Norwich bulletin., 1910-05-30

Grams as guests at the Universalist
church service held in Buckingham
Memorial, the pastor, Rev. Joseph f..
Cobb, after giving a hearty welcome,
preached on the subject 1.-The Good
Fight" from the text. Flight the Good
Fight of Faith I. Timothy, 6: IL. He
| spoke in part as follows:
As | stood one day in the state cap
itol building, looking at those flags SO
tattered and torn, some of them hardly
more than a thread, many of them
punctured and showing the effects of
rough usage, some of the staffs upon
which they fioated to the breeze broken
yet patched and strapped, my heart
bounded within me and I remarked to
a friend that the scene of war must
have been beyond description and it is
a wonder that any of the men return
ed to tell the story.
Tt is not my purpose to rehearse for
you today any of the soul stirring or
narrowing scenes of the civil war; for
now the war is ended peave prevails.
All armies are now one army, there is
only one nation one people, and we
would drop a rose at the grave of those
who fell and praise God that one flag
now waves over the land of the free.
There is a banner which means vic
tory, under which the men and women
of the north, east, south and west are
called to serve and which stands for
freedom and home
Let us hope that all battles of arms
and ammunition are over, for there are
other battles to wage. These battles
are to be bloodles ones, yet they re-
quire attention, fidelity, courage, hero
ism.
Timothy was instructed to fight. He
was told to engage in a battle and
measure weapons with conflicting
forces. However, it was no carnal war;
fare in which he was to enlist but spir-
itual
He was to fight the good fight of
faith to contend for Christian truth
n n Of 6rsVn Ia
check its growth and progress.
MANY of those who for country and
native land fought faithfully and well
have finished their course and Joined
that vast army of immortals where the
war bugle is not heard, where strife
has ceased while those who still re-
main on earth have these battles to
fight. These battles of faith do not call
you away from home or from your low
ed ones, but into the great army of
faithful, striving souls seeking for that
truth that will make men free. Gods
truth leads to peace, for it is a gospel
of love, and love calls everybody into
harmonious relations.
You and I. like Timothy, are called
upon to be ardent and uncompromising
defenders of Gods truth; to be bold
and unfiinching opponents of all human
errors and traditions. AS the soldiers
in the ranks obey the commands of
their officers, so should we all follow
the Instructions of our Great Leader.
Jesus the Christ is the one great lead
er, and he has issued his commands
and expects them to be Obeyed by ev-
cry individual.
TN the past men who have believed
in and loved the truth have stood up
for it in the face of persecution, re-
proach and death. So in the present
and in the future man must take a firm
stand for the right, and fight the good
fight of faith, for all error is an enemy
to human welfare and progress.
rKraI Id 80 L. ~
love of truth, but by love of man
to do all we can to hasten the down.
fall of error, to expose its deformities
and to drive it from the abodes of
man. Our love for humanity, therefore,
should lead us to fight the good fight of
faith
There are two grounds of encour-
agement for those who engage in this
good fight of faith. They have. first.
the satisfaction of knowing that they
are enlisted on the side of right, and
are soldiers in Gods army, and that
victory at last will crown their labors.
their prayers and their tears. The other
ground for encoura cement is that they
are enlisted in a. battle which is moral
in it's character and which has the well
fare and interests of humanity in view.
1.-THE work of the moral soldier is to
do good everywhere. 1t seeks to carry
light to the darkened, joy to the sor-
rowful, trust to the doubling, liberty to
the captive hope to the dying. Know
that you are possessed of the nature
divine and that each and all ought to
live as children of God. Be strong in
the faith and follow after righteous
enss. goodness. faith, love, patience,
meekness- Fight the good fight of
faith, law hold on eternal life"
There We're decorations by S. S,
Stocking and special music was given
by the choir under the direction of
Miss Mary Rogers
Veterans at Methodist Church.
In the evening, Sunday, there was
large attendance at Trinity Methodist
Episcopal church members of SeGg-
wick post Woman's Relief corps and
Sons of Veterans occupying seats in
the center of the church Al the front
The pulpit and platform were decorat-
ed with a large American flag and at
each side were potted plants and cut
flowers.
Rev DR.. NJ S. Kaufman preached
from the text, Honor to whom honor
his subject being Our Heroes Crown
ed, and said that in all the annals of
time no flag or government so grand
as ours and the men who fought for
them made grand sacrifice tt is in
accord with every dictate of justice
that there be a memorial day for those
who are gone, and it is well that
people now recognize anew their obi
cation to the veterans. Our aim is to
pay homage to every soldier in free
dom's cause and lift into prominence
the Importance of his self-sacrifice.
Back of the present time are 5000 |
years and the ways are CORY and
paved with fallen heroes. but none has
been more worthy of honor than our
soldiers. There have been many wars
but few ever left better homes or died
in a holier cause than those who have
fought for this country. We need to
emphas size the fact that every action
that is truly great in its outcome is
worthy of remembrance.
War is a dreadful scourge- 1t means |
the suffering of all kinds of hardship |
and pain that others may have liberty
and peace There was a magnificent !
army of two and a half millions poured |
into the red sea of war. They spread |
letters on the shirts and blue trim !
mings.