The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-04-23
NIGHT SERVICE
FIRST BAPTIST
PATRIOTIC one
Inspiring Hour Enjoyed by
Home Guards and
Large Audience.
NATIONAL SONGS
SUNG BY CHOIR
Rev. Mr.. Ansley breaches on
Martial Character of
the Bible.


First Baptist church last night when
the pastor, Rev. ]. A. Ansley, fol-
lowing his announced series of sub
jects of women of the Bible. preach
ed on Deborah, IsraePs Martial Hero
inc.
Flags decorated the interior of the
great church on North Palafox
street. The chancel rail, choir loft
and other points were draped with the
national colors, and suspended from
the ceiling was another large stars
and stripes. The services opened
with the singing of America" then
"The Fight Is On" Onward, Chris
tian Soldiers" and Columbia, The
Gem of the Ocean," were rendered by
choir and congregation.
The w. o. w. Home Guards In
command of P. L. Rollo, and the
Home Guards under command of Col.
R. M. Cary, marched to the church
and occupied reserved seats in the
center of the building.
DIR. Ansley, noting their presence.
asked for a few words of expression
from several, including Mayor Geo.
M. Hinrichs, Col. Cary, p L. Rollo
and NJ. J. Mackey, all of whom spoke
a few minutes. and then the minister.
reading text from Judges IA,
spoke in part as follows:
Sermon of Pastor.
It was no soft and silken period in
which Deborah lived. Israel could
| not sing:
"My country, tits of thee,
Swc<t land of liberty"
| Liberty had fled. The land of Is
| rael was under the iron heel of the
Canaanite. Frightfulness and OPP
/ preston were the order of the day.
| The people were afraid to walk the
main highways, but skulked in the
| by-paths. Pillage and assassination
were so common as to be almost un-
noticed. The maidens who went to the
wells to draw water were greeted
! with shower of arrows.
For score of years a condition
had prevailed which we may better
understand if we compare it with the
condition of Belgium To-Day, that
brave little nation that was crucified
on Prussia's iron cross, that civiliza-
ton might not perish. Theyr towns
are laid waste. beautiful Louvain and
its wonderful library destroyed; prop
erty, especially manufacturing plants
confiscated; the people enslaved and
made to till their fields, operate their
machinery, and are even carried into
alien lands. all of this at the point OF
the bayonet, and forced into worse
than Egyptian servitude. Think OF
tho old M az, xT-c,1,or1 M nIiIfS,.ay, -,
offending and helpless, lined up ir
the streets, and slaughtered to make
a German holiday. Most hateful Of
all, think of the "woman-tax" levied
: upon every town occupied by these
: modern apostles of a perverted anC
savage "kultur." And wren W,
have done our best to imagine tn,
worst that cruelty can inflict upon ;
! subjugated people, we have fallel
, immeasurably short Of the grin
: reality.
Belgium's Service.
Belgium's service to the world cal
never be estimated But for her he
+, roic stand, Europe today would per
: haps be under a people whose onl,
J god is brute force, and whose prin
!. cipal attribute is cruelty; America
D turn would soon come, If indeed
would not have been here already
: and all that is true, and noble, an
desirable in the worlds civilizatio
would be we'll on its way to oe sven
from the earth. When the canno
roar is again silent, and peace come
once more to earth, the nation
should combine to erect the mos
costly memorial on earth to tn
honor of this gallant people, and tn
memory of those who shed their bloc
and saved the liberties of Europe. an
perhaps of the world
But IsraePs case was far wors
than Belgium's. Joshua and his Il
vincibles had conquered the ami,
of Canaan; they had fled from hi
Gas from the face of destiny" b
there was none left to draw Il
sword of Joshua. The Canaanites hs
conquered the religion and morals
Israel, as Greece, the conquered, al
overcame Rome, the conquerc
Their strength and power had alwa,
been in answering loyalty to
hovah. Now they were become t
slaves of those upon whose neeks TIL
= D.. rrL.-4