The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-29

Tabernacle today the Rev. T. De Witt Tai
mage, d. d., preached sermon appropri-
ate TO the coming centennial. The vast
congregation sang the hymn beginning
Before Jehovah's nwlulthrone
We nations, bow with sacred Joy.
DIR. Talmage's text was III. Kings vi, IL:
"And tho Lord opened the eyes Of tho
young man, and he saw; and, behold, the
mountain was full OF horses aud charots
OF fire round about Elisha" lie said:
As il cost England many regiments and
S2,OO0,OOO year to keep safely trouble.
some captive ut St. Helena, 80 the King OF
SYRIA sends out whole army to capture
one minister OF religiOn-porhaps $4,000
men to take Elisha. During the night the
army OF Assyrans came around tho vii
lage OF Dothan, where the prophet was
staying. At early daybreak the man
servant Of Elisha rushed in and said:
"what shall we do2 There is whole
army come to destroy you. We must
die. we must die Blu, Elisha was not
scared bit, for he looked up and saw the
mountains all around full OF supernatural
forces, and he knew that ii there were
10000 Assyrians against him, there were
100000 angels for him; and in answer to
the proph cts prayer in behalf OF his
nfTriphted man servant, the young man
saw II too. Horses OF fire harnessed TO
chariots Of fire, and driversof fire pulling
reins of fire on bits OF fire; aud warriors
of fire with brandished swords OF HIRE, and
the brlliance OF that morning sunrise was
eclipsed by the gallopng splendors OF the
celestial cayalcnde. And the Lord
opened the eyes Of the young man; and
no saw, and behold, the mountain wasliuil
OF horses and chariols Of fire round about
Elisha" have often spoken TO YOU OF
the Assyrian perils which threaten our
American institutions, but now ns we
are assembling TO keep centennial celobra.
ton Of the Inauguration OF Washington, /
speak Of the upper forces OF tho text that
are TO fight ON our side. II all tho low
levels are filed with armed threats, ! have
TO tell you that the mountains OF our hope
and courage and faith arc full OF the
horses and chariots OF Divine rescue
You will notice that the Divine equi-
page is always represented us a chariot Of
lire. Ezekiel and Isaiah and John when
they come TO describe tho Divine cqui-
page, always represent II ~ wheeled, a
harnessed, an upholstered conilagratiOn.
IL il not chariot like kings and conquer.
ors OF earth mount, but an organized aud
compressed fire. That means purity JUS
tice, chastiscment, deliycrance through
burning escapes. Chariot OF rescuel yes,
but chariot OF fire. All our national dis
cnthallments have been through scorch-
ing agonies and red disasters. Through
tribulntion the individual rises. Through
trbuation nations rise. Chnriois Of
rescue, but chariots Of fire.
But how do | know that this Divine
equipage il ON the side OF our institutions
/ know il by the history ol the last los
years. The American Revolution started
IRON tho pen OF John Hancock In lndo.
pendence Hall In l770. The colonies
without ships, without ammunition, with
out guns. without trained warriors, With
out money. without prestige. On the
other side tho mighticst nation OF the
earth the largest armies, aud the grand.
est navies, aud the most distinguished
commanders, and resources inexhausiiblc,
and nearly all nations roady 10 back them
mp In the eight Nothing as against iIn'
mensity
The cause Of the American colonies,
which started 81 zero, dropped still lower
through the quaneling OF the Generals,
and through the ical0usies nj small sue
ceases. aud through the winters which sur
passcd all predecessors la depth of snow
and horrors OF clngcalmcnt Elisha, sur
rounded by the whole Assyrian army, did
not seem 10 bo wono off than DID the
thirteen colonies encompassed and over
Swallowed by iorign assaults. What de-
cided the contest la our iayoR The upper
forces the upper armies. Tho Grccn aud
White Mountains OF New England, the
Highlands along the Hudson. the mount
aims Of Virginia, all tho Appalachian
ranges were iull OF re-cniorcements, which
the Young man Washington saw by faith
and his men endured the frozen feet, the
gangrcned wounds, and the exhauslinf
hunger, and the long march, because "thc
Lord opened the eyes Of the young man
and he saw; aud, behold, the mountain.
were full OF horses aud chariots Of iir,
round about Elisha" Washington him
self was miracle. What Joshua was IN
sacred history the iint American fusi.
dent was In secular history. A thousand
other men cxccllcd him In different
ihings, but be cxceilcd them all IN round
ncss and completeness oi character. Tho
world never saw his like. aud probably
never will sec bis like again, because thel,
probably never will be such cxigency. III
was let down Divine intcrpOsition. liz
was from God direct.
| do not know how any man can rca,
the history OF those times without admit
ting that the contest was decided by lh'
upper iorccs
Then In 1861 when our civil war opened
many nj the North and nj the South pro
nOunccd ID national suicide. IL WIS no
courage against cowardicc, u was no
wealth against poverty. ID was not larr
States against small States. IL was hero
isn against hcruism, Il was the resource
OF many generations against the resource
OF generations, u was ,hc prayer OF Oh
North against the prayer OF the South,
was onc.hali Of the nation M armed writ
meeting the other half oi the nation b
armed Indignation. What could come bu
cNtcrminaiioni
At the opening 81 the war the Com
mandoriu-Chici ol the United State
forces was n man who had been great ]
battle, but old ngc had come with man
infrmiucs, aud he had a right 90 quiotud,
lie could not mount horsc, aud be rod
on the battle field in q carringc, asking Oh
driver no, 10 JOLT ID too much. During th
most Of the iour yonm OF the contest, o
the Southern side was n man In md.lil
who had In his veins the blood OF man
generations OF warriors. himself one
the heroes oi Chcruhusco aud Ccrro Go
do, Conircras and ChapultcpCc. A. n
years passed on and the scroll Of carnal
unrollcd, there came out from both ed,
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