The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-10-22
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
An Interesting Discourse on the
"Ths stolen Grindstone."

An Interesting Discourse on the
"Ths stolen Grindstone."
siss-Ths Church Should Use the
Worlds Sharpening Instru-
msnts-A Call to Work.
Rev. 7. De Witt Talmage chose for the
subject Of . recent sermon In the Brook.
Ign Tabernacle the Philistines' oppres.
sion of Israel and the Lords interposition
in their behalf, as illustrative Of the duty
of the Church to seize the worlds weapons
with which to encounter its foes. His
text was:
Now, there was no smith round throughout
all the land Of Israel: (for the PhilIstines
said, lest the Hebrews make them swords or
spears.) But all the Israelities went down
to the Philistines to sharpen every man his
share, and his coulter. and his axe, and his
mattock. Yet thew had file for the mat.
tocks. and for the coulters. and for the forks,
and for the axes. and to sharpen the goada
Il. Samuel. kill. 1871.
What q CALLING subjugation for the
Israelites? The Philistinss had carried
OF all the blacksmiths, and torn down all
the blacksmiths' trade in the land Of Is.
rael. The Philistines would not even al
low these parties to work their valuabl.
mines Of brass and iron, nor might they
make any swords or spears. There were
only two swords left in all the land. Yes,
these Philistines went on until they had
taken all the grindstcnes from the land of
Israel, 80 that if an Israeliti.h farmer
wanted to sharpen his pillow or his axe, he
had to 60 over to the garrison of the Philis-
tines to get it done. There was only one
sharpening instrument left in the land,
and that was file. The farmers and the
mechanics having nothing to whet up the
coulter, and tho goad, and the pick-axe,
save a simple file, industry was hindered,
and work practically diseraced. The great
idea Of these Philistines was to keep the
Israelites disarmed. They might get iron
ont Of the hills to max. swords Of, but
they would not have any blacksmiths to
weld this iron. II they got the iron weld
ed they would have no srindstones on
which to bring the instruments Of agri-
culture or the military weapons up to an
edge o. you poor, weaponless Israelite..
reduced to file, how I Pity you. But
these Fhilistines were not forever to keep
their heel on the neck Of Gods children.
Jonathan on his han-'s and knees climbs
up great rock beyond which were the
Philistines; and his armor- bearer, on his
hands and knees, climbs up the Same
rock. and these two men with their two
swords hew to pieces the Philistines, the
Lord throwing a great terror upon them.
So 1t was then; so it is now. Two mon OF
God on their knees, mightier than .
Philistine host on sheir feet.
learn first from this subject how
dangerous It is for the Church Of God to
allow its weapons to stay in the hands Of
Its enemies. These Israelites might again
and again have obtained a supply Of
swords and weapons, As for instance when
they took the spoils Of the Anmonites;
but these Israelites seemed content to
have no swords, no spears, no blacksmiths.
no erindstones, no active iron mines, until
II was too late for them to make any re.
sistance. see the farmers Juggling along
with their pick.axe, and pillow, and I say:
"V'here are you going with those
They say: ooh, we are going over to the
garrison Of the Philistines 10 get these
things sharpened."
lsay: "You foolish men. why don't you
sharpen them at hcme"
''Oh," they say, 1.-THE blacksmith shops
are all torn down. and We have nothing
- US but fle."
So IL is in the Church of Jesus Christ TO-
day. We are too willing to give up our
weapons to the enemy. The world boasts
that it has gobbled up the schools, and the
and the arts, and the sciences,
and the literature, and the printing press.
Tnfidelity is making mighty attempt to
get all our weapons in its hands and then
10 keep them. You know it Is max
Ing this boast all the time, and
after awhile, when the great battle
between sin and righteousness has
opened, il We do not look out we will be as
badly eff as these Isrselites. without any
swords to fight with and without any
instruments. call upon the
OF literary institutions to
see to it that the msn who 20 into the
class-rooms to stand beside the Leyden
Jars, and the electric batteries, and the
and telescopes, be children Of
God; not Pbilistines. The CarlyleaR,
and Tyndallean thinkers Of
his day are trying to get all the intel.
lectual weapons Of this century in their
own grasp. What We went is scientific
Christians to capture ths science, and
scholastic Christians to capture the schol.
Rrship, and philosophic Christians to
capture the philosophy, ami lec.urins
to take back the lecturing plat.
Fornl. We want to send out against
Schsnkel, and Strauss, and. Renan.
Theodore Chris,lisb, of Bonn; and against
he infidel scientists of the day God
Sillimsp, and Hitchcock, and
Agsssiz. We want to capture all the
apparatus and swing around
he telescopes on the swivel, until through
hem We can see the morning star of the
Redeemer, AMI with meteorological ham.
ner discover the Rock of Ages. AND amid
he fora Of the realms find the Rose OF
Sharon and the Lily Of the Valley.
Let men of God go ont and take posses.
on of the platform. Let any printing
presses that have been captured by the
nemy be recapured for God; and the
eporters, and the type-s.tters,
md the editors, and the publishers
wear allegiance to the cd of truth.
Ah, my friend, that day must come,
md il the great body OF Christian men
lave not the fsith, or the courage, or tn.
to do it, then let some iona.
ban On his busy hands and on his pray.
ne knees climb up on the Rock Of Hin.
rance, and IN the name Of the Lord God