Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-06-05
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMACE. DID,.
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago

in the spirit which their self sacrifice
Ezekiel xxxvii, 3, "Can these bones
live?"
A dark. grewsome valley, peopled
with the strangest of all strange hosts,
n great army of bleached skeletons, is
the scene of the prophets vision. Amid
the millions and billions Of dry bones
there is not the CLEAN OF one eye, the
beating of one heart, the welcome Of
one handclasp. All are motionless.
All are dead. Then, in the silence,
there comes a voice asking the mo,nen-
tous question, Can these bones live"
And, strange to say, as II in answer,
the dry bones begin to move. the
joints, like rusty hinges, creaking from
long disuse. The different skeletons
lift themselves and stand up. Then,
stranger STILL these skeleton forms
stoop down. as we would bend to gath
or the fresh, clean linen after a morn
ing bath, and they clothc themselves in
garments of flesh and blood. God first
asked Ezekiel whether the dry bones
COulu IENc. i HtA SOu SAONtu lut
prophet by visual manifestation that
they could.
The same question which was asked
the ancient prophet l ask you this ma
tional Memorial day in reference to the
bones, the dry bones, Of the soldiers
who died in our civil war. l ask it in
reference to the dead soldiers Of the
northern and southern armies alike.
Now that the civil war is forty years
past, all are agreed that the men who
wore the gray fought from motives
just as honorable as those of the men
who wore the blue. Robert e. Lee and
Stonewall Jackson were Gods noble
men as certainly as were U. S. Grant
and William T. Sherman. Alexander
II. Stephens was obeying the dictates
of his own conscience as certainly as
did Tha Stevens. | ask this ques-
ton the more boldly because among
the last plans of our martyred Presi-
dent William Mckinley was one to do
| justice TO the aged Confederate veter-
ans. Can the bones Of the northern
and southern heroes who suffered
death upon American battlcfields live
again? | ask the question because l
intend to answer it myself. l want TO
prove this morning that the men who
met a soldiers death fighting bravely
are not dead. They are more alive to-
day than when their deeds testified to
the world that Americas heroes and
heroines-for l shall speak in reference
to both-should be classed among the
moral and intellectual forces of their
day and generation.
The Inspiration of Example.
The dead of our American battle,
fields are intensely alive today in their
inspiring examples. Every true soldier
knows what | mean by the overwhelm-
| ing power of n personal example. 1t Is
the ability which n brave leader, by a
deed of heroism, has to instill the cour
age Of his own life into other lives
There comes a crisis in the battle
What docs the asSautng brigade com
mander do? Does he keep his position
in the rear of his troops, where he has
a right to stay? Does he send one OF
his staff officers to lead in the charge
Does he look after his own safety
Oh, no. He draws his sword and step,
to the front of his brigade. He hurried
ly uttcrs few inspiring words He
says: Boys, the safety of the whole
army depends upon this move. Either
we must capture yonder hill and breal
that opposing line. or else the whole
force must retreat or surrender. Som,
Of us may lay down our lives there
VIII you follow me- men? | ask NJ
man to go where l am not ready t
lead. l ask no man to charge wher,
1t may not be possible for him to steI
over my dead body. Men, will you go
Will you go|' And all down the lint
of threats there comes the hoarse an
swer: AYE. general, we will go W,
will go" This was the way Genera
George Edward Pickett did when h
stepped In front of his soldiers at tn,
battle Of Gettysburg and led his bri
gade across those bloody fields until n
last his lines were almost annihlated
F. With tears streaming down his cheeks
Pickett returned to report to his com
mander, saying, General Lee my nc
BILE brigade has been swept away" Thi
, was the way Marshal Ney did when h
led the Old Guard down into the ravin
Of Chain, where the Waterloo TRACED
was practically ended. This was tn
way Richard Neville, earl of Warwick
Cid upon the battlefield of Barnet
When the great kngmaker saw tina
"a iroops We're being routed, he rod
20 the top of hill and dismounted
There, within sight of his men,
drove his sword into the heart of hi
noble war charger. Then, having Gu
off all possibility of personal escape, h
called his troops, saying: THE con
mander of the English forces is here
conquer or die! VIII his men be viii
ing to die with him." The retreatin
leader and died by thousands as til
Earl of Warwick himself died. Wa
may be hell, as an American gener;
once bluntly declared, but by the gleal
Of the hot kissing, demoniac flames {
that awful inferno are seen the hero
, deeds of many whose noble lives hay
, been tried and purified by the fires {
, an earthly martyrdom.
This national Memorial day we nj
living among the glorified scenes Of IL
past. We are ready to suffer for tn
old flag because its red folds have bee
dipped in pools of human blood. "
are better fathers and husbands al