Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-08-08

y
be able to get some idea of the terror
that will IT. Ike the hearts Of the enemies
of God wi a the church at last marches
on like ian army with banners"
You know there is nothing that ex-
cites soldiers enthusiasm so much as
an old flag. Many a mrn almost dead,
catching glimpse of the national en-
sign, has sprung to hia feet and started
again into the battle. Now. my friends,
I don't want you to think Of the church
of Jesus Christ as a defeated institu-
ton. as tae victim of iniidel sarcasm
some hing to be kicked and cuffed and
tralnpled on through all the ages of the
world. 1t is IAN army with banners"
1t has an inscription and colors sach as
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, 1.-THE gates of hell shall
not prevail against u.s." Our banner Of
triumph, and on it is inscribed, "Vic-
tory 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 u 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 wickednes8 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 anI over frozen
mountain tops, until the whole earth
surrenders to God! 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 bo
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 chaff III 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 Il arch 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 10
meet it, and Spanish superstition shall
be overcome, and French infidelity shall
be conquered, and over the Alps, with
more than Hannibalis courage, shall
march that army with banners, and up
through the SHOWS of Russia, vaster il,
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 that
the birds flying through the air dropped
as though they were dead. Oh, what
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 a 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 oh! the greater Joy when
the army with banners shall come up to
the gates of our king!
1t will be choir to choir, music to
music, hosanna to hosanna, halleluiah
to halleluiah. Lift up your heads, We
everlasting gates, and let them come in.
Then will be spread the banquet of eter-
nal victory, and the unfallen ones of
heaven will sit at it, and all the ran
somed of earth will come in and cele-
brate the jubilee with unfading gar
lands on their brows telling of earthly
conquests.
All the walls of that celestial mansion
will be a-glitter with shields won in vic
torious battle and adorned with the
banners of God that We're carried in
front of the host. Harp shall tell to
harp the heroism in which the conquer
ors won their palm, and the church that
day will sit queen at the banquet. Her
wanderings over, her victories gaiaed,
Christ shall rise up to introduce her to
all the nations of heaven, and as she
pulls aside her veil and looks upinto the
face of her Lord the king, Christ shall
Ii. ..nNl
as the morning, fair as the moon, clear
aS tha SIM and tar,ibla Nc -, ...,,.x, x.,stl,