Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-08

Then the tarcne of Ck-sst vii oeert0p
al sssE tAls authority. Ihea the erowa
Of Jesus vii oGtAa1le al other eoronsts.
Sin DESTROYED DHAfa dead Hell de
fea6ed. TIE church triumphant. al
the ds-knssssss q sia, al tae darkaesses
If trouble. al the darknesses Of earthly
mystery hssing themselves TO their
dens. Clear a. the san. Clear a. he
snnf'
Further. Terrible as an army with
h-nnsrs.v l take one more step IN this
subject and say that if you were placed
for the oefsnse OF feeble town. and
great army were seen coming over the
hills with flying ehsigns, then you would
be anle 20 Get some idea Of the terror
thar viii strike the hearts of the enemies
Of God when the church ar last marches
on like I'm army with banners"
You know there Is nothing that ex-
cites a soldiers enthusiasm so much as
an old flag. Many a man almost dead,
catching glimpse of the national en-
sign. has sprung 10 his feet and started
again into the battle. Now. my friends,
| don't want you 10 think Of the church
OF Jesus Christ as defeated institu-
ton, as the victim of iniidel sarcasm
some hing to be kicked and cuffed and
trampled on through all the ages Of the
world. 1t is IAN army with banners"
II has an inscription and colors such Is
never stirred the hearts Of an earthly
soldiery.
We have our banner of recruit, and
on it is inscribed, WHO is on the Lords
side?" Our banner of defiance. and on
it is inscribed, the gates Of hell shall
not prevail against u.s." Our banner of
triumph. and ON it is inscribed. ''Vic-
cory through our Lord Jesus Christi"
and we mean TO plant that banner on
every hilltop and wave it at the gate OF
heaven.
With Christ to lead us we need not
fear. will not underrate the enemy.
They are tremendous host. They come
on with acutest strategy. Their weapons
by all the inhabitants Of darkness have
been forged In furnaces Of everlasting
fire. We contend not with flesh and
blood, but with principalities and powers
and spiritual wickedness in high places;
but if God be for US who can be against
us? Come on. ye troops Of the Lord!
Fall into line! Close up the ranks! On,
through burning sands and over frozen
mountain tops, until the whole earth
surrenders to Godl He made it; he re-
deemed 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-
cloven with battle axes, but the march
ing, and the onset, and the victory will
be none the less decisive for that.
With Christ to lead us, and heaven to
look down upon us, and angels to guard
us, and martyr spirits to bend from their
thrones, and the voice of God to bid us
forward into the combat, our enemies
shall fly like chat in the whirlwind.
and all the towers Of heaven ring be-
cause the day is ours. divide 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 Red sea, marching
on until the remaining walls of China
will fall before this army with banners.
and cold Siberia 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 it, and Spanish superstition shall
be overcome, and French infidelity shall
be conquered, and over the Alps, with
more than Hannibal's courage, shall
march that army with banners, and MP
through the SHOWS of Russia, vaster in
multitude than the hosts that followed
Napoleon into the conflict. And Hun
gary 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.
SHOUT OF TRIUMPH
History tells us that one day the
armies Of Xerxes shouted all at once.
and the vociferation was so mighty tina.
the birds flying through the air dropped
as though they were dead. Oh, what a
shout of triumph when all the armies Of
earth and all the armies Of heaven shall
celebrate the victory Of our king-all at
once and all together: ''Halleluiah! for
the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Halleluiah! for the kingdoms of this
world have become the kingdoms Of our
Lord Jesus Christ"
When the Prussian army came back
from their war they were received in
1865 at the gates of Berlin, and choir
stood above the gates, and as the first
regiment advanced and came to 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 conflicts
and victories. Then they marched in
and all the city was full of gladness and
triumph. But OIL the greater JOY when
the army with banners shall come up to
the gates of our king!
music. hosanna to hosanna. balleluiah
to hslleluiaA. Lift mp your heads, ye
everlasting gates. and let them come in.
Then will be spread the banquet of eter-
nal x,c4r~y at1 h. ,,~faila,, o,,ae Of