Milford chronicle., 1904-03-25

Sern O n
By Re1.
Frank De oIfff
ZaIm GSe, ID. d.
" ss-~'--.---- g.


uVlty and when sOldierly qualities al
everywhere discussed this sermon 0
the ideal Christian soldier is peculiarl
appropriate. The preacher chooses a
MS text II Timothy ii. 3, Endure hard
ness as good soldier of Jesus Christ.
what IS war? War is hell" ono
bluntly said William T. Sherman. Wa
is river of blood flowing into a rive
OF blood. War means sickness ant
ueath, widowh0Od and orphanhood
mangled bodies, devastated harvest
fields and pauperism. War is a mortal
srapple when nation says to nation,
My quarrel with you cannot be set
lied but by fighting, ana now we viii
see which Of us two has the power TO
crush the other" and then they nut
thelr armies in the field commissioned
10 XIII one another. War is a grave
trench dug with bayonets. It is the
heavens deluging countless tears. 1t
IS man with clinched fist and flaming
eye-man with an artillery wagon for
carriage and with the surgeons on
Grating table for couch. War! 1t is
the most brutal, the most fendish. the
most terrific, the most blasting curse
oI the ages We have the right to hate
II with an intense hatred and to pray /
mat the Prince Of Peace may give us /
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-
'iohal curse there have been occasions
when men have entered the army and
nave gone to the battlefield from con-
sclentious motives. There have been
cases. as every student of history Z
KNOWS, when it has become n sacred /
outy for the redress of wrong or O
iOf The defense of the home for the $
patriotic citizen to take I'M arms h
NArlst himself recognized the fact a
When he said, Il came not 10 send h
peace on the earth. but a sword" So il "
mas come to pass that his followers p
nave at times, with sore reluctance 1
Dut under a stern sense of duty. en- Ill
gagged IN war. Unhappily, too, they S'
IaFe Deen found in hostile camps. as ll'
VI our own civil war, when good Chris ui
IAN men conscientiOusly followed the lc
OhIcuerate flag, as others equaUv IN
CONSCIENTIOUS followed the Union flag sa
L conspicuous illustration was that of q
'eohldas Polk, the bishop of Louisiana III
whose pure Christian character none We
ould deny. He was so gentle and ice
! ma III his private life that when one rec
ms black slaves was dying he was inc
isl as tender to him as if the black Jat
ian had been his own flesh and blood lnt
Il lhe night on which the humble
ave closed his eyes in death the good I
shop said, "Tom is there anything wa.
Sc can do for you" The answer STA
as: Yes, massa. If you will only Chr
down by me on the bed and Dut POSE
ur arm around my neck. and LET me VINO
my arm around your neck. as we post
eu TO do when boys lying under the som
cen walnut trees l think that I could JeSu
more easy" So the great southern says
MISTER and leader lay down upon his use
YES cot and held his black servant noth
MS white arms until the white an ehuI
OF death came down and took the peop
j from beneath the black skin ever.
ely such man of God as Bisbop pup
h was not cruel or malevolent Yer Iault
the bugle blast of war he donned am S
soldiers uniform. As lieutenant ma
eraI of the Confedora+. se-i'lli' broth
shot at Pine NIountoin o. hard
1864. He was shot ,,,I4, 80 churC
rs after he had confirmed into the oI on
'copal church some of his brother made
ers. its dill
tment is more binding than bands u an
teei. l well remember the time ui''r
look the oath of enlistment in "e
United States army, and the trans. anu Il
alton in my life which Immediate 'oA
ok place on account Of that oath Clue'
Spanisb-Am ,,o,. hol 80 t.o,. 80 having
AT thar time was living in Chi you Il
and was chaplain of one of the '-n, aHGre
ST regiments in Illinois. Aslsoon OH' y
lr was declared, the colonel tele- ~ Spl
ed Governor Tanner, placing our l"o o'
fe.lment at the service of the are
nat to do l knew not. NY tIue
to lay church and to my family Ius II
ed me to stay; my duty to my tnel
v called me to go. ing aDC
The Divine Commander. eratula
rled and fretted by these con- WORK.
duties, l was narrowed by day others.
'ull not sleep by night. But no POSITION
did I enter the exposition " mono
Is at Springfield, Ill., where we 'Nnda
ped, no sooner did the mastering 'ouSh
tell me to raise my right hand anne to
le open Bible and take the oath your ey
istment, than all worry and am talk
md trouble faded from INV, ,,,i,,I but you
One minute before l took that at times
Z enlistment 7 was froo - A. have ha
1ulC. One minute after I took up the
tn enlistment 1 was a United Doys ma
soldier, subject to the orders of Ihey m
'ident of the United States. races l
is true in reference to the Eng Iul' Bu
lier or the French soldier or the dler' II
IN soldier is true of the gospel ieaVe tho
You cannot do effective serv- voice OF
soldier Of Jesus Christ unless not come
licly give TO him vour oath of be to the
n0rdo &c