Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-03-24

The Divine Commander.
Worried and frctted by these con-
ficting duties, I was narrowed by day
and could not sleep by night. But no
sooner did [ enter the exposition
grounds at Springfield, H., where we
encamped. no sooner did the mastering
officer tell mo 20 raise my right hand
over the open Bible and take the oath
Of enlistment, than all worry and
doubt and trouble faded from my mind.
Why? One minute before I tool that
oath OF enlistment ] was free to do
as ! would. One minute after ! took
that oath of enlistment I was n United
States soldier. subject to the orders Of
the president OF the United States.
What Is true in reference to the Eng
fish soldier or the French soldier or the
American soldier Is true of the gospel
soldier. You cannot. do. effective scrv-
Ice as n soldier OF Jesus Christ unless
you publicly give to him your oath Of
enlistment. And when you once do
give that oath then you are no longer
your W master. Then you are I'm
exactly the same position toward your
divine commander. as was Captain
Clark toward his earthly commander.
After he had brought the Oregon on
her famous trip from the Pacific ocean
around South Americas so~uthcrnmost
cape, up past the coast Of Brazil. Cap
tain Clark Immediately went into the
first United States port he could find
and tclegraphcd President Mckinley,
"Thc Oregon has arrived safe and Is
awaiting orders" SO when you be-
come n Christian soldier or a Christian
sailor you must first take your oath
OF enlistment and then always be
waiting orders" In the public church
aisle and by the table Of the holy COM
muniOn YOU give open testimony OF
your purpose to surrender your viii to
the divine will. You must say. II am
ready. o Christ, to do what thou wilt
have me to do, and go where thou
commanded me to go
The Gospel soldier.
What Ices it NEAR to be n gospel sol.
der! TO be assigned to some distinct
part of some distinct command IN the
great Christian army. following the
standards Of Jesus Christ. To have an
individual place reserved for you in
the gospel ranks, where you are to
fight for the church militant, as each
private American soldier during tho
civil war had Il place reserved for him
in the ranks. whether he belonged to
the cavalry or the artillery, the In
fantry or the engineering corps. As Il
military organization Of a great aggre-
gntlon of individuals. SO the success
of the army depends upon that mill
tary organization being divided and
subdiyidcd and divided again by or
derly arrangement. The individual.
the private soldier, must have his dis
tirct place Just as the general or the
colonel or the major or the captain has
his place.
Let us study for q moment the con
struction OF an American army. Take.
for illustration, that which followed
Sherman TO the sea. There were in
that host about one hundred thousand
men. These one hundred thousand
men We're divided first into three parts,
each commanded by 4 major general.
Generals Schoield. Mcpherson and
Slocum had respectively charge of the
right wing, the center md the left
wing of that army. Then each wing
ana center was again divided into
corps, under such leaders as Generals
Logan, Howard and kirkpatrick. Then
these corps were again Subdividcd into
1ivrfaf.t,- ptNI tl,nCA ltVtEiAnl nrnip
into brlSades. and these hrigades into
regiments. and these regiments into
companies, and each private soldier
was assigned TO a distinct company,
the letter of which WAS marked on his
Int and the number OF the regiment
marked upon the lapel Of his coat.
Each American soldier always had
q distinct place reserved for him in
the ranks where he was supposed TO
fight. Sometimes in battle an Amer
Tenn soldier might get separated from
his company. During the two days
fighting before Santiago an American
lieutenant saw Il Colorcd trooper Of the
Tenth cavalry lighting by the side Of
his white men. When the Lieutenant
asked the black man why he was there
he replied. II have lost my command,
and SO, sir, II you will, | would like to
fight in your company" The permits
sion WAS given. That night, when tho
Colorcd soldi.e r was about to hunt up
bis command. he asked the lieutenant
to give him Il note to his captain to
prove that lie had been In battle and
not skulking In the rear. The next
day. when going over the field hunting
for his dead and wounded, this So me
lieutenant found upon the bloody field
the same colored trooper. MORALLY
wounded. The colored soldier beckon-
ed 10 the lieutenant to lean over him.
Thon the dying mar whispered Take
that note and give 1t to the captain Of
L troop. Tenth cavalry, Lawton's di
vision, and tell him that | tried 20 re-
port to my company, but could not find
him. Give him that paper and say
that Williams vas not Il coward" All,
yes, tits true. A United States soldier
always has m individual place re
served for him in the ranks where he
is expected to be and expected TO fight.
A Gospel Warriors Duty.
The United States soldier must he
able to answer roll call In a certain
company, OF Il certain regiment, Of a
certain brigade. OF a certain division,
Of q certain corps. So the gospel sol
der must have a distinct place in
which he has his name upon the mus,