Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-11-27

OF the Christian hit. and that nigh
closing ms eyes il ms TENT on the plain
! EsdraelOn--for there are some Things w
can see better with eyes shut than open
! the scenes of that ancient war come beior'
me. The Twelfth century was closing an.
Saladin at the head OF eighty thousant
mounted troops WAS crying, "Ho! fol
Jerusalemw ''Ho, for all Palestine! ant
before them everything went down, bu'
not without unparalleled resistance. II
one place one hundred and thirty Chris
tains were surrounded by many thousands
Of furious Mohammedans. For one whole
day the one hundred and thirty held oui
against these thousands. Tennysons "siA
hundred when "soIne one had blundered,
were eclipsed by these one hundred and
thirty fghting for the holy cross. They
took hold of the lances which had pierced
them with death wounds. and pulling them
out of their own breasts and sides hurled
them back again at the enemy.
On went the fight until all but one
Christian bad fallen and he, mounted on
the last horse, welded his battle ak right
and left till his horse fell under the plunge
Of the javelins, and the rider, making the
sign Of the cross toward the sky, gave up
his life on the point Of score of spears.
But soon after the last battle came. His
tory portrays it, poetry chants il, painting
colors it, and all ages admire that last
struggle TO keep in possession the wooden
cross on which Jesus was said to have ex-
PRED 1t was battle in which mingled
the fury Of devils aud the grandeur of
angels. Thousands of dead Christians on
this side Thousands OF dead Mohammed-
ans on the other side The battle was hot
test close around the wooden cross upheld
by the bishopof Pfolemais, himself wound
ed and dying. And when the bishop Of
Ptolemais dropped dead, the bishop Of
LYDIA seized the cross and again lifted it,
carrying il onward into a wilder and
fercer light, aud sword against iayelin,
and battle ak upon helmet, and piercing
spear against splintering shield. Horses
and men tumbled into heterogeneous DEATH
Now the wooden cross Oh which the armies
Of Christians had kept their eye begins 10
waver, begins TO descend. II fails. and the
wailing Of the Christian host at It's dislp-
pearance browns the huzza Of the vic
torious Moslems.
TIE TRIUMPH or THE CROSS
But that standard Of the cross only
seemed 70 fall II rides the sky today ia
Five hundred million souls, the
mightiest army of the ages, are following
il and where that goes they viii 20, across
the earth and up the mighty sleeps of the
heavens. In che Twelfth century it seemed
to 20 down. hut in the Nineteenth century
il is the mighticst symbol Of glory and tri-
nmph, and means more than any other
stuotfarI ,ulnfh.,. f,,D..f f,csi ,rs4 }. ..,..l 90
ion, or bear, or star, or crescent. That
which saiadin trampled on the plain Of
2sdraelon lift today for your marshal
ng. The erossl The crossl The foot Of it |
planted ia the earth il saves, the top OF il |
pointing to the heavens 10 which e will |
axe you, and the outspread beam OF it |
ike outstretched arms Of Invitation 70 an |
lations. Kneel at its foot Lift your eye |
o its victim. Swear eternal allegiance 10 |
Is power. And as that mighty symbol Of |
'ain and triumph is kept before us, we
will realize how insignificant are the little
rosses we are called 10 bear, and will more
heerfully carry them.
Must Jesus bear the cross alone.
And al the world 20 frees
No there's a cross for every one
Aud there's cross for me
As fan asleep tonight on my pillow In
he tent on the plain OF Esdraelon reach
Y from the Mediterranean to the Jor
an, the waters Of the river kishon
1othing me ms by a lullaby, hear
be gathering Of the hosts for the last
attic Of ali the earth. And by their
representatives. America is here and Eurone
here and Asia is here and Africa Is here.
nd all heaven is here and all hell Is here.
nd Apollyon on the black horse leads the
rmies of darkness and Jesus on the white
orse leads The armies Of light, and hear
re roll Of the drums and the clear call OF
le clarions and the thunder Of the can
onades. Aud then ! hear the wild rush
Of million OF troops in retreat, and then
lie shout OF victory rs from fourteen
lndred million throats, and then song
though all the armies Of earth aud heay.
! were joining it, clapping cymbals beat
g the time-"The kingdoms of this world
e become the kingdoms OF our ord and
his Christ, and he shall reign for ever
i'd ever