Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-03-25
Talmage

By Rev.
Frank De cOfff
Tain aSe. ID. ID.

tivity and when soldierly qualities are
everywhere discussed this sermon on
the ideal Christian soldier is peculiarly
appropriate. The preacher chooses as
his text III Timothy ii, 3, Endure hard
ness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ"
What is war? "War is hell" once
bluntly said William Il. Sherman. War
Is a 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 a mortal
grapple when nation says to nation,
MY quarrel with you cannot be set
tied but by fighting, and now we will
see 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 u grave
trench dug with bayonets. 1t 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 OPP
Grating table for n couch. War! 1t is
the most brutal, the most fiendish, the
most terrific, the most blasting curse
of the ages. We have the right to hate
il with an intense hatred and to pray
that the Prince Of Peace may give US
more antipathy to it and more in
tense horror of the awful suffering
and death that 1t 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 motives There have been
cases, as every student of history
knows. when it has become a sacred
duty for the redress of wrong or
for the defense of the home for the
patriotic citizen to take up arms
Christ himself recognized the fact
when he said, 81 came not to send
peace on the earth, but sword" SO il
has come TO pass that his followers
have at times, with sore reluctance,
but under n stern sense of duty, en-
gagged in war. Unhappily, too, they
have been found in hostile camps, as
in our own civil war, when good Chris
tnn men conscientiously followed the
Confederate flag, as others equally
conscientious followed the Union flag
A conspicuous illustration was that of
Leonidas Polk, the bishop of Louisiana,
whose pure Christian character none
could deny. He was so gentle and
OF his black slaves was dying he was
just as tender to him as IL the black
man had been his own 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 1 can do for your The answer
was: "Ees, massa. IL you will only
lie down by me on the bed and put
your arm around my neck, and let me
put my arm around your neck, as we
used TO do when boys lying under the
green walnut trees, think that could
die more easy" So the great southern
minister and leader lay down upon his
slaves cot and held his black servant
In his white arms until the white an
gel OF death came down and took the
soul from beneath the black skin.
Surely such man of God as Bishop
Polk was not cruel or malevolent Yet
nt the buglc blast OF war he donpcd
the soldiers uniform. AS lieutenant
general of the Confederate army he
was shot at Pine Mountain, Ga. June
ii, 1854. He was SHOT only q few
hours after he had confirmed into the
Episcopal church some OF his brother
officers.
when Good Men, May Fight.
IL Is proper and right at certain times
and seasons for good men 10 go to
war, II they go with the right motive
Tne qualities which so to make up a
good and brave soldier are those
which should characterize good
Christian. The courage and self sac
rifce and devotion to n righteous cause
which have been displayed in the field
are needed in the Christians daily life.
Therefore, Paul aptly and powerfully
uses the figure OF my text for n gospel
comparison. He is practically saying
TO young Timothy: Look upon your
Christ as great leader and general.
Enlist in his service. Implicitly obey
his orders. Charge in Christs name
u the order Is given you TO charge.
DO sentinel duty and trudge weary
marches IL that is your order. BE
ready TO hight on battlefield, or starye
IN trench, or suffer in hospital, as duty
may command" All young people are
delighted with a military parade. Let
me In this sermon recount for you how
n gospel soldier should obey Christs
bugle call.
What does it mean to be gospel
~ soldier2 First and foremost, to take
the oath OF enlistment. The difference
between an army and mob, the diff
ference between q collection of men
governed by one brain, ruled by one
voice, directed by one order, and lot
OF men running hither and thither
Ike a flock OF sheep, or frightened,
stampeding cattle, doing as they Will,
IL the difference between the oath OF
enlistment and no oath. Before a man
takes the oath OF enlistment he is a
free man. After he takes the oath of
or xaxaf n t.
ent individuality. He is a soldier,
subject to the soldiers orders, and is
liable to be shot if he deserts or dis
obeys bis superior officers. The oath
OF enlistment practically says: II will,
Il necessary. let others do my thinking.
will go where am told to go, and do
what / am told to do" The oath of
enlistment Is more binding than bands
or steel. i well remember the time
that took the oath of enlistment in
the United States army, and the trans
formation in my life which Immediate
~ took place on account of that oath.
The Spanish-American war had broken
out AT that time i was living in Chi
cago, and was chaplain of one of the
largest regiments in Illinois. AS soon
as war was declared, the colonel tele-
graphed Governor Tanner, placing our
whole regiment at the service of the
state. What to do knew not My
duty TO my church and to my family |
required me to stay; my duty to my |
country called me to so.
The Divine Commander
Worried and fretted by these con-
nicting duties, I was narrowed by day |
and could not sleep by night. But no |
sooner did 1 enter the exposition |
grounds at Springfield ILL.,, where we |
encamped, no sooner did the mastering
officer tell me to raise NV riobt how'd |