Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-05-29
MEMORIAL SERMON
BY REV. H. c. REHM
DELIVERED SUNDAY EVENING
AT FIRST M, E. CHURCH.
Members of G. A. r. Post Attend
in d BOdy-.ndny of W. r. C. Also
PreSent-Appropridte Music Was
Also d Fedture-A Synopsis of
the Sermon Delivered.


church to listen to the memorial SER
vices, in the audience being the mem
bers of o. D. Pease Post, Grand
Army of the Republic, who came IN q
body, several veterans with their
wives or other relatives, and quite a
number of the members of the
Woman's Relief Corps.
The services opened with hymn
suitable for the occasion, sung by the
congregation, the reading of the Sixth
chapter of First Timothy by the
pastor of the church, Rev. M. L.
Eversz who offered an invocation full
of the spirit and patriotism. Rev. and
Mrs. Eversz then sang duet that
was mostheartily appreciated by every
one in the audience.
The lesson in the psalter for the
twenty fourth day of the month was
then read alternately by the pastor
and congregation which was followed
by another hymn sung by the congre-
cation
The Rev. H. C. Rehm was then
introduced who spoke in part, as fol-
| lows.
On memorial day we are too prone
to turn all our though tbs upon the dead
past and to live with dead. The
conception of Decoration Day Is
beautiful and touching ard tender.
10 visit the cemetery. to decorate the
graves of the beloved and honored
dead. to raise the flag at half-mast,
to hear the whole broad land JOIN In
one atfectionate, half -tearful. "Well
done,, all this is very inspiring and
beautiful. But is that all f.! Are they
really dead and is it our sole business
to lay garland upon the soldiers
moldering tomb stone?
God grant that this may not be true
for then they died in vain. Rather
let US behold these martyred heroes
rising in battle array from their
scattered graves to proclaim to all
the nation. "We shall not die but
live and declare the works of the
Lord -
Then let us make this one of the
ancient Hebrew singer our thought
and text DO you not hear the phan-
tom lips ut every soldier who fell in
the great war, breathe passionately
these words 81 shall not die but live
and declare the works of the Lord. :"
The men we would honor today
wrought splendid work. What nobler
diviner purpose ever animated the
spirit of man TO save nation and to
bestow freedom upon a race. l have
NEITHER the power or the knowledge
to reproduce from YOU the scenes
and heroic achievements of that war.
The roar of cannon grows fainter and
the smoke has lifted from the battle
fields forever. Then let it become q
memory and illuminated page of our
nations history. But it is within
our power. as American citizens to
to revive the spirit and high purpose
| IllC uhOSluoh luOGIN0 tudG III
spired these men to lay their lives
upon the common altors OF country
and of humanity. What passionate
loyalty, what glad self sacrifice
filled the hearts of the young men
when they enlisted, when they
marched to war, when they entered
the battle, and when they were call
ed upon to make the last great sacrI-
flee. Their life work was completed
and no man who lived his allotted
year ever accomplished more, for
they gave their lives. What more il
there for US to do? Nothing further
could be expected uf themand in gen,
erous, grateful were we have writ,
ten ''finis" over their graves enc
careers. But while their body lik.
John Browns lies smouldering in the
ground, their soul goes marching on
In loud emphatic protest, we hear OF
the 30rh of May. the living voices o1
our deadless heroes. eve shall moi
die but live and declare the works oil
Lord
In most real and vital way they
still live and must live that this ma.
ton may not perish and pass away,
Their largest work still remains tt
be done. The heroes and martyrs OF
any great cause or nation are not on
ly it's guardian angels but the mos
powerful forces that inspire it's activ
ties and perpetuates its glory. I'm
less nation or a cause has called
forth absolute self-sacrIfice. the laying
down of life it is doomed to speedy
dissolution. Thus 1t was that ,hl
nation was santitied IN blood. Thi
it is that the sacrifcia1 death O.
Jesus Christ has impaired to Chris
tianity it's external vigor. 1t il
: sacraifice that creates, sustains ant
energies every great nation o
cause.
When the young men of today, in
quire after the meaning of patriotism
and loyalty may their ideals an,
t growing zeal and ardor not be seare
t and destroyed by half-hearted, mater
ialistic truisms and selfish example
Then it is that we realized how muc
the nation need the living presence o
the heroic self-sacrifcipg defenders o
l our land Then il ia that thew mus