Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-03-28
Talmage

BY Rev.
Frank De cOiff
Tain age. ID. ID.


everywhere discussed this sermon on
the ideal Christian soldier is peculiarly
appropriate. The preacher chooses as
his text ii Timothy ii, 3, Endure hard.
ness as a good soldier OF Jesus Christ.
What is war? WAR is hell" once
bluntly said William T. Sherman. War
is a river Of blood flowing into a river
of blood. War means sickness and
death. widowhood and orphanhood
lmangled bodies, devastated harvest
fields and pauperism. War is a mortal
grapplc when nation says to nation,
my quarrel with you cannot be set
tied but by fighting, and now we will
see which of us two has the power to
lcrush the other" and then they put
their armies in the field commissioned
to kill one another War is n grave
trench dug with b yOnets. 1t is the
heavens deluging ountless tears. II
is man with clinched fist and flaming
eye-man with an artillery wagon fol
"a carriage and with the surgeons Op
Grating table for a couch. War! 1t is
the most brutal. the most fendish, the
most terrific, the most blasting curse
of the ages. We have the right to hate
It with an intense hatred and to pray
that the Prince Of Peace may give u
more antipathy to it and a more in.
tense horror Of the awful suffering
and death that it entails.
War an International Curse.
But though war is an awful interna
tional curse there have been occasions
when men have entered the army and
have gone to the battlefield from con
scientious motives. There have been
cases, as every student Of history
knows, when it has become 4 sacred
duty for the redress Of wrong or
for the defense of the home for the
patriotic citizen to take up arms
Christ himself recognized the facl
when he said, Il came not to senu
peace on the earth, but Il sword" So il
has come to pass that his followers
have at times, with sore reluctance,
but under Il stern sense of duty, en-
gagged in war. Unhappily, too, they
have been found in hostile camps, as
in our own civil war, when good Chris
ltian men conscientiously followed the
Confederate flag, as others equally
conscientious followed the Union flag
"A conspicuous illustration was that OF
ILeonidas Polk, the bishop of Louisiana
whose pure Christian character none
could deny. He was so gentle anO
kind in his private life that when ont
of his black slaves was dying he was
Just as tender to him as if the black
man had been his own flesh and blood
On the night on which the humble
slave closed his eyes in death the good
bishop said, Tom, is there anything
else l can do for your The answer
was: Yes, massa. If you will only
lie down by me on the bed and put
your arm around my neck, and let me
put my arm around your neck, as we
used to do when boys lying under the
green walnut trees, think that l could
die more easy" So the great southern
minister and leader lay down upon his
slaves cot and held his black servant
in his white arms until the white an.
gel of death came down and took the
soul from beneath the black skin
Surely such a man of God as Bishop
Polk was not cruel or malevolent. Yet
at the bugle blast of war he doomed
the soldiers uniform. AS a lieutenan
general of the Confederate army h
was shot at Pine Mountain, Ga, June
IA, 1864 He was shot only a few
hours after he had confirmed into tn
Episcopal church some of his brothe
officers.
When Good Men May Fight.
1t is proper and right at certain time
and seasons for good men to go t.
war, if they go with the right motive
The qualities which go to make up ;
good and a brave soldier are thos,
which should characterize goot
Christian. The courage and self sac
rifice and devotion to righteous Gauss
which have been displayed in the fel(
ara needed in the Christians daily life
krefore, Paul aptly and powerful!
nses the figure of my text for gospe
comparison. He is practically saying
10 young Timothy: Look upon You
Christ as q great leader and general
8 Enlist in his service. Implicitly ODE!
his orders. Charge in Christs nam'
If the order is given you to charge
Do sentinel duty and trudge wear!
s. marches if that is your order. b
ready to fight on battlefield, or starv'
In trench, or suffer in hospital, as dut!
may command" All young people ar
delighted with a military parade. LIE
me in this sermon recount for you how
n gospel soldier should obey Christ:
bugle call.
What does it mean to be a gospe
soldier? First and foremost, to tax
The oath of enlistment. The diferenc
between an army and a mob, the dit
ference between a collection of me-
governed by one brain, ruled by on
Soice, directed by one order, and a 10
kf men running hither and thithe
like a flock of sheep, or frightened
rtampeding cattle, doing as they vii
Is the difference between the oath o
Enlistment and no oath. Before ma
of ha iS