Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-11-11

Just ut the critical age OF life. II we
can only hold them for five or six years
longer they will make grand workers
for God. But they must have the right
kind of u teacher. VIII you Gomez
And inevitably | hear an answer some
thing like this: "Oh. can't come. That
means ] will have 10 get up early Sun
day morning and always be there. You
had better ask some one else who can
be- more faithful and better fitted for
that work than J." Aud so am put
Off from getting the right kind of teach
crs for my Sunday school. just as near
~ all pastors and Sunday school super
intcndcnts are put of. The average
church members are willing 10 go the
first mile for God IN the church. They
are ready 10 attend Sunday morning
service-tlint Is. II they can come In
late and leave rs soon as the hcnelic-
ton IL pronounced hut they are not
willing 10 20 the twain mile They are
not willing t. give whole hearted scrv-
Ice. cOnsccrsltcd service. entire service.
TO the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now. my brother. what authority
should have II prior claim upon your
services 10 the authority of the church
OF the Lord Jesus Christi
The chief purpose for which the
church was started WAS the saving OF
souls. Could any work he more inn
pOrtant: Some years ago ! saw an
officer of the law pursuing Il thief. A
carriage drove by. Without one mo-
ment's hesitation the officer command
I'd the driver to halt lie leapcd into
the carriage. took the reins and hit the
horse with the whip. He made that
horse run at full speed after the flee
Ing thief. You say at once: That Is
right. The officer had Il perfect right
to do that" Well. my friends. then |
would ask you this question. II that o.
ficer had II right 10 take II man and his
carriage AMI pursue II fleeing thief. has
not my Lord and my God a right 10
summon you 10 come aud work in his
church. where Christian people are
working and praying in order 10 de-
velop boys and girls and men and wo-
men so that they will not become
tultNtS uill SbtldI - the
fircmans work. who PUSHES TO burn
ing building. any more important than
that of Sir lIumphry Davy. who
manufactures the little mining lamp.
that there may not be a fatal explosion
In the mine:
The Country's Call.
But | cannot close without speaking
one or two words with direct reference
to Caesars couricrS. Christ is here
cnunciatng the doctrine he preached
10 the l'hariSccs when he said. "Render
unto Caesar the things which are Gaze
sar's as well as TO God the things
which are Gods" Shall we not. in the
best and In the truest sense. be sub
timely submissive to our city and
state AMI national government: And
yet. when our country Is calling Us
and needs our aid. how many of us
turn deaf ears To those calls. For the
peace and happiness of orr dear native
land are we ready to fight its Internal
enemies rs well rs its foreign foes?
Are we ready 10 fight the saloon and all
It's sinful dives ana all the evil vam-
pircs that are trying To suck out the
lifcblood of our social organism? Are
we willing To he true to the nation and
come 10 her help, as the Hebrews
should have been willing 10 spring To
the aid of Caesars couriers and 20
with them not one mile. but twain?
Would that in these times of peace
we might be- rs true 10 the best inter-
ests OF our nation as We're our ances-
tors IN times of war. Then IL was with
them no question of money. Oh how
heavily the burden of taxation rested
upon them. Every loaf of bread in
those war times was taxed: every cup
OF coffee and tea was taxed Then the
women sewed ana the men poured
forth their money IN rivers of gold.
Not only did they give their money,
but they gave their blood ana their
lives. To save the land Mothers brought
their SONS To the recruiting officers and
said: Il am II woman. ! cannot fight.
but here are my boys. my brave boys.
Take them and let them die ms sacri-
fees that their country may be free"
Fathers left their wives and their chill
dren: brothers left their parents. their
sisters, their swecthcarts. Those brave
men left these brave women and went
forth 10 die 10y the tens of thousands in
order that their country might he free.
Oh. We men. IN these times of peace
cannot you hear your country calling
you 10 come 10 her aid and imploring
you to make the same kind of sacrifices
as your ancestors made In time of war?
The heroes of peace must he just as
brave and just rs true as We're the sol
der boys who waded through blood
soaked hattlcfields and whose bodies
are now awaiting the call OF the rcsur-
rection IN the trenches OF Bunker Ill.,
of Yorktown and of the Wilderness.
Thus my text has not. as some peo-
pie might suppose. literal but u figur-
alive Interpretation. II does not sim
ply mean that you should be willing
10 travel with man 1000 PAGES. which
was double the distance of the Roman
mile. hut II means that I'm the home.
the store. the church and rs an Ameri-
can citizen you should render unto God
tho very hest sarvica won can lou