Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-17
THE GAZETTE: FORT WORTH TEXAS MONDAY. NOVEMBER II

| armies the Egyptian armies again aud
| again trampled it. There they career
across it, David aud Joshua and Godfrey
and Richard CGur de Lion and Bald
| win and SaIadin-a plain not only famous
for the past, but famous because the
Bible says Tho great decisive battle OF the
| world will be fought there
THE BATTLE OF AEMAGEDDoN.
To me the plain was the more absorb
ing because of the desperate battles here
and in regions round ia which the Holy
Cross, the very two pieces of wood on
which Jesus IVES supposed to have been
crucified was carried rs standard at
the head of the Christian host; and that
night closing my eyes in my tent on the
plain of Esdraelon-for there are some
things we can see better with eyes shut
than opeu-the scenes of that ancient
war come before me. The twelfth CEN
fury was closing and Saladin at the head
of so 900 mounted troops was crying: Ho
for Jerusalem, Ho for all Pa,estine! land
| before them everything went down, but
not without unparalleled resistance. III
one place $50 Christians were surrounded
by many thousands Of furious Mohamme-
dams. For one whole day the $50 held
out against these thousands. Tennvs sou 8
| "six hundred when "some one had
blundered' were eclipsed by these one
hundred and thirty fighting for the holy
cross. Tney took hold the lances which
had pierced them with death wounds,
and pulling them out of their own
breasts and sides. hurled them back
again at their enemy. On went the fight
until all but one Christian had fallen,
and he, mounted on his horse, welded
battle axe right and left till his horse
Go, ~, h., Ca ,,-,1
the rider, making the sign of the cross
toward the sky, gave up his life on the
point of q score of spears. But soon
after, the last battle came. History
portrays it, poetry chants il. painting
colors it and all ages admire that last
struggle to keep in possession that wooden
cross on which Jesus was said to have
expired. 1t was battle III which min
eled the fury of devils and the grandeur
OF angels. Thousands OF dead Christians
on this side. Thousands OF dead Mo-
hammedaus on the other side. The bat
tie was hottest Gloss around the wooden
cross upheld by the bishop of Pto!einais.
HIMSELF WOUNDED AND DYING.
Ard when the bishop of Ptoiemais
dro, ped dead the bishop of LYDIA
seized the cross and again lifted it, car
ryiug 1t onward into wilder and tiercer
fight, and sword az aiust javiin, and
battle-aI upon helmet, aud piercing
spear against splintering shield. Horses
aud men tumbied into heterogeneous
death. Now the wooden cross on which
the armies of Christians had kept their
eye begins to waver, begins to descend.
1t falls. and the wailng of the Christian
host At IFS disappearance browns the
huZZah of the victorious Moslens. But
that standard of the cross only seemed to
fall. 1t rides the sky to-day II triumph.
Five hundred million souls, the mightiest
army of the ages, are following It, and
where that goes they will go, across the
earth and up the mighty sleeps of the
heavens. In the twelfth century it
seemed to go down, but il the nineteenth
century it Is the mightlest symbol OF
glory and triumph, and means more
than any other standard whether in
scribed with eagle, or lion, or bear, or
star, Or crescent. That which Saladin
trampled on the plain OF Esdrnelon lift
to-day for your mRrshalling. The cross!
The cross! The foot of it planted in the
earth it saves, the top OF it pointing to
1he heavens to which it will take you,
and the ouispread beam of it like out
stretched arms of invitation to oil ma
lions. Kneel at It's foot. Lift your eye
10 its victim. Swear eternal allegiance
to its power. And SIS that mighty SYM
Dol of pain and triumph is kept before
US. we will realize how insignificant are
the little crosses we are called to bear
and will more cheerfully carry them.
Must Jesus bear the cross alone
And all the world go free?
No, there 8 . cross for every one
And there's e cross for me.
As / fall asleep Tonight on my pillow
in the tent on the plain of Esdraesou
reaching from the Mediterranean
to the Jordan, the waters Of
the river Kishon soothing me as
by lullaby, / hear the gathering
of the hosts for the last battle or ali the
earth. And by their representatives
America is here and Europe is here, and
Asia is here and Africa Is here and Gil
heaven is here and all he'll Is here, and
Apollyon on the black horse leads the
armies of darkness, and Jesus on the
white horse leads the armies of light,
and hear the roll Of the drums and the
clear call of the clariOns, and the :hun-
der of the cannonades. And then l hear
the wild rush as OF millions Of troops
In retreat, and then the shout of victory
as from fourteen hundred million
throats, and then song as though all
the armies of earth and heaven were
joining it, clapping oymbals beating the
tirs-''The kingdoms of this world ara
become the Kingdoms of our Lord aud OF
His Christ, and He shall reign forever
and ever''
Can at GAZETTE business oftice -aRaseE311,
his papers pIe.ninI9 ~ 8 This
{ 6siy ~. NJ with the Sunday dkzKTTs only sE1;
with the Daily GAzRTTE only Ss0.