Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-09-18

|84.
character of believers. His anxiety is
to have church members who will work
as we'll as pray; whose daily lives lie in
tian joy and their e1hortations to t, chris.
tian perfection. These sterling charac-
ters are the result Of long training. It
takesmany generations Of faithful living
to produce them; the fiber of their lives
must be toughened by discipline in
mental as we'll as spiritual schools. Not
only the heart but the intellect is con-
cerned in the making of an ideal chris.
tian. It is not wholly a question of
willingness but also one of ability.
The phenomenal success of our armies
in the war of the rebellion, came from
the fact that in the rank and file were
Thousands of men fully competent to do
even the highest work of the soldier.
Regiments and divisions we're not masses
OF automatons moving dumbly, but
bodies OF thinkers obeying orders lmplic-
itly because they knew the reason and
the necessity for them. In our christian
warfare we need to have every man, not
alone the officers, but every private
toned up to the highest pitch of possi-
BILE attainment. There is no part Of the
work but will bear to be better done.
No pains is lost that fits for this better
doing. No preparation is too costly
that makes victory certain.
Quite long enough the church has been
content to live by sufferance. There is
no further place for apologies. The
meekness which has promise of inherit
ing the earth is of that sterling quality
which first conquers its inheritance by
strength of character. The range
the church is so greatly enlarged,
and soon to be SO immensely
greater than anything yet done, that
there will be need for the best service of
every member. Not to be the very best
is both to fail of attainment, and to hin.
der some one else. There are no more
any unseen workers. No quiet, easy
posts that are only sinecures. Because
such places have been regarded as uu-
avoidable, almost essential even, hosts of
christians have taken them, never plan.
ming to win the right to come up higher.
Now let the church set the battle in
array all along the line, and call for
captain in every rank both front and
rear. Every man must be leader. Not
to do the same work, but to be fitted for
detail to special service anywhere. at
any time. This will call for incessant
drill. There must be instruction camps
everywhere. not only in the meeting
house, but in the school house. And
God mas been preparing US for Just this
state of things. The church has ever
been the foremost promoter of education,
so that now when christian education
has come to take SO prominent place in
the work Of Redemption there is nothing
new or strange about it. There
are hardly any new principles to enun-
ciate. It only needs to push the
principles to their logical end, and to
quicken the rate of movement that no
more time be lost in getting, not simply
abreast the times, but well ahead Of
them.
| Give now to the church her full quota
of christian scholars, each trained in his
department for the best work. Let hel
eye be lifted up to see the fields already
white to the harvest. Let her know
that the Master has put into her hand
the sickle, and bid her reap the world in
his name, and there is nothing she can
not do. In less than generation every
government in christendom, differed
and managed by her devoted servants
Every state moved by christians. Ever,
corporation controlled by God-fearin(
men. Laws made and executed in def
erence to the demands of higher Law
The nations seeking to attain righteous
ness as the only means of their exa,ta
ton.
J Look for moment at the career open
ing before christian scholar of to-day
as the world is getting ready to leap for
ward toward this grand contamination
and then say if you can, that incite
ments to ambition are lacking. Ask, i
you dare, the pitiful question, lis lif
worth living?" In our own land boil
the great political parties entering upo,
their last great oonteet-and for what
An opportunity to show devotion 1
/. their country by faithful service2 Ar
they making the land jubilant over th
existence Of 80 high examples of purit
J. and patriotism? Do the youth who ar
T. izens of the republic, find in the publ
prints, or the campaign me settings, loft
and instructive discussion Of deep urir
J. learn from them how to meet their dut
: as citizens and 90 be ready and ftte
q when their day of action comes, to see
it that the republic receives no detr
1 ment? There is reason for thankfulhes
that We are not SO far degenerated br
: that the true answer to these question
q cheek. So long as We can blush thel
= there is hope.
|. FNonc1ndad fo-narrnv