The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-07-14
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ooNrrsUED FROM rHE WRIST PAsE

the assassin ? and all other misdemean-
antsP The wicked do not live out half
their days. DisembOgue, o world of
darkness! Come up, your locks drip
ping with eternal fire. Hildebrand and
Henry H., and RObespierre, and with
blistering, and blasphemy, and ashen
lips, hiss out: "The triumph of the wick
ed IN short" Alas for the men of Al
when Joshua stretches out his spear
toward the ethyl
Lesson the third: How much may be
by lying in ambush for
opportunities. Are you hypercritical of
JOshua'S maneuVerp Do you say that 1t
was cheating for him to take that city
by Ambassador Was Ii wrong for Wa.h-
ingtOn to kindle campares on New Jer-
sey Heights, giving the impression to
the opposing force that great army
was encamped there, when there was
right, then Joshua was right in his
stratagem. He violated no flag of truce.
He broke no treaty. but by a lawful am
buscade captured the city of Al. Oh,
that we all knew how to lie in ambush
for opportunities to serve God. The best
opportunities do not lie on the surface,
but are scattered; by tact, by stratagem,
by Christian ambuscade, you may take
almost any castle of sin for Christ.
OOLuo tOWhIu WIFI u TbRulhT D6-
stegement of argument and you will be
defeated; but just wait until the door of
their hearts is set ajaT, or they are off
their guard, or their severe caution is
away from home, and then drop in on
them from a Christian ambuscAde.
There has been many man up to his
chin in scientific portfolios which
proved there was no Christ and no di-
vine revelation, his pen a cimeter flung
into the heart of theological opponents,
who, nevertheless, had been discOmfited
and captured for God by some little
three-year-Old child who has got up and
put her snowy arms around his sinewy
neck and said: Papa, why don't you
love JesusP" Oh, make flank move
ment; steal march on the devil; cheat
that man into heaven. A five-dOllar-
treatise that will stand all the laws of
hOmiletics may fail to do that which a
penny tract of Christian entreaty may
accomplish. Oh, for more Christians In
ambuscade, not living in idleness, but
waiting for quick spring, waiting un-
til just the right time comes. Do not
talk to a man about the vanity of this
world on the day when he has bought
something at twelve" and Is going to
sell at Fifteen" But talk to him about
the vanity of the world on the day when
he has bought something at Fifteen"
and is compelled to sell 1t at twelve"
DO not rub mans disposition the
wrong way. Do not take the impera-
tive mood when the subjunctiVe mood
will do as well. Do not talk in perfervid
style to phlegmatic nor Try to tickle a
tOrrid temperament with an icicle. You
can take any man for Christ If you know
how to get at him. Do not send word to
him that tomorrow at ten o'clock you
propose to open your batteries upon him,
but come on him by a skillful, peTsever-
ing, GOd-directed ambuscade.
Lesson the fourth: The importance
of taking good aim. There Is Joshua,
but how are those people in ambush up
yonder to know when they are to drop
on the city, and how are these men
around Joshua to know when they are
to stop their flight and advanceP There
must be some signal-a signal to stop
the one division and to start the other.
Joshua. with spear on which were or
dinarily hung the cOlOrs of battle, points
toward the city. He stands in such a
conspicuous position, and there Is so
much of the morning light dripping
from that spear-tip that all around the
horizon they see 1t. 1t was as much as
to say: There is the city. Take It'll Take
1t now! Roll down from the west sidel
Surge up from the north sidel 1t is
ours, the city of All" God knows, and
we know, that a great deal of Christian
attack amounts to nothing, simply be-
cause we do not take good aim. Nobody
knows, and we do not know ourselves,
which point we want to take, when we
ought to make up our minds what God
Will have Us do and point our spears in
that direction, and then huTl our body,
soul, time, eternity, at that one target.
In our pulpits, and pews, and Sunday
gPhnnlG
to get reputation for saying pretty
things, and 80 we point our spear toward
the flowers, or we want reputation for
saying sublime things and we point our
spear toward the stars, or we want to
get a reputation for historical know
ledge and we point our spear toward the
past, or we want to get reputation for
great libeTality, so we swing our spear
all around, and it strikes all points of
the horizon, and you can make out of it
whatever you please; while there Is the
Old World, proud. rebellious and armed
against all righteousness, and, instead
of running any further away from it's
pursuit, we ought to turn around, plant
our foot in the strength of the eternal
God, lift the old CROSS and point 1t in the
direction of the worlds conquest till the
redeemed of earth marching up from
one side, and the glOritied of Heaven
marching down ITOm Gne OGn6F SlQe, the
last battlement of sin is compelled to
swing out the streamers of Emmanuel.
Oh, Church of God, take aim and con-
quer. | have heard it said, "LOOk out
for man who has only one idea; he is
irresistible" say: Look out for the
Church of Christ, which has one idea,
and that determination for soul saw
ing. l believe God would strike me
dead If dared to point the spear In any
other direction. Oh, for some of the
courage and enthusiasm of JOshual He
flung two armies from the tip of that
spear.
1t is sinful for US to rest unless 1t Is to
get stronger muscle and fresher brain
and pureT heart for Gods work. l feel on
my head the hands of Christ In a new
ordination. Do you not feel the same
OmnipOtent pressure? There Is work
for all our churches. Oh that we
might stand up side by side and point
the spear toward the cityI 1t ought to
be taken. 1t will be taken. Our cities
are drifting off toward loose religion on
what is called liberal Christianity" so
liberal that 1t gives up all the cardinal
doctrines of the Bible, so liberal that 1t
surrenders the rectitude of the throne
of the ALMIGHTY. Thai ia lihAraIitv with