Connecticut western news., 1922-11-16
INTERESTING SERMON
 BY REV. A. K. SKINNER
Incidents of IsraePs History Are Being Reproduced
 in Europe

1 The IOlPOW1ng sermon Dy heE' A. K. Skinner at Pilgrim church on Sunday, is reproduced by request of MT. Skinner's friends.
 The words of our text will be found in the fifth chapter of the book of Judges and .n the fifteenth a>d sixteenth verses
 By the watercourses of Reuben there were great resolves of heart. Why sattest thou among the sheep folds, to hear the pipings for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben there were great searchines of heart. Judges 5: Is, 16.
 The song of Deborah in the fifth chapter of Judges is one of the celc- brated passages of the Old Testa- ment. It is a batrle chant, pean of victory and the picture which it presents takes US back among the scenes of IsraeF* early history, back into the days of crude civilization, a naive code of ethics and primi- tive religion. Yet even hero we can discern that unmistakable note of monotheism,' tbut great motive of loyalty to Jehovrh the God of Israel which made tie Hebrew people the vehicle whereby was handed down acrcss the trouh!ous epochs of Ter history a wondcoUs heritage of true religion to serve for the foundation and the enrichment of Christianity.
 Here is the period when the Chil- dren of Israel, moving out of the wilderness across the Jordan, were coming into conflict with the wild tribes which dwelt in the Land of Promise. It seems that Reuben was one of the tribes that had been al- lowed to remain, at their own re- quest, on the eastern side of the Jordan, in country remarkably adapted to their requirements as sheep raisers, with the understand ing however that they should under take to bear their full part in the conquest of the western country, the Land of Canaan proper.
 Now the time befeil when Jatir one of the Kings that ruled in Ga naan organized a conspiracy of the northern princes again3t Israel and St! his forces in array against them. And now throughout ta land Uf Israel, in every village and tribe, rings the marshall call TO arms in defence of the nation, and in the 18th verse of Deborah's song we may read, "Then came down Israel like noble ones, the people of Jahveh came down for him like heroes"; but not all; In vivid language which follows, the inspired singer pictures a varied response to the battle sum- mons. How striking is the contrast between shirkers and heroes. "Gilead abode beyond the Jordan: And Dan why did he remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and abode by his creeks" But Zebulun, Ephraim, Menasseh and Benjamin quit their mountain homes, Issachar provides a commander in chief, Ze- O.I.n ana Naohcan came dv"n fr@Nt the high places to jeopardize their ..,4a rllto the ueath. And what of Reuben? No jlcGe, no prophet, nc hero of the tribe of Reuben is handed down to us. In the dire extremity of their brethren in the north under Deborah and Barak, they contented themselves with debating the news from the front; the distant distress of his brethren could not move Reub"": he fingered among his sheep-folds and chose the shepherds pi3e ~an the bleating of the focks to the blast of the trumpet and JIrutG:' '. battle. "By the watercourses of Reu- ben there were great soundings ol heart. Why sattest thou among the sheep-folds, to hear the pipings fer the focks? At the watercourses of Reuben there were great searchings of heart" What availed delibera- tions and discussions while the char iots of the enemy were laundering through the land and the nations existence was at stake?
 But yesterday the flying of flags and patriotic gatherings of recogni- tion marked the fourth anniversary of that memorable day of the sign ing of the truce which brought the great world conflict to formal end. Germany, decisively beaten, had thrown up her hands and amid wild I111 C1IS 1SIlS LII oIIu breadth of the country the great vic tory was proclaimed and celebrated. We had come to think of the great struggle, some of us at least, as the war to end war, and in this victory we saw the great hope, if not the promise, of world where the age long scourge of war should not again stride with it's menace across land and sea to make an inferno where the angels of God had proclaimed peace on earth, good will among men,"
 Our hearts burned with the holy satisfaction that came from the knowledge that this land of America had not stinted herself,' that she had given unsparingly and disinterestedly of her men, her money and her every means, and that largely through her instrumentality and her sacrifice, the