Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-04-30
Christian Warfare.

1t is an old story, this of Christian war
fare. Bunyan didn't jump his hero from
the City of Destruction into the celestial
land. Much intervened. OF course, If one
doesn't start on a journey one will not reach
its end; nor would we disparage the great
Importance of the turning-point. But there
is tendency to neglect the after life. The
Christian warfare begins after conversion,
and not before. Is it not prolific source
OF inactivity in our churches, that those who
have been baptized and united formally with
Gods people have been led TO believe that
the most important step in their Christian
life has been taken, and that it will now re-
qure only modicum of force to keep them
selves going? just as though Bunyan had
prevailed upon his hero to use some energy
and determination in getting on to a hand
car, then on agood track, slightly down grade,
and bid him God-speed to naturally glide
into heaven. "Now, Mr.. Christian, you
have your worst job done, you have got on
to that car, and all the hard places hereafter
will be comparatively easy to what this first
effort has been" This is what Bunyan did
not do. This was not the doctrine that
made Martin Luther start up suddenly and
let the ink-bottle fly at the devil. That
hero believed that the devil must be fought
all the way along, and his followers could
not help partaking of the same spirit. The
Christian warfare was not meaningless set
of words to them. 1t was the Christian at
war with the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Paul, the servant of Christ, believed that
there was fighting to be done all along the
Christian Journey Read again of the enc
mics which he enumerates that must be
fought against tribulation, and Distress
and persecution, and famine, and nakedness,
and peril and sword. " For am persuaded
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalties, nor powers, nor things pres
ent, nor things to come, nor height, nor
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able
to separate us from the love of God, which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord" Were all the
enemies who strove to separate the Christian
from the love of God merely mentioned AS
figure Of rhetoric by that redoubtable fighter,
Paul the apostle Are they to be all met
and substantially conquered at conversion
Wherever the mystical element prevails,
there is but little practical work done. If
" feeling is the criterion by which to judge
of the prayer-meeting through the year, it
will be noticed that the church lacks the
spirit of Bunyans hero; that a class of en-
ergetic men and women of sound common
sense are not found within its walls. And
this is the point we set out to reach that
an enervating doctrine of Christianity will
never recommend itself to the workers of
the world. Religion made easy is not what
they want. If they can see something to do
in the Christian life, great battles to be
fought with the adversary, conquests to be
won for Christ through hard and untring
labor, through ridicule and persecution, and
if they can be assured that help will be
given them in this great warfare, that the
Master will never leave nor forsake them,
and that finally they shall be more than
conquerors-then may we not expect to see
more of the strong men and women of the
world entering the camps of the Lord, then
may we not expect to see giant laborers
crowding into the Christian ministry as we
now see them striving to succeed in the
other professions And is not Just this
element greatly needed in the church of
to-day ?-MO,ninq Star