The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-23


the surface, but are secreted; by tact, by
strategem, by Christian 0mhuscade, you
may take almost any castle of sin for
Christ Come up toward men with a regu-
! lar beSegement OF argument, and you will
| be defeated; but just wait until the door of
taeiI hearts is set ajar, or they are of their
| guard, or their severe caution is away from
home, and then drop in on them from
| christian ambuscade. There has been many
man up to his chin in scientific portfolios
| which proved there was no Christ and no
| divine revelation, his pen scimetar tluug
into the heart of theological opponents, who
! nevertheless, has been discounted and cap
! tured for God by some little 3year-od
! enid who has got up and put her snowy
arms around his slnewy mock, and asked
| some simple question about God and heaven.
Oh, make a flank movement; steal a
march on the devil, cheat that man into
heaven. A five-dollar treatise that will
| stand all the laws of hOmiietics may fnil t.
do that which penny tract of christian
entreaty may accomplish. Oa, for moro
christians in ambuscade, not lying in idle
ness, but waiting for quick spring, wait
ing until just the right time comes. Do not
! talk TO man about the vanity of this
| world on the dav when he has bought some
thing at "tNeve' and is going to sell it at
| fifteen" But talk to him about the van
| ity Of the world on the dav when he has
! peeled to sell at "twelvo' Do not rub
mans disposition the wrong way. Do not
take the imperative mood when the sub
| lunctive mood will do Just as well. Do not
| talk III pertervid style to a phlegmatc nor
try TO tickle a torrid temperament with an
| iclcle. You can take any man for Christ if
you know how to get at him. Do not send
word to him that tomorrow at 10 O'Clock
you propose TO open your batteries upon
him, but come on him by II skillful, perse-
verlng, GOd-directed ambuscade.
Lesson the fourth: The Importance of
taking good aim. There is Joshua, but how
are those people in ambush up yonder to
know whoa they are to drop on tho city,
and how are those men around Joshua to
know whom they are 70 stop their Il Sht and
advancef 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 conspicuous position, and there is 80 much
of the morning light dripping from that
speartip, 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. 1t 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 ourselves which
point we want to take, when We ought to
| make up our minds what God will have US
! do, and point our spears in that direction
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 reputation for
saying pretty things, and SO we point
our spear toward the flowers; or
we want reputation for saying sublime
things, and we point our spear toward the
| stars; or we want to get a reputation for
hist rical knowledge, and we point our
spear toward the past; or we want to get a
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 whatever you please; while there
is the old world, proud, rebellious and
armed against all righteousness; and instead
| Of running any further away from its pur-
suit we oughG to turn around, plant our
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
| glorihed 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 a man
/
l say: Look out for tho man who has one
| idea, and that determination for soul-sav
| ing. | believe God would strike me dead if
| | dared TO point the spear in amy other direc-
tion. Oh, for some Of the courage and en-
thusiasm Of Joshua! He flung two armies
| from the tip of that spear. II is sinful for
us to rest, unless it is to get stronger muscle
and fresher brain and purer heart for Gods
work. | feel on my head the hands of
| Christ in a new ordination. Do you not
! feel the same omnipOtent pTess1ref There
is q work for all Of us. Ga, that we might
! stand up side by side and point the spear to-
ward the city! 1t ought to be taken. 1t
will be taken. Our cities are drifting off
| toward loose religion or what is called 'lib-
eral christianity" which Is so liberal that it
| gives up all the cardinal doctrines of tho
| Bible, so liberal that it surrenders the recu-
| tude of the throne of the Almighty. That
is liberality with vengeance. Let US de-
eide upon the work which we, as christian
mon, have to do, and, in the strength of
God, 90 to work and do it,
1t is comparatively easy to keep on a
parade amid a shower OF bouquets and
hand -clapping, and the whole street full Of
enthusiastic huzzas. But it is not so easy
to stand up in the day of battle the face
blackened with smoke, the uniform covered
with the earth plowed up by whizzing
bullets and bursting shells, half tho regi-
nent cut TO pieces, and yet the commander
crying, Forward, marchW Thoa it re-
quires old-fashiOned valor. My friends, the
great trouble of the kingdom of God in this
day is the towards They do splendldly 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 sharpshOoting of
skepticism they dodge, they fall back, they
break ranks. We confront the enemy, we
open the battle against fraud, and lOl we
find on our side great many people that do
not try to pay their debts. And we open
the battle against intemperance, and we find
on our own side a great many people who
drink too much. And we open the battle
against profanity, and we find on our own
side "a great many men who make hard
speeches And we open the battle against
inhdelity, and lol we find on our own side a
great many men who are not quite sure
about the book Of Jonah. And while we
ought 10 be massing our troops, and bring
Ing forth more than the united courage Of
Austerlitz and Waterloo, and Gettysburg,
we have TO be spending our time in hunt
ing up ambuscades. There are great
many in the Lords army who would like 10
go out on campaign with satin slippers and
holding umbrellas over their head TO keep
off the heavy dew and having rations Of
canvas back ducks and lemon custards. IL
they cannot have them they want 10 20
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