Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-03-24
Talma8e
Sermon
By Rec.
Frank De wif
Tain oSe. ID. d.

ilis lcAL Al llnOVHy H. Al, usIiuurc ulru-
hes as a good soldier Of Jesus Christ"
What is war? "War Is hell" once
bluntly said William n. Sherman. War
fs n river Of blood flowing into a river
Of blood. War means sickness and
death. widowhood and orphanhood.
mangled bodies, devastated harvest
fields and pauperism. War is q mortal
grapple when nation snys to nation,
my quarrel with you cannot be set.
tied but by lighting. and now we will
SEQ which of us two has the power to
crush the other and then they put
their armies in the field commissioned
to kill one another. War is a grave
trench dug with bayonets. 1t is the
heavens deluging countless tears. 1t
is nan with ciinchcl fist and flaming
eyc-man with an artillery wagon for
a carriage and with the surgeons op-
Grating table for q couch. War! 1t Is
the most brutal. the most fiendish. the
most terrific. the most blasting curse
If the ages. We have the right to hate
1t with an intense hatred ana to pray
hat the Prince OF Peace may give us
more antipathy TO it and n 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 motivcs. There have been
cases. as every student OF history
knows. when it has become a sacred
duty for the redress of wrong o.
for the defense Of the home for the
patriotic citizen to take No arms.
Christ himself recognized the fact
when he said, II came not to send
peace on the earth. but IA sword" So it
has come to- pass that his followers
have IT times. with sort reluctance,
but under n stern sense Of duty. en-
gagged i'll war. %inhappily, too. they
have been found in hostile camps. as
in our W civil war. when good Chris
tian men COnSCientiouS!y followed the
Confederate flag. as others equally
conscientious followed the Union flag.
a conspicuous illustration was that Of
Leonidas l'o.k. the bishop of Louisiana.
whose pure Christian character none
could deny. He was SO gentle and
kind in his private life that when one
of his black slaves was dying he was
just as tender TO him as if the black
man had been bis Owl 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 ! can do for youT' 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 mo
put my arm around your neck. as we
used to do when boys LYNX under the
green walnut trees. | think that | could
die more e,fSJ." So the great southern
minister and leader lay down upon his
slaves co, and held his black servant
in his white arms until the white an
gel of death came down and took tho
soul from beneath The black skin.
Surely such Il man OF God ns Bishop
Polk vas lot cruel or n~alcvolcnL Yet
at the buglc blast Of war lie donned
~ u = 1t n a. ifIt'iifi III
general Of the Confederate army he
Was shot at Pine Mountain. Ga. June
II. 1864. He was shot only Il few.
hours after he had confirmed into the
Episcopal church some Of his brother
officers.
When Good Men May Fight.
II is proper and right at certain times
a. wi .on,,, f@, ,.,l z, =.
war, if the! 60 with the right motive.
The qualities which go to make up n
good and Il brave soldier are those
which should characterize a good
Christian. The courage and self sac
ritice and devotion to a righteous cause
which have been displayed in the field
IRE needed in the Christians daily life.
Therefore, Paul uptly and powerfully
uses the figure Of my text for Il gospel
comparison. He is practically saying
TO young Timothy: Look upon your
Christ as a great leader and general.
Enlist in his service. Implicitly obey
his orders. Charge in Christ's name
If the order is given you to charge.
DO sentinel duty and trudga weary
marches if that is your order. BE
ready TO fight on battlefield, or starve
in trench, or suffer in hospital, as duty
may command" All young people are
delighted with n military parade. Let
me in this sermon recount for you how
n gospel soldier should obey Christ's
bugle can.
What docs IL mean ia be II gospel
soldier? First and foremost, to take
the oath of enlistment. The difference
between an army and 4 mob. the DIFF.
ference between a collection of men
roverned by one brain. ruled by one
toice. directed by n order, and a lot
# men running hither and thithcr
Ike "A flock of sheep, or frightened,
stampeding cattle, doing M they viii,
Is the difference between the onth of
Enlistment and no oath. Before a man
lakes the oath Of enlistment he Ia n
free man. After he takes the oath Of
enlistment he IS no longer al independ-
pnt individuality. He is "A soldier,
subject to the soldiers orders, and is
liable TO be shot II he deserts OF dis
pbeys his superior officers. The oath
VI enlistment practically says; Il will,
if necessary, let others do, my thinking.
! will 90 where l I'M told Tn go, and do
what ] am told TO do" The oath OF
enlistment Is more binding than bands
of steel. | well remember the time
that | took the oath of enlistment in
IN" | nited States army, and the trans