The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-01-23

theu ou INC uay Wnen tney came
down upon the Amalekites. II they
had lost that battle they never would
have got their families back. | sup
pose that one glance at their loved ones In
captivity hurled them ihto the battle with
tenfod courage and energy. They said I;
I'VE must win 1t. Every thing depends
upon It, Let each one talkea a man on point Of
spear or sword. We must win It," And l
have TO tell you that between us and COM
ing into the companionship OF our loved
ones who are departed there is an Auster-
litz, there Is a Gettysburg. there is Water
lood. War with the world, war with the
flesh, war with the devil We have either
TO conquer our troubles, or our troubles
viii conquer US. David will either slay the
Amalekites, or the Amalekites will slay
David. And yet Is not the fort to be
taken worth all the pain, all the -eril, all
the besiegementl Look: who arc they on
the bright hills Of Heaven yon-
derl There they are, those who
sat at your own table, the chair now vacant.
There they are, those whom you rocked in in
fancy In the cradle or hushed to sleep in your
arms. There they are, those in whose life
your life was bound up. There they are,
their brow more radiant than ever before
you saw 1t, their lips waiting for the kiss of
heavenly gre ting, their cheek roseate with
the health OF eternal summer, their hands
beckoning You up the Steep their feet BOUND.
ing with the mirth Of heaven. The paAr OF
their last sickness gone out of their face,
never more to b. sick, never more TO cough,
never more TO limp, never more TO be old,
never more TO weep. They are watching
from those heights TO see If through Christ
you can take that fort, aud whether you win
rush In upon them-victors. They know
that upon this battle depends whether you
Will ever join their society Upl strike
harder! Charge more bravely! Remember
tnat every inch you gain puts you so much
farther on towards that heavenly reunion.
III this morning, while speak, you could
hear the cannonade Of a foreign navy, com
ing through the 'Narrows," which was to
despoil our city, aud il they really should
succeed In carrying our families away from
us, how long would we take before we re-
solved TO 90 after themi Every weapon,
whether fresh from Springfield or old and
rusty In the garrett, would be brought out;
ana we would urge OH, and, coming In front
OF the foe, we would look at them. and then
look at our families, and the cry would be:
Victory or death l and when the alnmuni.
tion was gone, We would t,.Ae the captors
on the point VI the bayonet or under the
breech Of the gun. II you would make such
a struggle for the getting back Of your
earthly friends, will you not make as much
struggle for the gaining Of the eternal com.
panionship Of your Heavenly friendsl 0,
yesl we must join them. We must sit In
their holy society. We must sing with them
tho song. We must cc.ebrate, with them
the triumph. Let IL never be told on earth
orin Heaven that David and his men pushed
out with Drawer heart, for the getting back
OF their earthly friends for few years on
earth, than we % got our departed
You say that all this implies that our de.
parted Christian friends are alive. Why,
had you any idea they were deadl They
have only moved. II .ou should 20 on the
I'd Of May TO house where one Of yoar
friends lived and found him gone you would
not think that he was dead You would in.
quire next door whore had he moved to. Our
departed Christian friends have only taken
another house. The secret Is that they are
richer now than they once were, aud can NJ.
ford a better residence They once drank
out OF farthe nware; they now drink from
the Kings chalicc. Joseph Is yet alve,n
and Jacob viii 90 up aud SEQ him. Living,
are theyi Why, II @ man can live In this
damp dark dungeon OF earthly captivity,
can be not live where he breathes the brac-
ing atmosphercof the mounialnsof Heaveni
o, yes, they are liviug
DO you think that Paul Is so near dead
now as he was when he was living In the
Roman dungeonl DO you think that Fred
erick Robertson, Of Brighton IS as near dead
now as be was when, year az or year, he
slept seated on the floor, his head on the
bottom of a chair, because he could find
ease in no other position! DO you think that
Robert hall is as near dead now rs when,
on his couch, he tossed IN physical torturesi
No. Death gave them the fcw black drops
that cured them. That is all death does to
q Christian-cures him. know that what
l have said implies that they are living
There is no question about that. The only
question this morning is whether you viii
ever Join them.
But must not forget those two hundred
men who tainted by the brook Besor. They
could not take another step farther. Their
feet were sore; their head ached; their en-
tire nature was exhausted Besides that,
they were broken hearted because their
homes were gone Zlklag In ashes And
yet David, when he comes up 10 them, di.
vides the spolls among them. lie says they
shall have some OF the jewels, some Of the
robes, some of the treasures. look over
this audience this morning and find at
least two hundred who have tainted by the
brook Bes0r-the brook OF tears. You feel
asif you could not tuke another step tar
ther, as though you could never look up
again. But ] am going to initiate David,
and divide among you some glorious tro-
phies. Here Is robe.
IAN things work together for good to
those who love God.n Wrap yourself in
that glorious promise. Here Is for your neck
u string OF pearls, made out OF crystallized
tears: Weeping may endure for n night,
but Joy cometh In the morning. Here Is q
coronet: "Be thou faithful unto death, and
will give thee crown OF life.n o, ye
fainting ones by the brook Besor, dip your
blstered feet In the running stream Of Gods
mercy. Batho your brow at the wells OF
salvation. Soothe your wounds with the
balsam that exude, from the tree OF life.
God will not utterly cast you of, o, broken
hearted man. o, brolIen-henrted woman,
fainting by the brook Besor.
A shepherd finds that his musical pipe Ia
bruised. He says: ~ can't get any moro
music out OF this instrument; 80 will Just
break II, and will throw this reed away.
Then will got another reed, and will play
music on that" But God says he will not
cast you of because all the music has gone
out OF your soul. ''rho bruised reed he
will not break.n As far as can tell tho
diagnose Of yourdisease, you want divine
nursing, and II Is promised you: "As one
whom his mother comforteth, SO will I com
fort you.p God will see you all the way
through, o troubled soul, and when you