The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-30
SPOKE TO VETERANS.
REV. GEORGE B. EAGER AT sPE-
 CAL SERVICE YESTERDAY.
Eminent Minister Delivered sermon to Wearcrs of Hue and the Grey
 at, First Presbyterian Church.

Rev. George B. Eager. D. D.; of the faculty of the Southern Theological Seminary of Louisville, but for many years pastor of the First Baptist Church of Montgomery. delivered an eloquent sermon yesterday morning to the veterans of the Blue and the Grey at the First Presbyterian Church.
 The large auditorium of the church was crowded to the doors. every seat being occupied. A large portion of the church, that immediately in front or the pulpit, had been reserved for the old soldiers. It was filled with the members of Camp Lomax and Camp Jen Falkner. United Confederate Veterans, and Post William B. Woods, Grand Army of the Republic. The members of the various organizations met at their headquarters and marched In body to the church. Camp Holtzclaw, United Sons of Confederate Veterans, united with the veterans in the ser A large number of members of other churches were present to increase the crowd to one of the largest the church ever held. The announcement alone that Dr. Eager would preach was suf- ficient to attract all classes of Mont gomery's citizens. To this was added the unique interest of the old soldiers services
 A splendid musical program was rem dered. including the loved and familiar hymn, Jesus. Lover of My Soul" in which all the grey-haired veterans Joined. s
 The sermon of Dr. Eager was singu- l larly impressive and eloquent He is himself a Confederate veteran and during his address to his former com rades and those of the army that op- posed them, he wore the white and red | badge of the Confederacy. His ser vices and his hardships in the army | of. the Confederacy had brought him into close touch and sympathy with l his veteran hearers, sympathy which made him sensitive to their sorrows | and sharer of their hopes and aspi- rations. He felt with them the losses and disappointments and the joys and l triumphs of the years. The discourse chaste language that has characterized i the pulpit efforts of pr. Eager for many years.
 Eager spoke of the pleasure that 1t gave him to speak to the veterans who were his comrades and those who Of
 the other side who themselves had had | alluded. to his own experiences, the | fighting about Petersburg and the | flames he once saw that marked the
 
 For his text pr. Eager selected that | impressive utterance of the Savior | For I come not to destroy, but :L | build up" He portrayed the condl- l tions that surrounded the Savior wher | these impressive words were uttered | The seople, the multitude had follow | ed him, as the kingly Messiah sent fol | their deliverance. They saw in Hin
 their temporal king who would deliver l them from the oppression of the Ro. mans. They were willing at his worC | to throw themselves upon the Roman
 legions and fight out their deliverance | There was, too, the conservative clas:
 who believed that his rise and his as sumption of power would mean thu | oVerturning of existing orders, the de struction of the temples and othel things held high in reverence.
 Taking his words the minister mad
 clear and forceful the mission of thu Son of God on earth. In beautiful words he portrayed the greatness 0 | the Savior's sacrifice and its immens importance. to humanity. He showed | Jesus's determination that the force
 of light should not be regarded as tn | forces of night
 In his sermon pr. Eager paid higl
 tribute to the Anglo-Saxon civilization
 of the South, its force. its culture an
 its influence In shaping the histor
 of the country. He declared. too, tha
 in all his travels through the Nort he found everywhere an Intense admir-
 ation of the bravery of the Confederat
 priVate t'