Milford chronicle., 1888-07-27

tiao portfolios which proved there was no
Christ and no divine revelation, his pen
scimetar flung into the heart Of theological
opponents, who, nevertheless has been dis
comitod and captured for God by some little
three-year-o old child, who has got up and put
her snowy arms around his sinewy neck and
asked some simple question about God and
heaven
Oh, mako flank movement; steal a march
on the devil; cheat that man into heaven.
A five dollar treatise that win stand all the
laws Of homiletics may fail TO do that which
penny tract Of Christian entreaty may ac-
complish. Oh, for more Christians in am
buscade, not lying in idleness, but waiting
for a quick spring. waiting until Just the
right time comes. Do not talk to man
about the vanity Of this world on the day
when he has bought something at twelve
md is going to sell it at fifteen But talk
TO him about the vanity Of the world
ON the day when he has bought some
thing at "fifteenn and is compelled to sell at
"twclve" Do not rub mans disposition
the wrong way. Do not take the imperative
mood when the subjunctive mood will do
Just as well. Do not talk in perfervid style
TO phlegmatic, nor try to tickle a torrid
temperament with an icce. You can take
any man for Christ if you know how to get
at him. Do not send word to him that to
morrow at 10 o'clock you propose to open
your batteries upon him, but come on him
by skillful, perseyering, God directed am
buscade.
Lesson the fourth: The importance Of tax
imggood aim. There is Joshua, but how are
those people in ambush up yonder to know
when they are TO drop upon the city, and
how are these men around Joshua to know
when they are to stop their flight and ad-
vance! There must be some signal-a signal
to stop the one division and to start the
other. Joshua, with a spear on which were
ordinarily hung the colors of battle, points
toward the city He stands in such a con
spicuous position, and there is so much Of the
morning light dripping from that spear tip,
that all around the horizon they see it. 1t was
as much as to say; "There is the city Take
it. Take it now, Roll down from the west
Surge up from the north. It is ours, the city of
All" God knows and we know that a 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 dir ction and then hurl our body, mind,
soul, time. eternity at that one target. In
our pulpits and pews and Sunday schools and
prayer meetings we want to get a reputation
for saying pretty things and so we point
our spear toward the flowers; or we want
a reputation for saying sublime things,
and we point our spear toward tho stars. or
we want to get a reputation for historical
knowledge, and we point our spear toward
the past; or we want to get n reputation for
great liberality, so we swing our spear all
around; and it strikes all points OF the
horizon, and you can make out of it what
ever YOU please; while there is the old world,
proud rebellious and armed against all
( Righteousness; and instead of running any
/ further away from its pursuit, we ought to
turn around, plant our foot in the strength
( of the eternal God, and lift the old cross and
/ point it in the direction of the worlds CON
quest till the redeemed of earth, march
/ ing up from one side and the gloriied of
heaven marching down from the other side,
the last battlement Of sin is compelled to
swing ont 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 irresistible" l
| say: Look out for the man who has one idea,
aud that determination for soul saving.
| believe God would strike me dead if / 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 frcsher brain and purer
heart for Gods work. l feel on my
| head the hands Of Christ in a new ordina-
y II 8 II -.
pressure! There is work for all of US. Oh,
that we might stand up side by si'le and
| point the spear toward the city! 1t ought to
| be taken 1t will be taken. Our cities are
drifting of toward loose religion OF what is
called liberal Christianity which is 50
| liberal that it gives up all the cardinal doc
| trines of the Bible, so liberal that it sur
renders the rectitude of the throne of the
Almighty. That is liberality with a ven
geance. Let us decide upon the work which
we, as Christian men, have to do, and, in the
strength of God, 20 to work and do it.
It is comparatively easy to keep on a
parade amid shower Of bouquets and hand
capping, and the whole street full of Ell
| thusiastic huzzas; but it is not so easy to
stand up in the day OF battle, the face black
ened with smoke, the uniform covered with
the earth plowed up by whizzing bullets
and bursting shells, half the regiment cut to
pieces and vet the commander crying, "For.
ward, march," Then it requires old fashion
ed valor Ny friends, the great trouble Of
the kingdom Of God in this day is the cow
ards. They do splendidly on parade
day, and at the communion, when they
have ON their best clothes of Christian
profession but put them out in the
great battle Of life, at the first sharp
shooting of skepticism they dodge, they
fall back, they break ranks. We con
front the enemy, we open the battle against
fraud, and lol we find ON our eide Il great
many people that do not try TO pay theil
debts. And we open the battle against in
temperance, and we find on our own side Z
great many people who drink too much
| And we open the battle against profanity
aud we find on our own side a great many
men who make hard speeches. And VIC opeI
the battle against infidelity, and lol we fine
on our own side great many men who arr
not quite sure about the Book Of Jonah AnC
while we ought to be nassing our troops anC
bringing forth more than tho united courag,
Of Austerlitz and Waterloo and Gettysburg
we have to be spending our time in huntin:
IN ambuscadss. There are great many il
Tie Lords army who would like TO SO out q
n campaign with satin slippers and holdin:
umbrellas over their heads 70 keep of tn
heavy dew, and having ratioas Of canva
back ducks and lemon cussards. II they can
not have them they want to 50 home. The
thnk it is unhealthy Gmo.s so many bul.ess
believe that the next twelve months vii
DC the most stupeEdous year that heaven eve
saw. The nations arc qualsing row with th
coming of God. 1t will be a Ysas Of sueces-e
for the men Of Joshua, but Of doom for th
men Of Al You put your ear to tne rail
| track and you can hear tho train comm,
miles away. SO put my ear to the grean'
aud hear the laundering on Ct the light
ming train of Gods mercies and judgments,
The mercy Of God is first to be tried upon
this nation It will be preached in the pull
pits, in theatres. on the streets, everywhere
People will be invited to accept the mercy ci
the Gospel, and the story and the song and
tho prayer will be mercy But sup
pose they do not accept tho offer Of mercy
what then! Then C-,d VIII come with hi:
judgments, and the grasshoppers viii eat the