Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1892-06-24
REV. DR.. TAlMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIV MES SUN
DAY SERMON.
SUBJECT: RAW RECRUITS.

a
other churches who are putting on the armor
OF God, and who may feel themselves to be
as yet only raw recruits. "Masterly re-
treat is term Oftel ussl in military cir
cles, but in religion there is no such thing.
1t is either glorious advance or disgraceful
andignominious falling back. 1t would be
a strange thing il all our anxiety about men
ceased the moment they were converted.
You would almost doubt the sanity OF that
farmer who, having planted the corn and
seen it just sprout above ground, should say
"My work is all done. | have no more
anxiety for the field" No. There is work
for the plow and the hoa AMI there must
be careful keeping up Of the fences and
there must be IA frightening away of the
birds that would plllagc the field. And
say the entrance upon Chri stiau life is only
the implantatlon OF grace in the heart.
There Is earnest hard work yet to be done
and perhaps many years of anxiety before
there shall be heard the glorious shout of
"Harvest home
The beginning 10 be a Christian IS uuly
putting down the fo 1ndaton; but after that
there are years OF hammeriug POLISHING,
carving, lifting before the structure is com.
pleted. IL takes five years to make Chris
tian character; it takes twenty year., it
takes forty yeaIs, it takes seventy years, il
man shall live so long. In other words, a
man dying after half a century of Christian
experience feels that he has only learned tho
"A b C's' Of the glorious alphabet. The
neXt year will decide n great deal in your
history, young Christian man. 1t will de.
eide whether you are to be a burning and
shining light OF the church, or a spark OF
grace covered up in barrel of
ashes. 1t will decide whether you are to bo
. strong man in Christ Jesus with gigantic
blows striking the iron mail Of darkness, or
hn.i i,yn rr.Ll tybtuDIpr yrttp,llinry SAl,ii.r
that ought TO be drummel out OF the Lords
camp with the "Rosues' March, You have
only just been launched; the voyage Is TO be
made. Earth and heaven ant hell are
watching to see how fast you will SAIL how
we'll YOU will weather tao trmotest, and
whether at last, amid the shouting of an gels,
you shall com" into the right harbor May
Goi help me this morning to give you three
or four words Of Christian counsel as | al
dress myself more especially to those who
have just now entered the Christian life
Ny first word OF counsel is hold before
your soul very high nolel Do not say,
"a wish could pray like that man, or speak
like this MAN, or have the conservation OF
this one" Say: "Hcre is the Lorl Jesus
/ Christ, perfect pattern. By that | mean,
with Gods grace, to shape all my lie" In
other woids, you will never be any more a
Christian than you strive to be. II you
.
will only have small house. Ii you build
foundation one hundred by one hun ired
feet you will have II large house Ii You re-.
( solve to be only middlins Christian you
will only be "A m!ddling Christian. IL you
ba~e no high aSl'i"~s'e.- =. - --~-lIir A. -
ton you will never su coed in business. Ii
you have 10 high aspiration in religious
things you will never succeed in religion.
You have Il right to aspire to the very
highest style OF Christian character.
From your feet there reaches out path
| Of Christian attainment which you may
take, and | deliberately say that you may
be a better man than was Paul or David
or Summerhald or Doidridge-a better
woman than Hannah Moro or Charlotte
Elizabeth. Why notH Did they have a
monopoly of Christian grace? Did they
have a private key to the storchouse OF
Gods mercy Does Col shut you out
from the gladness AMI goo iness TO which
they were introducely Oh, no. You
have just the same promises, just the
ame Christ Just the same Holy Ghost,
Just the same offers OF present and ever
lasting love, and ii you fall short OF what
they were-aye, II YOU do not come up &C
the point which they reached and 30 beyond
lit is not because Christ mas shut you out
from any point of moral and spiritual eleva
ton, but because you deliberately refused &c
take it. almit that man cannot become
Christian like that without n struggle; bu'
what do you get without fighting for 1t
The fortresSes OF darkness aret be taken bl
storm. You may by acute strategy tianl
the hosts of temptation, but there are temp
tations, there are evils in the way that yo'
will have to meet face to face, and 1t will b.
shot for shot, gun for gun, grip for grip
slaughter for slaughter Tho aposu
Paul over and over again represents IN
Christian life as a combat.
When the war vessel OF Christs churc
comes iuto glory bringing its crew and 1t
passengers it will not come i'll like Mort
River yacht, beautifully painted and adorned
swinging into the boathouse after pleaSur
excursion. Oh no; it will be like vesst
coming with heavy cargo from emma o
India, the marks OF the wave ana the hurT
cano upon it--sails rent, rigging sphce'
pumps all working to keep her atoat, bu
warks knocked away. l see such "A vess
coming and get out my small boat ana pus
toward her, and l shout: "Ahoy, captain
What are you going to do with those snl
cred timbers? That was beautiful sh
8 when you went out but you have RUNE
= ~ HOh," SAYS the captain, II have fir
cargo on board, and by this round trip
@ have made ter fortunes"
So believe II will be when the Christia
soul at last comes into the harbor of heaveI
!. 1t will come bearing upon 1t the marks OF
great stress of weather. You can see by q
q very looks of that soul rs it comes into glor
T.. that it was driven by storm and dasht
In the hurricane, but by SO much rs the vo
n age Is rough, will the harbor be blessed. :"
n We suffered with Him on earth, ye shall |
glorfiei with Him in heaven" Aim hlgl
n Do not be satisfied to be like the Christian
all around you. Be more than they have eV
been for Christ
# NV second word OF counsel to those wi
have recently entered upon Christian lie
Il Abstain from all pernicious associations, al
: take only those that are useful aud bene
cent. Stay out of all associations tn
It would damage your Christian characte
u Take only those associations that Will he
~ YOU. A learned man said, "lt stay WI
/. that man Feneon any longer shall get
be a Christian in spite of myself" In 9th
/ words there is mighty power In Chrlst
:. associations. Now what kind OF assocI
tions shall we, as young Christians, SCI
80 AfterY think We ought to get INTO co
n. pany better than ourselves, never goU
INTO company worse than ourselv'
2 II we get into company nt
better than ourselves and the
l. are ten people in that company, tea chanc
r. To one we will be bettered. IL we get IN
company n little worse than ourselves, a
IN there be ten people in that company, t
q chances to one we will bn made worse tn
we were before.
~ 90 not pretend to point out any evil
II. auencas, but are ther5 not some surrout
=, ing influences that ara pernicious to yc
u growth in gracaH Stanl back from that I
nnce in which so many young Christie
have been destroyed. In this church TIT
.. is a large company OF young men and you
y women consecratel to Christ. | know
le no better than they are.
m Young convert | invite you into I'll
'h friendship. Contact with them Will eIev
N you. All hail, young followers OF Je
Christ, my Joy and my prilcl My, he
r thrills at every step OF your advanceme
~ talked with you in that hour when J
,, most trlod TO break from sin, and now
i. iolce as see you putting on the armor ol
. conflict In which God will give you pres