Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-06
Over The Top With The Stars Of God.
By the Rev. A. Edwin Kegwin, D. D., New York


flag in the Old Book More than twenty ,
four hundred years ago it is descrlDed
with great minuteness by man OF IN
spired vision.
The book Of Daniel is state paper, so
to speak 1T resounds with clashlng arm
les the noise OF heavens artillery, the
collapse Of mighty empires ana the ran OF
thrones! But it ends with shout OF
victory and the ushering in of an era OF
peace and righteousness by q procession
of service stars
The text is from a chapter entitled
sTha Last Things" We are now enter
Ing the era Of last things. Wherefore
believe Our soldiers are the empattiea
stars Of Daniels vision. Think q III
They play part IN the greatest cnap YET
revelation is upon them. The centuries
look down from the galleries. The boxes
are filled with seers, apostles, heroes ana
martyrs III is a moment OF greatness
suspense; great act in the drama Of
human destiny They that are stars shail
shine
Now ii is really quite remarkable that
the identical symbol Of Daniels prophecy
should have been thus chosen. Each star
Is a soldier An unprecedented use of
the star. Stars have long enfblemlzed ma
tions, colonies, states, official stations.
But so far as I am aware, this is the
first instance where man has been nom
ored by q place in the starry field OF o
national flag Is this cha me Is , y
we have in the flag before us tonight
striking example Of the unconscious har-
mony between the work OF man and the
When ] returned from the mountains
last fall and saw so many of these Rags
displayed throughout the city, my cufi-
osity was greatly aroused. IL was several
days before found anyone who could
even tell me the significance OF the Tag.
None was able to enlighten me as 10 Its
origin. Did it originate with the gov
erfff44rnent? No. Has congress legtslated
1t into being2 No. Yet there 1t was, this
flag of mystery floating from residence,
business house and church.
Then came the surprising revelation
that the emblem was born In fathers
heart IN moment of inspired patriots
ism, Captain r, l.. Queisser OF the Flftn
Ohio Machine Gun Company, conceived
to me that both Of my boys. who were
officers in the Guard, wold be called
out and | wondered If could not evolve
some design or symbol by whlch i H lii,.
cauntry'a service and which would De 10
their mother q visible sign OF the sacrl-
flee her sons were making,
Whence came this idea to CAPTAIN
Oueisser9 venture to believe that the
source of the inspiration was the same as
the source Of Daniels vision. Inc M
spired are those who.th t5oa etlaus ~
after Him There is something so nat
ural and normal about God WORKINGS.
The Divine purposes r1pen SO anostens
tatiously that one is sometimes tempted
The destgner was probably quite as un~
conscious Of any Divine leading as ne was
of the sweening poNnlarlty OF ttis , N.Y. -
ID doubtful II any who tuHlH tHe great
purposes Of God realize at the time what
they are doing.
tives of Babylon and hade them return
to their native land and rebuild Jefnsa~
lena his motives were pIopaipls fV,,,f3i1
ed 10 the letter words spoken OF MN ny
the Hebrew prophets one hunqred any any
thirty wears before Cyrus was norm an0
one h4ysftrad and fifty years pefoee ehe
1evss. hsstl become canttveS.
Certafnlv il is a service flag OF whteh
Daniel writes. Certainly, in America the
Service Fag has made its 1tfst apheaf-
ance Therefore I conclude that THESE
STARS which turn many to Righteousness
must at least have some reference 10 the
flag upon which we are LOOKING, soine
message for soldiers before me ~ pefS Ss.
or Ia spirit, some compensatin& nope Tor
the relatives Of those who have joined the.
our soldier boys are the embattled
III Gods Service Flag AS such they VII
talxe their stand on yonder fWing me
beside Joshua. Gideon. David ana men on
like stature. A thrilling moment u sh" tili
he when a young man steps from the
Yionotony of private life into wofid
movement pnlsating with eternal possl-
htlities re be soldier IN Such clrcuu-
stances Is to he thrice armed with in
spiring vision, abiding faith, intrepid con-
After memorable victory, Of democ-
racss ever miftarism. long, long ago.. a
poefeas composed an immortal song cele-
bratIng the battle in which occurs the
line
*Judges " eA4
against Sisera.
Sisera was the war-lord of his day
Whether Wehorah's apusion is TO the
prowess OF General Baraks soldiers or
some unusual astronomical influence
which turned the tide of battle, am un-
able 10 say The words may embody 3
hit az poetic fancy, Or they may record
a prevailing belief that supernatural in
huonces .narved the patriotic endeaVors Of
her countrymsn In that unequal grappie
between unprepared idealism and military
efficiency. Be that as it may, we know
this much at least; the men who followed
Barak went forth as champions of a
treat ideal to stamp out the barharism Of
q mad Imperialism. And they did it.,
Somewhere IN America Il modern Deborah,
at this moment lis timing her harp that
some day she may sweep its strings and
sing az our Service Fag, THE stars in