Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-08-06

alive. lou say that man was crazy?
He was no more crazy than thousands
of people who, day in and day out, go
to the graves of their loved ones and
weep and lament over the past. instead
of going out into the world with Chris
tian courage and doing as the dead. or
rather as the redeemed. spirits of their
dear ones would have them do. Christ,
i'll the words of my text is not telling
that young man to he disrespectful to
his dead sire. He is. however, enun-
ciating the tremendous fact that a
young man does not honor Il dead par
ent so much by weeping over grave
as by Twin. the true. honest. noble
Christian life which that dead father
would have him live. Let the dead
bury the dead might be translated
into the words. Let the dead ones
prcccpts live in the living, and let the
living fulfill the mission of the dead"
An Incident of War.
But | think there is another reason
why Christ spoke the words of nv
text. Jesus is here not only cnunciat-
ing the fact that the primal duties of
life should never he made subservient
to the secondary. but also the great
truth that man has his duty to the
world ut large as well as To his father
and mother. his wife AMI child. his
brother and sister and friend Be
cause men and women are bone of our
bone and flesh of our flesh that is no
reason why we have not IL duty to our
fellow men who are not akin to us
by blood-duty to your fellow men
and to your fellow mems children
whom You have never seen. \ man
never learns this lesson more easily
than when he is Il soldier. | rcmem-
Der some years ago. during the Span
ish-American war, we We're encamped
In the old fair grounds of Springfield.
the Illinois capital. Dcwey's guns ut
Manila had spoken. The troops were
being hurried to the front our regi-
ment was Ia move south within Il cou-
pie of days. The surgeon of our regi-
mcnt came To my quarters one night
and said. chaplain, read that" 1t
that his wife was lowering between
life and death as the result of Il very
serious operation. and she wanted to
see him just for few hours before
he went south. why don't you run
up to Chicago tonight and come back
tomorrow" we asked. You will be
here i'm plenty of time" 1.-THE colo
mel won't let me. The orders have
come down that no leaves of absence
can be granted. as we may 20 to the
front any moment" Orders be
hanged" said l impulsivcly. IF my
wife were dying. orders or no orders,
l would go tn her" Then you would
be captured as descrter and perhaps
shot," said my companion quietly.
For the good of the service l must
obey orders and go with my regiment
My duty to my country is now even
greater than my duty to my dying
wife" Yes. surgeon" said l, "you
are right. There are duties in life
even greater than those we bear to
cur loved ones. dear though they may
be- God help you in this your hour
OF trial
So Christ in these words of my text
was enunciating an infinite and omnip-
otent truth. Jesus is practically say
ing: Young man. higher than your
love for father or mother or wife or
child is your duty to me and to the
great world ut large. Come with me
and help save the millions who are
dying i'm their sins. Come with me
and bring back to IL life of purity and
love those who will never know me I'M
less they see me as result of thy
guidance. Come with me- Come with
me-" This sentence. Follow me, and
let the dead bury the dead" is only
another wording of the same thought
which Christ spake unto his disciples:
"IIc that lovcth father or mother more
than me is not worthy of me. and he
that loveth son or daughter more than
me is not worthy of me. And he that
taketh not his cross and followcth after
me is not worthy of me-" Yes. there
come certain times in life when our
duty to Christ and to our fellow men
should have precedence over our de-
sircs to be with our dear ones in our
own homes.
But. though these words of my text
may seem to separate some of us for
little while from our loved ones on
earth. is it not sweet and treasured
thought that Christ will never separate
us. his children, from each other in
that better land? During the last i'll
ness of DIR. George Grey. Chicago's
great religious editor, he had won
dcrful vision. He seemed to be a boy
again. standing upon the banks of the
Ohio river. where he was born. lie
used to see far off, rising over the trees.
the smoke pouring out of the tunnels
of the river boats that would come and
take away his friends. So In vision he
saw. rising over the hills. the smoke of
the boat of DEATH" which was com
ing To take him. not away from friends
but To the hundreds of dear ones who
had preceded him beyond. Thus. ac-
cording to Christ's great laws. we may
believe that the separations of earth