Connecticut western news., 1904-03-24
Inc president of fine 1rnited states

soldier. You cannot do effective serN- ice as a 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 own master. Then you are in 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 America's sOuthernmOSt cape, up past the coast of Brazil, Cap tain Clark immediately went into tue first United States port he could find and telegraphed President Mckinley, "The Oregon has arrived safe and is awaiting orders" So when you be- come Christian soldier or 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 will to the divine will. You must say, 'I am ready, o Christ, to do what thou wilt have me to do, and go where thou commandest me to go."
 The Gospel Soldier.
 What does it mean to be gospel sol dier? 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 the civil war had place reserved for him in the ranks, whether he belonged to the cavalry or the artillery, the in fantry or the engineering corps. As q military organization of a great aggre- gation of individuals, so the success of the army depends upon that mill tary organization being divided and subdivided and divided again by or derly arrangement. The individual, the private soldier, must have his dis tinct place just as the general or the colonel or the major or the captain has his place.
 Let us study for a 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 were divided first into three parts, each commanded by major general. Generals Schofield, McPherson and Slocum had respectively charge of the right wing, the center and the left wing of that army. Then each wing and center was again divided into corps, under such leaders as Generals Logan, Howard and Kirkpatrick. Then these corps were again subdivided into divisions, and these divisions again into brigades, and these brigades 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 hat and the number of the regiment marked upon the lapel of his coat.
 Each American soldier always had distinct place reserved for him in the ranks where he was supposed to fight. Sometimes in battle an Amer ican soldier might get separated from his company. During the two days fighting before Santiago an American lieutenant saw colored trooper of the Tenth cavalry fighting by the side of his white men. When the lieutenant asked the black man why he was there he replied, q have lost my command, and so, sir, if you will, I would like to fight in your company" The permis sion was given. That night, when the colored soldier was about to hunt up his command, he asked the lieutenant to give him a note to his captain to prove that he 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 same lieutenant found upon the bloody field the same colored trooper, mortally wounded. The colored soldier beckon- ed to the lieutenant to lean over him. Then the dying man whispered: "Take that note and give 1t to the captain of l. troop, Tenth cavalry, Lawton's di- vision, and tell him that l tried to re- port to my company, but could not find him. Give him that paper and say that Williams was not coward" Ah, yes, 'tis true! A United States soldier always has an 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 be able to answer roll call in certain company, of a certain regiment, of q certain brigade, of certain division, of q certain corps. So the gospel sol dier must have distinct place in which he has his name upon the mus- ter roll of the church militant There should be no free lnnces" in the gos- pei army, no guerrilla bands. Guer- rilla ranks are filled up for the most part with iconoclasts and anarchists and cutthroats. But the gospel soldier must be Il regularly enlisted man, de- tailed for work to some one Bible class, to some one Sunday school, to some one prayer meeting, to some one ch E:h. A gospel soldier is a Chris tian who 'obeys orders. How can you obey Christ's orders unless You have taken your individual place In the gos- pei ranks of Christ's great army, called lhe church?
 The true, gospel soldier always con siders the posts of danger the posts of honor. He wants to hear the singing of thesshells, even though that martial song may have to be accompanied by his own death rattle. He wants to be as most of the soldiers were after they had enlisted for the Spanish h-American war. Oh, how anxious the officers and privatcs alike longed for the front! They wanted to have a glorious part in the liberation of downtrodden Cuba Somcp men had to die for that libera- tion. Then the brave fellows of the different regiments, by telegram upon telegram, sent to the governors and to the officials at Washington, practically saiel, We are ready to go to the front aye, ito sacrifice our lives, if need be. in our country's service" So eager