The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-23

uNll' SOluc VI llleul lcll uuucf lilt snap oil
q derringer pistol. Some of them spent
their last days in lunatic asylum. Where
are William Tweed and his associates?
Where are ketcham and Swartwout, alb
sconding swindlers? Where is James Fisk,
the libertine? Where is John Wilkes
Booth, the assassin? and all the other mis-
demeanants? The wicked do not live out
half their days. Discmbogue, q world of
darknessl Come up, llildebrand and
Henry III. and Rohespierre, and with Bills
terng and disappearing and ashen lips
hiss out: 1.-THE triumph OF the wicked is
short" Alas for the men of Al when
Joshua stretches out his spear toward the
cityl
Lesson the third: How much may be &C.
complished by lying in ambush for oppor-
tunities. Are you hypercritical OF Josh
ua's maneuyer? Do you say that il was
cheating for him TO take that city by am.
buscade? Was ii wrong for Washington
to kindle camp fires on New jersey
Heights, giving the impression to the op.
posing force that great army was en-
camped there when there was none at all?
! answer, il the war was right then Joshua
was right in his stratagem. lie violated no
flag Of truce. He broke no treaty, but by
lawful ambuscade captured the city OF
Al. Oh, that we all knew how to lie in
ambush for opportunities to serve God.
The best OF our opportunities do not lie
upon the surface, but are secpted; by
tact, by stratagem, by Christian ambus-
cade, you may take almost any castle Of
sin for Christ. Come up toward men with
u regular besiegcment OF argument and YOU
will be defeated, but just wait until the
door OF their hearts is set aiar, or they are
oil 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 a scimitar flying into the heart of theo-
| logical opponents, who, nevertheless, has
been discounted and captured for God by
some little three year old child who has
got up and put her snowy arms around his
sinewy neck and asked some simple ques-
ton about God and heaven.
oh, make flank movement steal a
march on the devil; cheat that man into
heaven. A So treatise that will stand all
the laws OF homilctics may fail 10 do that
which penny tract Of Christian entrraty
may accomplish. Oh, for more Chris.
tans in ambuscadc, not living in idlcness,
but waiting for quick spring, waiting
until just the right time comes. DO not
talk 10 a man about the vanity OF this
world on the day when lac has bought
something at twelve" and is going 10 sell
II 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 10 sell at twelve" DO not
rub mans disposition the wrong way.
DO not take the imperative mood when
the subjective mood will do Just ~ well.
DO not talk in perlcrvid style TO a phcg.
matte nor try to tickle torrid tcmpcra.
ment with an icicle. You can take any
man for Christ II you know how 10 get ut
him. DO not send word 10 him that to-
morrow at lOo'clock you propose TO open
your batteries upon him, but come on him
by skiliul, persevering, God-dirccted
ambuscade.
Lesson the fourth: The importance Of
taking good aim. There n Joshua, but
how are those people in ambush M Won.
der 10 know when they are TO drop on the
| city, and how are these men around
| Joshua 10 know when they are 10 stop
their flight and adyance2 There must be-
some signal-a signal 10 stop the one di-
vision and 10 start the other. Joshua
with spear on which were ordinarily
hung the colors Of battle, points toward
the city. lie stands in such a conspicu.
Gus position, and there is 40 much Of the
morning light dripping from that spear tip,
that oil around the horizon they see
IT, II was M much as 20 say: "Thcre Ii
the city. Take il. Take Il now. Roll
down from the west. Surge up from the
north. II is our, the city OF Al. God
knows and We know that great deal Of
Christian attack amounts 10 nothing
simply because We do not take good aim.
Nobody knows, and We do not know our.
selves, which point We want On take, when
We ought TO make up our minds what God
will have ~ 10 DO and point our spear In
that direction and then huh our body.
mind, soul, time, eternity at that one
target. In our pulpts aud pcws aud sun.
day-schools and prayer meetings We want
10 get reputation for saying retiy things,
and W We point our spear toward the flow
ems, or We want n reputation for saying
sublime things, and We point our spear
toward the stars, or We want 90 get a rcpu-
iation for historical knowledge, aud we
point our spear toward the past; or We
want 10 get reputation for great liberal.
| ity, 10 We swing our spear all around, and
II strikes all points Of the horizon, and
you can make out Of Il whatever you
| please; while there is the old world, proud,
rebellious and armed against all righteous.
ness; aud instead Of running any further
away from lis pursuit We ought 10 turn
around, plant our foot In the strength OF
the eternal God, liz the old cross aud
! point Il In the direction Of the worlds
/ Al A.
marching up from one side and the glori.
| fled Of heaven marching down from the
other side, the last baitlcmcnt Of sin is
compelled 30 swing out the stroamen Of
/ Emanuel oh, church OF God, take aim
and conquer.
| have heard Il said: look out for a
man who has only one idea; hc IL irrcsist.
| iblc.' ] say Look out for the man who
has one idea, aud that determination for
soulsayng. ] believe God would strike
me dead II ] should point the spear in any
other direction. Oh, for some " the cOuf-
age and enthusiasm Of joshua lie flung
two armies from the tip Of that spear II IL
sinful for us 20 rest, unless Il Is 10 get
stronger muscle and frcsher brain aud
purcr heart ior Gods work. | feel on my
head the hands Of Christ In n new ordinA.
ton. DO you not feel the same omnipo.
tent prrssurc2 There isa work for alt Of
~. oh, that we might stand up side by
side aud point the spear toward the city.
II ought 81 be taken. II will be- taken. Our
cities are drifting of toward loose religion,
or what IL called ''libcral Christianity
which Is ~ liberal that Il gives up all the
cardinal docirinns Of the Bible. ~ liberal
that II suucnders the rectitudo Of the
throne Of the Almighty. That Is libcrality