Dodge City times., 1888-07-26
for quick spring, waiting until just th'

it at fifteen" But talk to him about the
vanity of the world on the day when he
has bought something at ''fifteen" and is
compelled to sell it at ''twelve." Do not
rub a 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 a phlegmatic
nor try to tickle torrid temperature 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 intend to open your batteries upon
him, but come on him by skillful, perse-
vering, 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 when they are to drop on the city,
and how are these men around Joshua to
know when they are to stop their flight
and advance! 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 conspicuous 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. 1t is ours, the city Of
All"
God knows and we know that great
deal of Christian attack amounts to moth
ing 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 to do, and point our
spear in that direction and hurl our body,
mind, soul, time, eternity at that one tar
get 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 say
ing sublime things, and We point our
spear toward the stars: or we want
to get a reputation for historical knowl-
| edge, and we point our spear toward
the past; or we want to get reputa-
ton 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 in
stead of running any further away from
it's pursuits, we ought to turn around,
nal 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 march
! ing down from the other side, the last bat
tlement of sin is compelled to swing out
the steamers of Emanuel. o, Church Of
God, take aim and conquer.
have heard it said: ''Look out for
| -l,oh h,, ,1r-o i1an ha iei iet
ible." say: Look out for the man who
has one idea, and that a determination for
soul-saving. l believe God would strike
me dead if dared to point the spear in
any other direction. o, Joshua! He swung
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. feel on my
head the hands of Christ in a new ordina-
tion. Do you not feel the same omnipOtent
pressure!
There is work for all of us. o, that
we might stand up side by side and point
the spear toward the city 1t ought to be
| taken. It 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
vengeance. 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 il.
1t is comparatively easy to keep on a
parade amid 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 the regi-
ment cut to pieces, and yet the commander
crying "Forward, march!" Then it re-
auires old-fashioned valor. My friends,
the great trouble of the kingdom of God in
this day is the towards. They do splendid.
ly 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 10. we find on our
side great many people that do not try
to pay their debts. And we open the bat
tie 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 tind Oh our own
side great many men who make hard
speeches. And we open the battle against
infidelity, and 10! 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 bring
ing forth more than the united courage Of
Austerlitz and Waterloo and Gettysburg,
| we have 10 be spending our time in hunting
up ambuscades,
There are great many in the Lords
army who would like to go out on a cam
paign with satin slippers and holding UNI.
brellas over their heads to keep off the
heavy dew, and having rations of canvas
back ducks and lemon custards. If they
can not have them they want to go home.
They think it is unhealthy among SO many
bullets:
l believe that the next twelve months
will be the most stupendous year that
Heaven ever saw. The nations are quak-
ing now with the coming of God. 1t will
be year of successes for the men OF
Joshua, but of doom for the men of Al.
You put yeur ear to tbs rail track and you
can hear the train coming miles away. 30
put my ear to the ground and l hear the
laundering on of the lightning train Of
Gods mercies and judgments. The
mercy of God is first to be tried
upon this nation. 1t win be preached IL.
the pulpits. in theaters, 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 suppose they do not ac-
cant tho offer Of mercy-What them Then