The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-08-23

Christian entreaty may accomplish. On,
for more Christians in ambuscade; not
lying in idleness, but waiting for quick
spring, waiting until just the right time
comes. Do not talk to man of the vanity
of this world on the day when he has
bought something at ''twelve" and is 60
ing to sell it at Fifteen" But talk to
him about the vanity of this world on the
day when he has bought something at
'fifteen" and is compelled to sell it at
twelve" Do not rub mans DISPOSE
ton the wrong way. Do not take the I'M
perative mood when the subjunctive mood
will do just as we'll. Do not talk in per-
fervid style to phlegmatic nor try to
tickle torrid temperament with an
icicle. You can take any man for Christ
if you know how to get at him. Do not
send word to him that tomorrow at ten
O'Clock you propose to open your bat
teries upon him, but come upon him by a
skillful, persevering, God-directed am
buscade.
Lesson the fourth: The Importance of
taking good aim. There is Joshua, but
how are those people in ambush up
yonder to know when they are to drop
on the city? and how are these men
around Joshua to know when they are to
stop their fight and advance? There
must be some signal-a signal to stop the
one division and to start the other.
Joshua, with spear on which were or
dinarily hung the colors of battle, points
toward the city. He stands in such
conspicuous position. and there is so
much of the morning light dripping from
that spear-tip that all around the horizon
they see. 1t was much as to say: There
is the city. Take it. Take it now. Roll
down from the west Surge up from the
north. 1t is ours, the City of All" God
knows and we know that great deal of
Christian attack amounts to nothing,
simply because we do not take good aim.
Nobody knows, and we do not know our
selves, which point we want to take, when
we ought to make up our minds what God
will have us to do, and point our spear in
that direction, and then hurl our body,
mind, soul, time, eternity at that one tar
get. In our pulpit and pews, and Sunday
schools and prayer meetings, we want to
get reputation for saying pretty things,
and SO we point our spear toward the
flowers; or we want a reputation for say
ing sublime things, and we point our
spear toward the stars; or we want to get
reputation tor historical knowledge,
and we point our spear toward the past;
or we want to get reputation for liber-
atty, so we swing our spear all around;
and it strikes all points of the horizon,
and you can make out of it whatever you
please; while there is the old world, proud,
rebelious and armed against all right
eousness; and instead of running any
further away from it's pursuit, we ought
to turn around, plant out foot in the
strength of the eternal God, lift the old
cross and point it in the direction of the
worlds conquest till the redeemed of
earth, marching up from one side and the
glorified of Heaven marching down from
the other side, the last battlement of sin
is compelled to swing out the streamers of
Emanuel. Oh, Church of God, take aim
and conquer.
have heard it said: ''Look out for
man who has only one idea; he is irresist-
ible." l say: Look out for the man who
has one idea, and that determin atom
for soul-saving. l believe God would
strike me dead If 1 dared to point the
spear in any other direction. Oh, for
some of the courage and enthusiasm of
Joshua! He flung two armies from the
tip of that spear. 1t is sinful for us to
rest, unless it is to get stronger muscle
and fresher brain and purer heart for
Gods work. l feel on my head the hands
of Christ in new ordination. Do you
feel the same omnipotent pressure? There
is work for all of us. Oh, that we might
stand up side by side and point the spear
toward the city! 1t ought to be taken.
1t will be taken. Our cities are drifting
off toward loose religion. or what is
called ''liberal Christianity" which is so
liberal that it gives up all the cardinal
doctrines of the Bible, so liberal that it
surrenders the rectitude of the throne of
the Almighty. That is liberality with
a vengeance. Let us decide upon the
work which we, as Christian men, have to
do, and, in the strength OF God, 90 to
work and do it.
L believe that the next twelve months
will be the most stupendous year
that Heaven ever saw. The nations
are quaking now with the coming
of God. 1t will be year of sue
cesses for the men of Joshua, but of
doom for the meeu of All. You put your
ear to the rail track and you can hear the
train coming miles away. So l put my
ear tc the ground and | hear the thunder
ing on of the lightning train of Gods
mercies and judgments. The mercy of
God is first to be tried upon this nation.
1t will be preached in the pulpits. in thea
tiers, on the streets, everywhere. People
will be invited to accept the mercy of the
Gospel. and the story, and the song, and
the prayer, will be mercy" But sup
pose they do not accept the offer of mercy
what then? Then God will come with
His judgments and the grasshoppers will
eat the crops, and the freshet will de-
vastate the valleys, and the defalcations
will swallow the money markets, and the
fires will burn the cities, and the earth
willquake from pole to pole. Year of mer-
cies and of judgments. Year of invita-
ton and of warning. Year of Jubilee
and of VICE. Which side are you going to
be on? With the men of Al or the men
of Joshua? Pass over this Sabbath into
the ranks of Israel. 1 would clap nv
hands at the joy of your coming. You
will have poor chance for this world
and the world to come without Jesus You
can not stand what is to come upon you
and upon the world unless you have the
pardon and the comfort and the help of
Christ. Come over. On this side is your
happiness and safety, on the other side is
disquietude and despair. Eternal defeat
to the men of All! Eternal victory to the
on IF IocbI1of