The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-11-11
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
An Interesting Discourse on the
"The Stolen Grindstone."
Singular Instance of Tyrannical Oppres-
sion-The Church Should Use the
Worlds Sharpening Instru-
ments-A Call to Works

Rev. 7. De Witt Talmage chose for the
Aubject of q recent sermon in the Brook
lyn 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
nll the land of Israel: flor the Philistnes
said, lest the Hebrews make them swords or
spears) But all the Israelities went down
to the Phikstines to sharpen every man his
share, and his coulter and his axe, and his
mattock. Yet thew had a file foS the mat
tocks, and for the couters, and for the forks,
and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
Il. Samuel, xiii, - 81
What CALLING subjugation for the
IsraelItes? The Philstines had carried
off all the blacksmiths, and torn down all
the blacksmitbs' trade in the land of Is.
rael. The Philistines would not even al
low these parties to work their valuable
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 grindstones from the land of
Israel, so that if an Israelitish farmer
wanted to sharpen his plow or his axe, he
had to go 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 the goad, and the pick-axe,
save a simple file, industry was hindered,
and work practically disgraced. The great
idea of these Philistines was to keep the
Israelites disarmed. They might get iron
out of the hills to make swords of, but
they would not have any blacksmiths to
weld this iron. If they got the iron weld :
ed they would have no grindstones on
which to bring the instruments of agri-
culture or the military weapons up to an
edge. o, you poor, weaponless Israelites,
reduced to a file, how pity you. But
these Philistines were not forever 10 keep
their heel on the neck of Gods children.
Jonathan on his hanls and knees climbs
up great rock beyond which were the
Philisiines; 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 great terror upon them.
So it was then; so it is now. Two men OF
God on their knees, mightier than a
Philistine host on their feet.
I learn first from this subject how
dangerous it is for the Church of God to
allow its weapons to stapin the hands OF
its enemies. These Israelites might again
and again have obtained a supply oil
swords and weapons, as for instance when
they took the spells of the Ammonftes
but these 1sraelites seemed content tc
have no swords, no spears, no blacksmiths
no grindstones, no active iron mines, until
it was too late for them to make any re.
sistance. / see the farmers Juggling along
with their pick-axes and ploT, and say:
"Where are you going with those
things?"
They say: "Oh, we are going over to the
things sharpened."
say: "Yo GU foolish men, why don't yor
sharpen them at homer"
"Oh," they say, "the blacksmith's shop.
are all torn down, and we have nothing
left US but file"
So it is in the Church of Jesus Christ to-
day. We are too willing to give up ou
weapons to the enemy. The world boast
that it has gobbled up the schools, and tn,
colleges, and the arts, and the sciences
and the literature, and the printing press
Infide1ity is making mighty attempt t,
get all our weapons in its hands and thel
10 keep them. You know it is max
ing this boast all the time, ant
yyho fho
between sin and Righteousness ha
opened, if we do not look out we will be
badly off as these Israelites, without an,
swords to fight with and without any
sharpening instruments. call upon th,
superintendent of literary institutions tt
see to 1t that the men who go into the
ciass-rooms to stand beside the Leyder
Jars, and the electric batteries, and the
microscopes and telescopes. be children OF
God; not Philistines. The Carlylean
Emersonian and Tyndallean thinkers O.
this day are trying to get all the intel
- lectual weapons of this century in thei
own grasp. What we want is scientifi,
Christians to capture the science, ant
scholastic Christians to capture the schol.
arship, and philosophic Christians t,
ooPeo ono PuAosopHy, am lecturin,
Christians to take back the lecturing plat
form. We want to send out agains
Schenkel, and Strauss, and Renan,
Theodore Christlieb, of Bonn; and agains
the infidel scientists of the day God
worshiping Silliman, and Hitchcock, ant
Agassiz. We want to capture all tn
philosophical apparatus and swing arount
the telescopes on the swivel, until t hroug
them we can see the morning star of tn
Redeemer, and with neurological ham
mer discover the Rock of Ages, and ami
the fora Of the realms find the Rose O
Sharon and the Lily of the Valley.
Let men of God go out and take posses
sion of the platform. Let any printin
presses that have been captured ky tn
enemy be recaptured for God; and tn
reporters, and the type. setter.
and the editors, and the publisher
swear allegiance to the God of truth
Alb, my friend, that day must come
and Il the great body of Christian me
have not the faith, or the courage, or tn
conservation to do it, then let some iona
than on his busy hands and on his pray
Ing knees climb up on the Rock of Hin
drance, and in the name Of the Lord TO
OF Israel slash to pisces those iiterav