The Washington herald., 1918-04-14
HERALD'S SUNDAY
SERMON.

The following sermon was written
expressly for The Washington Her.
aid by Rev. John Compton Ball:
Theme-The meaning Of the sssrs
In the Service Flag In the window.
Text-Jeshua, chapter 4, verse 9
(changtng one wordD. sWhat nean
ye by these tstones) star.s And
Revelation. chapter =, verse IL,
"Who sre thesef7
Walking the streets of our city one
cannot but be impressed with the large
number Of service flags displayed in
the windows of private homes and in
front of schools, churches and business
houses. He admires the spotless
white island in the midst Of a crimson
sea gemmed with stars OF truest blue
and IL some one should say IN the
language of the texts. What mean ye
by these stars?" "Who are these?" he
would answer: The stars represent
our sons. brothers. lovers, husbands,
fathers. who have put aside all things
and responded to the call of their
country. These are they who in the
dark hour OF the worlds history are
making the supreme sacrifice Of life
in the name of God for the sake Of
humanity. They have gone to fight.
not for lust of land" for the United
States is land rich We have soil
enough IL titled to feed the world.
Our country is rich In rivers and lands,
We hold much Of the wealth Of the world N
our hands;
on copper and iron. coal. gas, oil and sold.
Our mountains are full; We have riches untold
Neither do they fight for a place
in the SUM-" We have that already,
for our flag is sun-kissed twenty-four
hours in the day and we stand in the
front rank of nations in education a.d
enterprise. discovery and accomplish
ment, liberty and love and the recog-
milton Of the Fatherhood of God and
the Brotherhood Of Man. Who are
these2 These are they who have gone
and are going and, IL need be, millions
more will go. TO aid our allies in sup
pressing the maddest mad man of his
tory, the monster murderer of all ages.
the child of his father. the devil-the
German Kaiser, who Is the head OF
this out-of-the-sea and over-the-land
Octopus CALLED Prussian militarism.
This monster put out its hideous arms
over land and sea and our boys
watched il with horror as il ravaged
and raped Belgium and other countries
and revealed no consideration for the
purity of woman. the feebleness Of old
age or the innocence of little children.
and our boys said. This must stop"
And so they go and We bid them Cod
speed and cry:
Shine On you glorious STAR Of Blue.
Representing our hogs whose hearts beat true
Shine on in your field Of purest white
T. -, g. Ds-ks
Shine cu in the midst Of that crimson sea
That speaks Of the sacrifice you may be-
Called TO make for the Land Of the Free.
II goes without saying that We are
expecting great things Of 'our boys"
As they have been good citizens Of the
United States We expect them to be
good soldiers for Uncle Sam; brave.
second to none in courage. and the
cleanest, manifest soldiers in all the
world. Men who will fight with all TIE
flerceness OF their nature in the battle,
but be gentle as a mother to a wound
ed foe, reveal the highest manhood in
dealing with women and the tender
ness OF a big brother to little children.
We expect them to be clean in morals.
Let no star be dimmed with an act OF
cruelty and no star stained with a
deed OF darkness. Shine on. stars-in
camp and ''over there" Let no dis
honor. loathesome disease nor defeat
dim your brightness. and IL death
comes that will not put you out You
will then shine forever in the sky of
eternity with those who dared to do
and in the doing died for home and
humanity
But now, granting that we expect so
much of them. what have they a
right to expect from us?
II We look to them to fight to the
death. win the victory, make the
world safe, what is our part in the
struggle? Are we spectators on the
side-lines only?
May be borne TO victory
ON flovery beds Of ease
While these boys fight and bleed for me
And sail through bloody seas.
Are there no foes for me to fact
Must not stem the food
OF propaganda. Vile diserace-
That would make the Kaiser GOD
Sure I must hgh,. and fight aszin
And keep the home fires bright:
Buy bonds and stamps and pray. and then
Buy more and fight and fight.
These boys have a right to expect
us to back them up. Put the nation
behind the army. Put the church be-
hind Pershing. Pray for the boys,
write to the boys. and when you write
let il be not on a cloudy day nor in a
gloomy room, nor during an attack OF
dyspepsia, and don't preach, nor
tell your ills. Put sunshine in the
letter and a mile of smiles on every
page and when your boy gets II he
will understand and put the letter in
his testament and carry it just over
his heart.
Our boys have a right TO expect us
to put down deadly war dangers at
home: to suppress vice in all forms
and help him by reducing temptation
all possible. We must protect his
outer life in every way, and also help
him keep his inner life unstained.
There is something more terrible than
the loss Of men and that is the loss
of manhood. II he must die, help him
to die clean. II he must 'go west
let him go with a whole soul.
He has a right To expect us TO keer
the home base strong spiritually and
the religious home fires brightly burn
ing. Our boys are turning to Jesus
There is a hunger for God In the camp
and trenches. Their favorite hymns