National Republican., 1886-10-04

army was ever tumbledy IL was "the
kTord- Of the Lord and of Gideon" Put
God first, whoever you put second. Ii the
army OF the American revolution are to free
America, IL must be "the sword of the Lord
and Of Washington II the Germans want
TO win the day at Sedan, 1t must be ''the
sword Of the Lord and Won Moltke." Wa
terloo was won for the English because
not only the armed men at the front but the
worshipers III the cathedrals at the rear
were crying: "The sword Of the Lord and
Wellington" The Methodists have gone In
triumph across nation after nation with the
cry: "The sword OF the Lord and OF Wes-
lev" The Presbyterians have gone from
victory to victory with the cry: "rhe sword
of the Lord and Of John Knox" The Bap-
lists have conquered millions after millions
for Christ with the cry: "Tbe sword OF the
Lord and Of Judson." The American Epib-
copalians have won their mighty way with
the cry: "The sword of the Lord and OF
Bishop McIlvaine.n The victory is to those
who put God first But as we want bat
tie cry suited to all sects Of religlonlsts, and
to all lands, nominate as the battle cry Of
Christendom In the approaching Arranged
don the words OF my text, sounded before
the ark as 1t was carried to Mount Zion:
"Let God arise; let His enemies be scat
tered"
As far as our finite mind can Judge, II
seems about time for God TO rise. Does 1t
not seem to you that the abominations of
this earth have gone far enoughP Was
there ever time when sin was SO defiant?
Were there ever before so many fists lifted
toward God, telling Him to come on IL he
darep Look at the blasphemy abroad!
What towering profanityi Would 1t be
possible for any one to calculate the num-
bers Of times that the name Of Almighty
God and Of Jesus Christ are every day taken
irrevently on the lipsp So common has
blasphemy become that the public mind
and public ear have got used to 1t, and q
blasphemer goes up and down this country
IN his lectures defying the plain law against
bIasphemy, and there Is not mayor In
America that has backbone enough to inter
fere with him save one, and that the mayor
OF Toronto. Profane swearing is as much
forbidden by the law as theft, or arson, or
murder; yet who executes 1t? Profanity Is
worse than theft or arson, or murder, for
these crimes arc attacks on humanity
that is an attack on God.
This country is pre.eminent for bias
phemy. A man travelling in Russia was
take me to be clegyman ~ said tho man.
"Oh," said the Russian, 'all other Ameri-
cans swear.n The crime is multiplying In
intensity. God very often shows what lie
thinks OF 1t, but for the most part the fatal
ity is hushed up. A few summers ago,
among the AdirOndacks, met the funeral
procession Of man who. two days before,
had fallen under flash of lightning while
Boosting, after Sunday OF work In the
fields, that he had cheated God out OF one
day anyhow; and the man who worked with
him on the same Sabbath Is sti'l living, but
helpless invalid under the same flash. on
the road from M0rgate 10 Ramsgato, Eng
land, you may find rough monument with
the inscription; "a boy was struck dead
here while in the act of swearing" Years
ago In Plttsburg prison two men were
talking about the Bible and Chris
thnity, and ono Of them, Thompson
by name, applied to Jesus Christ a
very low and villainous epithet, and as he
was utterlng 1t he fell. A physician was
called, but no help could be given. After
u day lying with dstended pupils and
palsied tongue, he passed out OF this world
In q cemetery In Sullivan county, In this
state, are eight headstones In a line aud all
alike, and these are the facts; In 1861
diphtheria ragged In the village, and ply
sician was remarkably successful In curing
his patients. SO confident did he become
that he boasted that no case of diphtheria
could stand before him, and finally delled
Almighty God to produce a case OF diph-
iberia that he could not cure. His youngest
child soon after took the disease and died,
and one child after another until all the
eight had died of diphtheria. The bias
phemer challenged Almighty God and God
accepted the challenge.
But come later down and give you u
| fact that Is proved by scores of witnesses.
This last August OF 1886 man got pro-
voked at the continued drought and the
ruin Of his crops, and IN the presence of his
Delgbbors he cursed God, saying that he
would cut his heart out II he would come,
calling Him liar and a coward, and flash
ing knife. And while he was speaking