go forth
conquering and to conquer. Therefore he
takes the sword of the spirit, which is
the word of God. He hears the voice OF
the Captain enlightening encouraging.
sustaining him; he accepts 1t implicitly
and obeys IL faithfully, whether 1t comes
to him directly or through a commits
stoned aide With that word the Chris
tian soldier converted and civilized the
world That word inspired the apostles
and nerved the martyrs. That word sane
tifies the saints and destroys the power |
of evil. That word wins victories and /
peoples heaven
And now stand forth, o Christian SOL
der, armed in full panoply. Let thy |
enemies rush to the assault but thou |
needst not dread the issue. They are |
powerful, but thou art more powerful In |
the armor furnished thee by Christ. Hell |
and earth are leagued against thee, but |
heaven is on thy side. Thou art fighting |
against principalities and powers. But |
Christ who rules them is fighting for |
and with thee.
For this you are to be enrolled today |
under the banner of the Knights of CO.
lumbus-4 Do not delude yourselves. Our |
noble order Is not merely for the purpose |
of organization, for grand displays or for |
social gatherings. In the days of her |
early glories the church had not yet de- |
veloped her organization, but the virtue. |
bravery and constancy Of her children |
supplied the place of that organization.
So today organization has no other OBJ
tect than through mutual support to fos-
ter your virtue. to direct your bravery |
and to secure your constancy."
Degree Work.
At the close of the mass. as the clergy |