The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-10-16

pie in this day. If you have mind to
adopt such theory will not, II be-
lieve in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, and in
Jesus Christ, and in the holy catholic
church. and in the communion of
saints, and in the life everlasting.
Amen" Oh, when see Eleazer tax
ing such stout grip of the sword in
the battle against sin and for right
eousness, came to the conclusion that
we ought to take stouter grip of
Gods eternal truth, the sword of right
eousness.
ABSOLUTE DEVOTION TO TRUTH.
As look at Eleazer's hand also
notice his spirit of self forgetfulness.
He did not notice that the hilt of the
sword was eating through the palm of
his hand. He did not know it hurt
him. AS he went out into the conflict
he was SO anxious for the victory he
forgot himself, and that hilt might go
never so deeply into the palm of his
hand, it could not disturb him. ellis
hand clave unto the sword" Oh, my
brothers and sisters, let us go into
Christian conflict with the spirit of self
abnegation. Who cares whether the
world praises us or denounces us2
What do we care for misrepresenta-
ton or abuse or persecution in a con-
flict like thisa Let us forget ourselves.
That man who is afraid of getting his
hand hurt will never kill a Philistine
Who cares whether you get hurt or
not if you get the victory9 Oh, how
many Christians there are who are all
the time worrying about the way the
world treats them. They are so tired,
and they are so abused, and they are
so tempted, when Eleazar did not think
whether he had hand or an arm or a
foot. All he wanted was victory.
We see how men forget themselves
in worldly achievement. We have
often seen men who in order to achieve
worldly success will forget all physical
fatigue and all annoyance and all OBJ
stacle. Just after the battle of York
town, in the American Revolution, a
musician, wounded, was told he must
have his limbs amputated, and they
were about to fasten him to the sur
geon's table-for it was long before the
merciful discovery of anasthetics He
said. mo, don't fasten me to that ta-
BILE; get me a violin" A violin was
brought to him and he said, Nov go
to work as l begin to play" and for
forty minutes during the awful pangs
of amputation he moved not a muscle
nor dropped a note, while he played
some sweet tune. Oh, is it not strange
that with the music of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, and with this grand
march of the church militant on the
way to become the church triumphant,
we cannot forget ourselves and forget
all pang, and all sorrow and all persecu-
ton and all perturbation2
We know what men accomplish un-
der worldly opposition. Men do not
shrink back for antagonism or for hard
ship. You have admired Prescott's
Conquest of Mexico" as brilliant and
beautiful history as was ever written !;
but some of you may not know under
what disadvantages it was written
that Conquest of Mexico"-for Pres
colt was totally blind, and he had two
pieces of wood parallel to each other
fastened, and totally blind, with his
pen between those pieces of wood, he
wrote, the stroke against one piece of
wood telling how far the pen must go
in one way, the stroke against the
other piece of wood telling how far the
pen must go in the other way. Oh,
how much men will endure for worldly
knowledge and for worldly success, and
yet how little we endure for Jesus
Christ. How many Christians there
are that go around saying, "Oh, my
hand. my hand, my hurt hand; don't
you see there is blood Oh the hand and
there is blood on the sword2" while
Eleazar, with the hilt imbedded in the
flesh of bis right hand, does not know it.
Must be carried to the skies
On fiowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize
Or sailed through bloody seas2
DEVOTED SUFFERERS FOR TRUTH.
What have we suffered in compari-
son with those who expired with suffo-
cation. or were burned or were chopped
to pieces for the truths sake2 We talk
of the persecution of olden times.
There is just us much persecution going
on now III various ways. In 1S49, in
Madagascar, eighteen men were put to
Heath for Christ's sake. They were to
be hurled over the rocks. and before
they were hurled over the rocks, In or.
der to make their death the more dread
full in anticipation, they were put in
baskets and swung to and fro over the
precipice that they might see how many
alred feet they wouIu have to be
,,sllcd down, and while they were
| ;winging in these baskets over the rocks
they sang:
| Jesus, lover of my soul.
| Let me to Thy bosom fly,
| While the pillows near me roll,
While the tempest still is high.
Then they were dashed down tt
death Oh. how much others have
endured for Christ, and how little We
endure for Christ We want to ride tc
heaven in Pullman sleeping car, oul
feet on soft plush. the bed made III
early so we can sleep all the way, the
black porter of death to wake us az
only in time to enter the golden city
We want all the surgeons to fix ou
hand up, Let them bring on all the
lint and banaages and all the salve
for our hand is hurt, while Eleazer doe
not know his hand is hurt. His hanc
clave unto the sword"
As look at Eleazar's hand. com,
to the conclusion that he has done
great deal of hard hitting. am no
surprised when | see that these fou
men Elcazar and his three companion
drove back the army of Phiiistines
that Eleazar's sword clave to his hand
4