The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-07-27

to stop the one division and to START the
other. Joshua, with spear on which were
ordinarily hung the coiors Of battle, points
toward the city. He stands In such con-
spicuous position, and there e 90 much Of the
morning light dripping from that spear tip,
that all around the horizon they see Il. twas
a. much as TO say: "There Is the city. Take
f. Take It now. Roll down from the west.
Surge up from the north. It Is ours, the city Of
Al" 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
win have rs to do, and point our spear 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
Tor saying pretty things, and 90 we point
our spear toward the flowers; or we want
Q reputation for saying sublime things,
and we point our spear toward the stars; or
we want to get reputation for historical
knowledge, and we point our spear toward
the past; or we want to get q reputation for
great hberality, so we swing our spear all
around; and It strikes ell 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 ali
Righteousness; and instead Of running any
further away from its pursuit, we ought 70
turn around, plant our foot In the strength
Of the eternal God, and lift the old cross and
point 1t 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 out the streamers of Emanuel Oh,
church of God, take aim and conquer
I have heard it said: "Look out for man
who has only one idea; he is irresistible
say: Look out for the man who has one idea,
and that dissemination for soul saving.
believe God would strike me dead II dared
to point the spear in any other direction.
Oh, for some Of the courage and enthusiasm
Of Joshuai he flung two armies from the
tip Of that spear. It 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 ina new ordina-
ton. Do you not feel the same omnipotent
pressuref There is a work for all Of us. Oh,
that we might stand up side by side and
point the spear toward the cityI 1t ought to
be taken II win be taken. Our cities are
drifting of toward loose religion or what is
called liberal Christianity" which is so
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 Eberality with ven
geance. Let US decide upon the work which
we, as Christian men, have to do, and, in the
strength Of God, go to work and do it.
1t Is comparatively easy to keep on a
parade amid shower of bouquets and hand
clapping, and the whole street full of en-
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 yet the commander crying, "For-
ward, marchp 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 a 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 side great
many people that do not try to pay their
debts. And we open the battle against In
temperance, 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 infldelity, and loi we find
on our own side great many men who are
not quite sure about the Book of Jonah. And
while we ought to be massing our troops and
bringing forth more than the united courage
Of Austerlitz and Waterloo and Gettysburg,
we have to be spending our time In hunting
up ambuscades. There are great many In
the Lords army who would like to 60 out on
campaign with satin slippers and holding
umbrellas over their heads to keep OF the
heavy dew, and having rations Of canvas
back ducks and lemon custards. II they can
not have them they want to go home. They
think 1t Is unhealthy among so many bulletsl
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. Il will be o year Of successes
for the men Of Joshua, but Of doom for the
men of Al You put your ear to the rail-
track and you can hear the train coming
miles away. So ] put my ear to the ground
and hear the laundering on Of the light
ming train Of Gods mercies and judgments.
The mercy Of God is first to be tried upon
this nation. It win be preached in the pull
pits, in theatres, on the streets, everywhere.
People viii be invited to accept the mercy Of
the Gospel, and the story and the song and
the prayer win be mercy" But sup
pose they do not accept the offer Of mercy
what theni Then God win come with his
judgments, and the grasshoppers viii eat the
crops, and the freshets viii devastate the
valleys, and the defalcations win swallow the
money markets, and the fires win burn the
cities, and the earth will quake from pole to
pole. Year Of mercies and of Judgments Year
Of invitation and Of warning Year Of jubilee
and Of woe. Which side are you going to be
ont With the men of Al or the men Of Joshuai
Pass over this Sabbath into the ranks Of Is
rael would clap my hands at the Joy of
your coming. You win have poor chance
for this world and the world to come without
Jesus You cannot 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
men Of Joshuai