The Teton peak. [volume] (St. Anthony, Idaho) 1899-1904, 1903-01-22
A Sermon.

son, Jan. IS, 1908, in the First Pres
byterian Church, from Joshua 1:6.
There are none in whom there doesn't
abide sincere admiration for the heroic
in life. Whether that heroism is dis
played upon the battlefield in defense of
the republic or within the field of civic
endeavor, or along the line of CONNER
cial enterprise, or in the sacred name of
religion, in whatever realm it may be
displayed, courage and enthusiasm is
sure of its tribute of praise.
From childhoods hour, Moses, JOSH
ua and Gideon, with the heroes of a lat
er time, Brace Wal lace and our own
Washington have ever been names to
conjure with. Boyish imagination has
been stimulated and ardor fired to
nobler endeavor by the splendor of the
lustre of these knightly ones of old.
Their splendid courage and noble zeal
have had its influence upon all succeed
ing ages, in shaping character along
nobler lines in more heroic cast.
Yet we find those who would cry down
enthusiasm in the highest cause that
can enlist human thought and endea
vor. They profess to dislike all excite
ment and deprecate all that partakes of
the emotional. They would make it
pure reason" forsooth, and discard its
broad sympathetic humanitarian as
| L
and make it all head Forgetting that
amid
so many Gods, 50 many creeds-
So many paths that wind and wind,
While just the art of being kind
Is all the sad world needs
But let the stock market soar sky
wards let their secu rites suddenly take
on ficticiously mere ased value, then
erstwhile complacent philosophers lose
somewhat of their coniplacency Even
gray boards of the street will conduct
themselves with all the enthusiastic eb-
ullition of youth They will hug one
another for very joy, while their fea-
lures are wreathed in Il smile of salts
faction
Or let great political party win some
unexpected or expected victory at the
polls and enthusiasm is mild descrip-
ton of the riotous intoxication which
such a success will breed
Or again, let some conspicuous sue
cess crown our armies in war, and there
is not citizen of this great republic,
worthy of the name, whose blood does
not forget its even flow and pulsate with
a swifter motion as pride of land and
race wells up within. AS he meets
with the confirmation of the suspected
fact that the blood of 76 and Of the COS
has come coursing down in the veins of
their children undiluted and unde-
bauched. That the spirit of rs is the
spirit of '9S in enthusiasm and zeal.
That the courage Of their sons is as
high and holy as that Of their sires
Or let some golden golconda uncover
itself amidst the icy fastness of Alaskas
snow girt realm and men will WOO our
lady Of the SHOWS with an enthusiastic
devotion that her fairer sisters cannot
excite
should not this same enthusiasm be en-
inently proper within the great realm
of religion? The Christ, its great pro.
genator, emphasized the heart and love-
While the depths of his philosophy have
not been sounded as yet by human
mind, yet it is in the guise of savior
a friend, an elder brother that he is
known and loved
/ have known men to have separated
after an argument with faces inHamed
with passion, and but one able to leave
the trysting place l have seen their
faces distigured with the wrath of a
heated disagreement. / have1even heard
of hair flying as an inevitable concom-
liant. | have known of friendship
sundered and home ties riven by the
same unhappy cause. | have never
known of one conversion by this intel
lectual method alone. For it is said,
"A man converted against his will
Is of the same opinion still
We all understand that courage and
enthusiasm counts in the state Dur
ing the late campaign it was the earnest
D professed desire of the political leaders
to arouse enthusiasm in the people at
large. 1t was absolutely essential for
political success. We all understand
the equally evident fact that enthusiasm
and courage count in war. The French
We're toiling up the precipitous sleeps
of the Alps. Their artillery ensconded
in followed logs, they were compelled
to drag by hand. The cold was severe
and their toll arduous, their courage
dropped, their enthusiasm waned, the
men murmured When Napoleon
ordered the bugles to sound the charge,
the musicians TO strike m the national