The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1892-08-19
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
The March Of the Church from
Conquering to Conquer.
The World Is stiu Behind 1t, and Can
Not Overtake It Until ~ Has Put on
the Armor of Christ and
righteousness.

Rev. It. Dewitt Talmage's sermon Sc
1ected for his American readers this
week is entitled: 1.-THE Glorious March,"
the text being:
Fair as the moon. clear ss tho sun, and tori
bic as an army with banners.-solomon's Song,
vi. 10.
The fragrance of the spilkenard, the
fash of jewels, the fruitfulness of or
chards, the luxurlance of gardens, the
beauty of Heshbon fish pools, the dew
of the night, and the splendor of the
morning-an contribute to the richness
of Solomon's style when he comes to
speak of the glory of the church. In
contrast with his eulogium of the
church, look at the denunciatory
things that are said in our day in re-
gard 10 it. If one stakeholder become
n cheat, does that destroy the whole
company? If one soldier be coward,
does that condemn the whole army?
And yet there are many in this day so
unphilosophic, SO illogical, SO dishonest
and so unfair as to denounce the en-
tire church of God because there are
here and there bad men belonging to it.
There are those who say that the
church of God is not up to the spirit of
the day in which we live; but have TO
tell you that, Notwithstanding all the
swift wheels, and the flying shuttles,
and the lightning communications, the
world has never yet been able to keep
up with the church AS high as God is
above man, so high is the church of
God-higher than all human institu-
tions. From her lamp the best discov-
cries of the world have been lighted.
The best Of our inventors have believed
in the Christian religion-the Fultons,
the Morses, the Whitneys, the Perrys
and the Livingstones. She has owned
the best of the telescopes and Leyden
jars, and while infidelity and atheisn
have gone blindfolded among the most
startling discoveries that were about TO
be developed, the earth and the ai= and
che sea have made quick and magnifi-
cent responses to Christian philoso-
pliers.
The world will not be up to the
church of Christ until the day when all
merchandise has become honest mer-
chandise, and all governments have be-
come free governments, and all nations
evangelical nations, and the last deaf
ear of spiritual death shall be broken
open by the million-voiced shout of ma
tions born in a day. The church that
Acknowledgement tried to burn in the
furnace, and Darius to tear to pieces
with the lions, and Lord Claverhouse
10 cut with the sword, has gone on,
wading the floods and enduring the
fire, until the deepest barbarism, and
the tiercest cruelties, and the blacklist
superstitions have been compelled to
look to the east, crying: "Who is she
that lOoketh forth as the morning, fair
as the moon, clear as the sun, and ter
rible as an army with banners?'
Yet there are people who are ashamed
to belong to the church of Christ, and
if you ask them whether they are in
such associations they say: Eyes, /
sometimes attend the church, instead
of realizing the fact that there is no
honor compared with the honor of be-
ing a member of the church of God.
look back with JOY to the most honored
moment of my life when, in the old
country meeting house, the minister of
Christ announced my name as fol-
lower of the Lord.
You who are floating about in the
world seeking for better associations,
why do you not join yourself to some of
the churches? An old sea captain was
riding in the cars toward Philadelphia,
and a young man sat down beside him.
lie said: Young man, where are you
going?" 81 am going to Philadelphia
to live" replied the young man. Have
you letters of introduction" asked the
old captain. ''Yes," said the young
man, and he pulled some of them out.
We'll" said the old sea captain,
haven't you a church certificate?"
'Oh, yes" replied the young man; IT
didn't suppose you would want to look at
that" Eyes" said the sea captain, 'T
want to look at that. As soon as you get
to Philadelphia present it to some Chris
tian church. l am an old sailor, and
have been up and down in the world,
and IT'S my rule as soon as I get into
port to fasten my ship fore and aft to
tae wharf, although it may cost little
wharfage, rather than have my ship
out in the stream floating hither and
thither with the tide
O. men and women, by the tides of
frivolity and worldliness swept this
way and swept that way. seeking for
associations and for satisfactions for
the immortal soul, come into the church
of Jesus Christ Lash fast to her. She
Is pillar and the ground of truth. I
propose to speak of the threefold glory
of the church, as it is described in the
text:
First, Fair as the moon" God, who
has determined that everything shall
be beautiful in its season, has not left
night without charm. The moon rules
the night The stars are only set as
gems in her tiara. Sometimes before
the sun has gone down the moon
mounts her throne, but it is after
nightfall that she sways her undis-
puted scepter over island and contin-
ent, river and sea- Under her shining
the plaiuest maple leaves become shiv-
ering silver. the lakes from shore to
shore look like shining mirrors, and
the ocean under her glance with great
tides comes up painting upon the beach,
mingling, as it were, foam and fire.
Under the witchery of the moon, the
awfu sleeps lose their ruggedness, and
the chasns their terror. The poor man
blesses God for throwing so cheap a
light through the broken window-pane
of his cabin, and to the sick it seems
like a light from the other shore that
bounds this great deep Of human pain
and woe If the sun be like song, full
and loud and poured forth from brazen
instruments that I'LL Heaven and earth
Al