The Washington herald., 1918-04-28

The following Sunday sermon was
written especially for The Herald by
the Rev. Chas. Wood, pastor Of the
Church Of the Covenant:
Moral and Spiritual Preparedness.
But IL the watchman see the sword
come. and blow not the trumpet, and
the people be not warned. II the sword
| come and take any person from
| among them. he Is taken away In his
iniquity; but his blood will require
at the watchman's hand. d."-Ezekial
33:6.
The sword is not only for the de-
fense OF the country. by land and sea.
but also for the official whose duty
it Is to enforce the laws on which the
prosperity Of the country depends.
Writing to Rome, where almost every
man carried q sword, Paul distin-
| guished between the different kinds of
swords. Even for a pagan appointed
to an office, the sword was appropri-
ate and proper. He beareth not the
sword in vain, for he Is the minister
of God. a revenger to execute wrath
Iupon him that doeth evil" But the
,tYatchman has no need Of sword.
| Without weapons or armor he walks
l dTOullu lIle - anu bilS
highest points looks for the coming of
the enemy. His duty Is not to rattle
the saber" but to blow loud warning
j blasts on the trumpet-so loud and
\ long that even the careless and SOM
:, nolent may be aroused. The present
;, hour calls for him.
| The old sense OF security OF prop
erty. life, territory and family. unruf-
! RaI haan
J rudely broken. Things taken for
granted. and considered as firmly
fixed as the everlasting hills. things
presumably essential for civilization
and Christianity, have been shattered
to fragments, almost under our eyes,
and we have been compelled to con-
slider the fate of European peoples as
possibly prophetic OF our own. While
only a few arc frightened; while the
| great majority are not even alarmed
Eall are, or should be. measurably
aroused. Our commonwealth today Is
somewhat suggestive of an anthill
suddenly disturbed by an intruder.
The ants rush wildly in every direc-
ton, each one evidently anxious to do
| something, but no one knowing
exactly what should be done We have
4
il ing will make their voices heard in
due time. and will hold before US that
! clear and distinct vision without
which the people inevitably perish.
l We are doubtless all agreed that first
aid should be given our army and
navy, bringing each to the concert
pitch Of efficiency. We may also agree
that the leaks through which millions
have poured in the last two decades
without leaving a trace behind should
be closed up.
The watchman's role is much less
dramatic and brilliant than that as
Isigned the leaders-still II may be no
less necessary, exigent or compelling.
We call all our citizens sovereigns;
and every sovereign, as such, has an
official appointment as a watchman
on the wall We are all equally re-
lsponsible, according to the measure
of our ability, for the discovery Of the
invisible enemies, that, like the white
ants Of India, leave the surface of the
edifice fair and smooth while they
silently eat away the solid beams and
foundations of the structure.
i Every watchman knows that a peo-
pie robbed Of navies and armies, OF
forts. fortresses and fortifcatons
would not be more helpless before the
+ onrush Of the foe than a people rob-
bed Of courage, confidence and virtue
Such a people must always surrender
at the first summons. Our trumpets
should give no uncertain sound now
as they call us to prepare against in
sidious foes more dangerous than
those which it is feared may some day
assault US with dreadnaughts, sub
marines and aeroplanes.
i First, and not the least dangerous
Of these enemies, is sectionalism and
Iindividualism. A form of government
like ours, a composite of forty-eight
States and Territories, suggests either
nationalism or sectionalism, according
to the individual equation, and also
laccording to partisan, local and per.
sonal interests. Our Senators repre-.
sent parties as we'll as States; ouI
members of the House represent par.
ties and sections of States; the mer
who vote for them represent, by &C,
II cident or choice of residence, districts
counties, townships, villages, farms
To the sectionalist his own barn, fields
and cattle signify more than the beau.
tification of the Capital 'City-as we
know to our cost-may signify more
to him than the prosperity of all the
forty-eight States and Territorie.
combined. remember, as a small
boy. driving with my father on q
tcountry road only an hour away from
New York by rail, and being stopped
by a farmer who asked us to CONT
with him to see a discovery he hat
just made. When we reached the dool
!. of his barn he said, with no small
degree of delight: Here. I found thi'
morning, is the exact center OF Tho
earth. See. the sky in. every direc,
ton is just the same distance away"
Most men make the discovery more
lquickly than our farmer friend. Wher
lever they and their interests are, II
4 ienuntry or town-, there fnr tlrnu1 Il