The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-10-14

though they may be in possession of the
Philistines, compelling them to turn the
crank while we bear down with all our might
on the swift revolving wheel, until all our
energies and faculties shall be brought up to
a bright. keen, sharp, glittering edge.
". Again, my subject teaches on what
q small allowance Philistine iniquity puts
man. Yes; these Philistines shut up the mines,
and then they took the spears and the
swords: then they took the blacksmiths,
then they took the grindstones, and they
took everything but a file. Oh, that is the
way sin works; it grabs everything! 1t be-
gins with robbery and ends with robbery.
1t despoils this faculty and that faculty, and
keeps on until the whole nature is gone.
Was the man eloquent before, it gen
orally thickens his tongue Was he
fine in personal appearance, it mars his Wis
age. Was he affiuent, it sends the sheriff to
sell him out. Was he influential, it destroys
his popularity. Was he placid. and genial,
and loving, it makes him spenetic and cross;
and SO utterly is he changed that you can see
he is sarcastic and rasping, and that the Phil
istines have left him nothing but file.
Oh, the way of the transgressor is hardl"
His cup is bitter. His night is dark. His
pangs deep. His end is terrific Philis-
tine iniquity says to that man: 'sNow, surren
der to me, and will give you all you want
music for the dance, swift steeds for the race,
imperial couch to slumber on, and you shall
be refreshed with the rarest fruits in baskets
of golden filagreen He lies The music
turns out to be a groan. The fruits burst the
rind with rank poison. The filagree is made
up of twisted reptiles The couch is q grave
Small allowance of rest, small allowance of
peace, small allowance of comfort. Cold
hard, rough-nothing but a file. SO it was
with Voltaire, the most applauded man of his
day.
The Scripture his jest-book, whence he drew
Bon mots to gall the Christian and the jew.
An nfde1 when well, but what when sick:
Oh then text would touch him to the quick,
Seized with hemorrhage of the lungs in
Paris. where he had gone TO be crowned as the
idol ST all France, he sends messenger to get
priest that he may be reconciIed to the church
before he dies. a great terror falls upon him.
He makes the place all round about him SO
dismal that the nurse declared that she would
not for all the wealth of Europe see another
infidel die. Philistine iniquitr had promised
him all the worlds garlanls, but i'll
the last hour of his life, NAen he
needed a solacinS, sent tearing across
his conscience and his nerves file file So
it was with Lord Byron. His uncleanness in
England only surpassed by his uncleanness in
Venice, then going to end his brilliant
misery at Missolonghi, fretting at his nurse
Fletcher, fretting at himself fretting at the
world, fretting at God; and he who gave the
world "Chille Harold" and 's5ardanapalus,"
and THE Prisoner OF Chillon," and 1.-THE
Siege of Corinth," reduced to nothing but a
file Oh, sin has great facility for making
promises: but it has just as great facility for
breaking then,l
A Christian life is the only cheerful life
while a life of wicked surrender is re-
morse, ruin, and death. Its painted glee is
sepulchral ghastliness. In the brightest days
of the Mexican empire, Montezuma said he
felt gnawing at his heart some thing like a
canl1er. Sin, like monster wild beast of the
forest, sometimes ticks over his victim in
order that the victim may be more easily
swallowed; but generally sin rasps, and
gals, and tears, and upbraids and files. Is it
not so, Herods Is it not so, Hildebrand2 Is
it not SO, Robespierre? Aye, aye! 1t is so,
it is SO. 1.-THE way of the wicked He
turneth upside down." History tells US
that when Rome was founded, on
that day there were twelve vul-
lures flying through the air; but when a
transgressor dies the sky is black with whole
focks of them. Vultures. vulturesl vul-
lures! When l see sin robbing SO many of
my hearers, and 1 see them going down day
by day and week by week, I must give a
plain warming. 1 dare not keep it back lest
risk the salvation of nay own soul. Rover
and Pirate pulled down the warming bell on
lncQCapo TOCk, Un1nk1nS CnaC UQey would
have q chance to despoiI vessels that
were crushed the rocks; but one
night his own ship crashed down on
this very rock, and he went down with all
his cargo. God declares: "When say to
the wicked thou shalt surely die, and thou
givest him not warning, that same man shall
die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require
at thy hands"
v. learn from this subject what a sad
n, Sc III -,
metal These Philistines that if they
could only get all the metallic weapons out of
the hands Of the Israeites all would be well,
and therefore they took the swords and the
spears. They did not want them to have a
single metallic weapon. When the metal of
the Israelites gone their strength was
gone This is the trouble with the church of
God to-day. 1t is surrendering its courage.
1t has not got enough metal. How seldom it
is that you see man taking his position in
pew or in pulpit or in a religious society and
holding that position against all oppression,
and all trial, and all persecution, and all
| criticism.
The church Of God to-day wants more
| backbone, more defiance, more consecrated
bravery, more metal. How often you see a
| man start out in some good enterprise, and at
the first blast OF opposition he has collapsed,
| and all his courage gone, forgetting the fact
that if a man be right, all the opposition of
| the earth pounding away at him cannot do
| him any permanent damage. 1t is only when
| a man is wrong that he can be damaged.
Why, God is going to vindicate His truth,
and He is going to stand by you. my friends,
in every effort you make for Christ's cause
and the salvation OF men.
Go forth in the service of Christ, and dc
! your whole d uty. Yon have one sphere.
| have another sphere "The Lord of hosts is
with us, and the God of Jacob is our refuge
! Selah" We want more of the determination
of Jonathan. do net suppose he was very
wonderful man, but he got on his knees and
clambered up the rock and with the help OF
| his armor-bearer he hewed down the Phil
/ int