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


for God so hard that while you Stay the
sin the sword will adhere to your own
hand. | tell you, my friends, we want
a few John Knoxes and John Wesleys
in the Christian church today. The
whole tendency is to refine on Chris
tian work. We keep on refining it, I'M
til we send apologize word to iniquity
we are about to capture it. And we
must go with sword silver chased and
presented by the ladies, and we must
ride on white palfrey under embroid-
cred housings, putting the spurs in only
just enough to make the charger dance
gracefully, and then we must send a
missive, delicate as wedding card, to
ask the old black giant of sin if he will
not surrender.
THE WEAK AND SELFISH.
Women saved by the grace of God
and on glorious mission sent, detained
from Sabbath classes because their new
hat is not done. Churches that shook
our cities with great revivals sending
around to ask some demonstrative wor-
shipper if he will not please to say
"amen" and ''hallelujah" little softer.
1t seems as if in our churches we want
ed baptism of cologne and balm of a
thousand flowers, when we actually
need baptism of fire from the Lord
God of Pentecost. But we are so
afraid somebody will criticise our ser
mons, or criticise our prayers, or criti-
else our religious work that our anxiety
for the world redemption is lost in the
fear we will get our hand hurt, while
Eleazer went into the conflict, land
his hand clave unto the sword"
But see in the next place what a
hard thing it was for Eleazar to get his
hand and his sword parted. The mus
cles and the sinews had been so long
grasped around the sword he could not
drop it when he proposed to drop it,
and his three comrades, Isuppose, came
up and tried to help him, and they
bathed the back part of the hand,
hoping the sinews and muscles would
relax. But no. His hand clave unto
the sword" Then they tried to pull
open the fingers and to pull back the
thumb; but no sooner were they pulled
back than they closed again, land his
hand clave unto the sword" But after
a while 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 clave
unto the sword"
You and have seen it many time.
There are in the United States today
many aged ministers of the Gospel.
They are too feeble now to preach. In
the church records the word opposite
their name is emeritus" or the words
are, "a minister without charge" They
were an heroic race They had small
salaries and but few books, and they
swan spring freshets to meet their ap-
pointments. But they did in their day
a mighty work for God. They took off
more of the heads of Philistine iniquity
than you could count from noon to
shutdown. You put that old minister
of the Gospel now into a prayer meet
ing or occasional pulpit, or sickroom
where there is some one to be COM
forted, and it is the same old ring to
his voice and the same old story of
pardon and peace and Christ and heav-
en-. His hand has so long clutched the
sword in Christian conflict he cannot
drop it. His hand clave unto the
sword"
l had in my parish in Philadelphia
very aged man who, in his early life,
had been the companion and adviser of
the early presidents Madison and Mon
roe. He had welded vast influence,
1t only knew HIM as very aged
intn The most remarkable thing
about him was his ardor for Christ
When he could not stand up in the
meetings without propping he would
throw his arm around pillar of the
church, and though his mind was par
TALLY gone, his love for Christ was so
great that all were in deep respect and
profound admiration, and were moved
when he spoke. | was called to see
him die. entered the room and he
said, Mr. Taiinage, l cannot speak to
you now" He was in a very pleasant
delirium, as he imagined he had an
audience before him. He said, 81
must tell these people to come to Christ
and prepare for heaven" And then
in this pleasant delirium, both arms
lifted, this octogenarian preached Christ
and told of the glories of the world to
come There, lying on his dying pill
low, his dying hand clave to his sword.
THE SUBLIME LESSON OF JOSHUA.
Oh, if there ever was any one who
had right to -etire from the conflict ii
was old Joshua. Soldiers come back
from battle have the names of the bat,
ties on their flags, showing where they
distinguished themselves, and it is a
very appropriate inscription. Look at
the flag of old General Joshua. On it,
Jericho, Gideon, Hazar, City of All,
and instead of the stars sprinkled on
the flag, the sun and the moon which
stood still. There he is, a hundred and
ten years old. He is lying fiat on his
buck, but he is preaching. His dying
words are a battle charge against idol
airy, and a 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 fulfil his promise
concerning Israel" His dying hand
clave unto the sword
There is the lieadless body of Paul
on the road to Ostea. His great brain
and his great heart have been severed.
The elmwood rods had stung him fear
fully. 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 hin
in the suburbs of Damascus, as the
supernatural light fell down to thi.
day when he is sixty eight years of age
and old and decrepit from the prison
cell of the Mamertine. he has been out