Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1891-10-21

wanted baptism OF cologne and ba1m
of = thousand fower~ when we actu-
ally need . baptism of fire from the
Lord God OF Pcntecost But we are 40
afraid somebody will criticiso our SER
mons or criticise our prayers. or criti-
else our religious work. that our nnxi-
ETY. for the worlds redemption Is lost
In the fear we will get our md hurt.
while Eleaxar went into the conflict
''nnd his hand clavc unto the sword"
But I see in the next place what =
hard thing il was for Elcaxer TO get his
hand and his sword parted The muscles
and the sinews had been so long
grnspcd around the sword he could nos
drop IL when he proposed to drop Il. add
his three comrades, / suppose. came up
and tried TO help him. and they bathcsi
the back part of the hand. hoping the
sinews and muscles woulc relax. But
no. His hand clave to the sword"
Then they tried To pull open the fingers
and To pull back tho thumb. but no
sooner were they pulled back than they
closed again, land his hand clave unto
the sword" But after awhile they
were successful. and then they noticed
that the curve in the palm OF the hand
correspondent exactly with the curve Of
the hilt "His hand clayo unto thu
sword"
You and l have seen II many time.
There are in tho United States to-day
many aged ministers of the Gospel
They are too feeble now TO preach. In
the church records tho word opposite
their name is emeritus" or the words
are. "a minister without charge" They
were heroic race. They had small
salaries and but few books. and they
swan spring freshcts 10 meet their an.
pointmcnts, but they did in their day a
mighty work for God They took or
more of the heads of Philistine iniauity
than You could count from noon 10 sum
down. You put that old minister OF
the Gospel now into prayer meeting
or occasional pulpit or siclS-room
where there is some one to be comforts
ed, and IL is the same old ring 10 his
voice and the same old story of pardon
and peace and Christ and Heaven. His
hand has so long clutchcd the sword in
Christian conflict he can not drop It.
Ellis hand claye unto the sword"
had in my parish in Philadelphia n
very aged man who in his early life had
been the companion and adviser OF the
early presidents, Madison and Monroe.
He had welded vast influence, but
only knew him ms very aged man.
The most remarkable thing about him
was his ardor for Christ When ha
could not stand up in tho mcctingx
without propping, he would throw his
arm around pillar of the church, and
though his mind was partially gone,
his love of Christ was so great
that all were in deep respect
and profound admiration, snd wers
moved when he spoke. WINS called to
see him die. / entered tho room and
no said: MIR. Talmage, ! can not
speak to you now."- He was in n very
pleasant dclirium, as he imagined he
had an audience before him. He said,
II must tell these people TO some to
Christ and prepare for Heaven" And
then in this pleasant delirium, both
arms lifted. this octogenarian preached
Christ, and told the glories of the world
90 come. There, lying on his dying pill
low, his dying hand clavc to his sword
oh, IL there ever was any one who
had right to retire from the conflict IL
was old Joshua Soldiers come bacl
from battle have the names OF the bat.
ties on their flags, showing where they
distinguished themselves, and IL Is u
very appropriate inscription Look mt tho
flag of old Gen. Joshua On IL, Jericho,
Gideon, Ha2ar City of Al, and. instead
of the stars sprinl<led on the dag, the
sun and the moon which stood still.
There he is, ITO years old. He Is lying
Hat on his back, but he Is preaching
But his dying words are n battle- charge
against idolatry and rallying cry for
the Lord of Hosts, as he says: Behold,
this day go the way of all the earth,
and God hath not failed TO fulfll His
promise concerning Israel" His dying
hand clave unto the sword.
There Is n headless body of Paul on
the road to ostea His great brain and
his great heart have been severed The
elmwood rods had stung him fearfully.
When the corn ship broke up he swan
ashore, coming up drenched with the
brine. Every day since that day when
the horse reared under him in the
suburbs of Damascus, as the super
natural light fell, down to this day
when he is sixty-eight years OF age and
old and decrcpit from the prison cell of
the Manertine, he has been outrageous
ly treated, and he is waiting To die.
How does he spend his last hours?
Telling the world how badly he feels
and describing the rheumatism that he
got in prison, the rheumatism affiict-
ing his limbs, or the neuralgia piercing
his temples, or the thirst that fcvers
his tongue? oh, no. His last words
are the battle-shout for Christendom:
81 am now ready to be offered, and tho
time OF my departure is ut hand Ihave
fought the good fight" And so his dy-
ing hand clave unto his sword.
IL was in the front room on the SEQ
ond floor that my father lay dying
IL was Saturday morning o'clock
Just three years before that day my
mother had left him for the skies. and
he had been home-sick 90 join her com
pany lie was 50 years of age. Minis
ters of the Gospel came in To comfort
him. but he comforted them. How
wonderfully the words sounded out
from his dying pillow; ~ have been
young and now am old. yet have never
seen the righteous forsalScn, or his seed
begging bread" They bathed his WOW.
and they bathod his hands. ana they
bathed his feet and they succeeded in
strengthening out the feet; but they ala