The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-01-16


| or they are of their guard, or their severe
caution is away from home, and then drop
in on them from a Christian ambuscade
There has been many a man up to his chin
in scientific portfolios which proved there
was no Christ and 10 Divine revelation, his
pen scimetar flung into the heart Of theo-
logical opponents, who, nevertheless, has
been discomfitted and captured for God by
some little three-year-old child who has got
up and put her snowy arms around his
sineyv neck, and asked some simple cues
ton about God and Heaven.
O. make flank movement; steal o march
on the devil; cheat that man into Heaven.
A five-dollar treatise that will stand all the
laws of homiletics may fail to do that which
penny tract Of Christian entreaty may 40
complish @. for more Christians II am
buscaGe, not lying in idleneSs, but waiting
| for quick spring, waiting until just the
right time comes. Do lot talk to man
: aoo-t the vanity Of this world on the day
when he has bought something at "twelve"
and is going to sell it at Fifteen" But
talk to him about the vanity OF the world on
the day when he has bought something at
'tffteen' and is compelled to sell 1t at
s'twelven Do not rub mans disposition
the wrong way. Do not take the imperative
mood when the subjunctive mood viii do
! lust as we'll. Do not talk in perfervid style
to a phlegmatic, nor try to tickle torrid
temperament with an ioicle. You can take
any man for Christ if you know how to get
| az him. Do not send word to him that TO-
morrow at ten O'Clock you propose to open
| your batteries upon him, but come on oy
skillful, persevering, God-dlrecteo amous-
| cadc.
Lesson the fourth: The importance OF
taking good aim. There is Joshua, but how
are those people in ambush pyonderto know
when they are to drop on the city. and how
| are these men around Joshua to know when
they are to stop their fight and advancei
There must be some siSnal-a signal to stop
the one division and to start the other
Joshua, with a spear on which were oTdl-
| narily hung the colors of battle, points toward
| the city. He stands in such conspicuous
position, and there is so much OF the morn
inc light dripping from the Spear-ap, that
all around the horizon they see 1t. 1t was as
| much as to say: There is the city. Take IT.
Take itnow. Roll down from thew Surge
up from the north. 1t IS ours, the city OF AL
God knows and we know that q great deal
of Christian attack amounts to nothing
simply because we do not take good am.
Nobody knows, and we do not know our
selves. which point we want to take when
we ought to make up our minds what Goo
will have US to do, and point our spear
in that direction and then hurl our BODY,
target In our pulpits, and pews, and
Sunday-schools, and PRAYER meetings,
we want to get a reputation for saving
pretty things, and so we point our spear
toward the flowers; or we want reputa-
for saying sublime things, and we point
our spears 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 Tor great
Eberality, so we swing our spear all
around: and it strikes all points OF the
horizon, ndyou 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 pursuit we ought to
turn. around, plant our foot IN the strength
of the eternal God, lift Sac old cross end
point it in the direction Of the worlds
conquest, till the redeemed Of earth. march
ing up from one side and the glor;hed OF
Heaven marching down from the other side,
the last battlemeut Of sin is compelled to
swing out the StreamerS OF Emmanuel Y,
Church of God, take aim and conquer!
have heard it said: Look out for a
man who has only ore idea; he is irresisti-
ble." say, look out for the man who has
one idea, and that determination for soul
saving. I believe God would strike me
dead if dared to point the spear in any
other direction. o, for some of the courage
and enthusiasm of Joshua! He flung two
armies from the tip Of that spear. 1t is SIN
ful for us to rest, unless it is to get stronger
muscle and fresher brain and purer heart
for Gods work I feel on my head the
hands of Christ in new ordination.
Do you not feel the same omnipotents
pressure? There Is work for all Of
u.s. O, that we might stand up side
the city! It 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 1t surrenders the rec
titude of the throne OF the Almighty. That
Is iberalitv with vengeance. Let US de-
eide upon the work which we, as Christian
men, have to do, and, in the strength Of
God, go to work and do it.
It is comparatively easy to keep on a
parade amid shower Of bouquets
and handclapping. and the whole street
full of enthusiastic huzzahs; but it IS not
so easy to stand up in the day OF battle,
the face blackensd with smoke, the
plowed up by whining bullets and
bursting shells, half the regiment cut to
pieces, and yet tbe commander crying "For-
ward marchn' Then it requires old-4ash-
toned yalor My friends, the great trouble
Of the kingdom Of God in this day IS the
towards. They do splendidly on parade
day, and at the communion, when they have
on their best clothes Of Christian pro1ss,
sion; but put them out in the great battle
Of life, at the first sharp-shooting Of skep-
ticism they dodge, they fall back,
they break ranks. We confront the
| enemy, we open the battle against
fraud, and To-! we find on our side q
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
| q great many people who drink too much.
And we open the battle against profanity,
and we find on cur own side great many
men who make hard speeches. And we open
the battle against inideity, and 10! we find
| on our own side great many men who are
| not cutie sure about the Book OF Jonah. And
| while we ought to be maSslng our troops. and
bringing forth more than the united courage
Of Austerlitz, and Waterloo, and Gettys-
burg, we have to he spending our time in
| hunting up aInbuscades. There are great
many in the Lords army who would like TO
| 90 out on q campaign with satin slippers and
| holding umbrellas over their heads 70 keep
off the heavy dew, and having rations Of
canvas-back ducks and lemon custaros. II
! they can not have them they want to go
home. They think it is unhealthy among so
many bullets!
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. It will be year
| of successes for the loen 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 I put my ear to the
| ground and l hear the laundering on OF the