The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-08-25
o., tho 1on, birds haak nonnding the bark,

down to paint the lily white and the DutGer
CUP yellow and the forgetmenot blue.
What can resist the sun? Light for voy
ager on the Deep light for shepherds guard
ing the locks afield, light for the poor whit
have no lamps to burn, light for the down
cast and the weary, light for aching eyes
and burning brain and consuming captive,
light for the smooth brow of childhood anc
the dim vision of the octogenarian, light foI
the queens coronet and sewing glrPS ne9aie'
''Let there be light"
Now. saws my text, ''Who is she that
iooketh forth clear as the sum- Our answer
is. the church. You have been gong along
a road before daybreak, and on one side
you thought you saw lion, and on the
other side you thought you saw goblin OF
the darkness, but when the sun came OUT
YOU found these were harmless apparitions.
And it is the great mission of the church OF
Jesus Christ to come forth clear as the
sun" to ilumine all earthly darkness, to ex'
plain. as far as possible, all mystery. and to
make the world radiant in its brightness;
and that which you thought was an aroused
lion is found out to be siumbering lamb;
and the sepulchral gates OF your dead turn
out to be the opening gates OF heaven; ana
that which you supposed was flaming
sword to keep you out OF paradise Is an anger
! of light to becSon you in.
The lamps on her affairs will cast their
glow on your darkest pathway and cheer
| YOU unUlI, far beyond the need or lantern or
! lighthouse you are safely anchored within
| the veil Oh, sun OF the cnurc., sine Oh
| until there is no sorrow to Soothe, no tears TO
! wine away no shackles to break, no more
| souls to be redeemed! Ten thousand hands
of sin have attempted to extingulsh the
lamps on her alt irs but they are quenchleSs,
and to silence her pulpts, but t1e thunder
would leap and the lightning would name.
The church of God will yet come to run
meridian, and in that day all the mountains
of the world will be sacred mountains,
touched with the glory of Calvary, and all
streams will flow by the mount OF COD IKE
cool Sloan. and all lakes be radia-t with
Gospel memories like Gennesaret, and all ISL
ands of the sea be crowned with apocalyptic
vision like Patmos, and all cities be sacred
as Jerusalem, and all gardens luxurious as
paradise, with God walking in the cool of
the day. Then the chorals of grace will
drown out all the anthems of earth. Then
the throne of Christ will overtop all earthly
authority. Then the crown Of Jesus will
outhame all other coronets. Sin destroyed.
Death dead. He'll defeated The church
triumphant. All the darknesses of sin, all
the darknesses of trouble, all the darknesses
of earthly mystery hieing themselves to
their dens. Clear as the sun! Clear as
the Sunw
Further, "Terrible as an army with ban
ners." Take one more step in this subject
andsay that if you were placed for the de-
Tense of a feeble town, and a great army
were seen coming over thu hills with flying
ensigns, then you would be able to get some
idea Of the terror that will strike the hearts
of the enemies of God when the church at
last marches on like IAN army with BAN
ners."
You know there is nothing that excites
soldiers enthusiasm so much as an old flag
Many man almostdeai, catching glimpse
of the national ensign has sprung to his feet
and started again into the battle. Now. my
friends, | don't want you to think of the
church of Jesus Christ defeated institu-
ton, as the victim OF intidel sarcasm-some-
thing to be kicked AMI cufed and trdmDlet
ON through all the ages Of the world. 1t is
IAN army with banners" 1t has an in-
scription and colors such as never stirred
the hearts of an earthly soldiery.
W Q have our banner of recruit, and on it
is inscribed, "Who is on the Lords side%
Our banner Of defiance, and on it is in
scribed, The gates of hell shall not prevail
against usp Our banner o. triumph, and
on it is inscribed Victory through our
Lord Jesus Chris5p and We mean to plant
that banner on every hilltop AMI wavs 1t at
the gate of heaven.
With Christ to lead us we need not fear.
l will not underrata the enemy. They are
tremendous host They come on with acutest
| strategy. Their weapons by all the inhab-
ltants of darkness have been forged i'll fur
naces of everlasting fire. We contend not
with flesh and blood, but with municipalities
and powers and spiritual wickednes5 in
! high places; but if God be for us who can be
against us? Come on, ye troops OF the Lord!
Fail into Incl Close up the ranks. On,
/ through burning sands and over frozen
mountain tops. until the whole earth sur
renders to Godl He made it; He redeemed
it; He shall have it. They shall not be
trampled with hoofs, they shall not be
cut with sabers, they shall not be crushed
with Wheels they shall not be cloveu with
battle axes, but the marching, and the onset,
and the victory will be none the less decisive
| for that
With Christ to lead us, and heaven to lool,
down upon u.s. and angels to guard us aud
martyr spirits to bend from their thrones,
and the voice of God to bid us forward into
the combat, our enemies shall fly like chaf
in the whirlwind, and all the towers of
heaven ring because the day is ours. | di-
vide this army with banners into two wings
the American wing and the European
wing. The American wing will march on
across the wilds of the west. over the table
lands, and come to the ocean, no more
stopped by the Pacific than the Israelites
were stopped by the Rel sea, marching on
until the remaining walls OF China will fall
before this army with banners, and cold ST.
IBERIA will be turned to the warm heart of
Christ, and over lofty Himalayan peaks
shall go this army with banners until it halts
at Palestine.
The European wing will march out to
meet il, and Spanish superstition shall be
overcome, and French lnfdelity shall be
conquered, and over the Alps, with more
than Hannibals courage, shall march that
army with banners, and up through the
SHOWS of Russia, vaster in multitude than
the hosts thai followed Napoleon into the
conflict. And Hungary and Poland, by the
blood of their patriots and by the blood of
| Christ, shall at last be free. And crossing
into Asia the law shall again be proclaimed
on Sinai, and Christ in the person OF His
ministers will again preach on Olivet and
| pray in Gethsemane and exhibit His love on
Calvary. And then the army will halt in
front of the other wing, the twain having
conquered all the earth for God
When the Prussan army came back from
their war they were received in 1866 at the
gates OF Berlin, and choir stood above the
gates, and as the first regiment advanced
ant came 20 the gates the choir. in music.
asked them what right they had to enter
there. And then the first regiment, in song.
| replied, telling over the stories OF their con-
hicts ana victories. Then they marched in.
anu ali the city was full of gladness and
triumph. But oh the great joy wnen the
army with banners shall come I'D to the