Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1893-08-04


whole line ~
Again. learn from this subject that We
sometimes DO we'll 10 take advantage Of the
worlds sharpening instrume nts. These
Israelites were reduced 10 IA file. and so they
went over to the garrison OF the Philistines
to get their axes. and their goads. and their
plows sharpcned. The Bible distinctly states
In the context that they had no other instru-
ments now with which 10 do this work. and
the IsraelitoS did right when they went over
to the Philstines 20 use their grindstones.
My friends. is It no. right for us 10 employ
the worlds grindstones? II there be art. II
there La logic, IL there be business faculty on
the other side. let usgo over and employ II
for ChriSt's sake
The fact is we fight with too dull weapons
and we work with too dull implements. We
hack and we maui when we ought to make
clean stroke. Let US 70 over among sharp
business men AMI among sharp literary men
and find out what their taste is. AMI then
transfer II TO the cause OF Christ II they
have science and art. 1t will do US good to
rub against it, In other words, let US en-
ploy the worlds grindstOnes We will listen
10 their music, AMI We will watch their a"u-
men, and we will use their GriDdstOnes, AMI
we will borrow their philosophical apparatus
to make our experiments and we will hor-
row their printing Presses to publish our
Bibles, and We will borrow their rail trains
to carry our Christian literature, and We
will borrow their ships 10 transport our
missionaries.
That was what made Paul such master In
his day. He not only got All the learning he
could get of DR.. Gamaliel, but afterward
standing on Mars hill and in crowded thor
Oughiares quoted their poetry and grasped
sheir logic and welded their eloquence and
employed their mythology until Dionysius.
the Areopagite learned in the schools OF
II,li,y,1{a 4
tremendous powers.
That was what gave Thomas Chalmers his
power in his day He conquered the worlds
astronomy and compelled 1t TO ring out the
wisdom and greatness OF the Lord, until for
the second time the morning stars sang to-
gether, and all the sons OF God shouted for
JOY. That was what gave 10 Jonathan Ed
wards his influence In his day. He con-
querel the worlds metaphysics and forced it
Into the service Of God, unit! not only the
old meeting house in Northampton. Mass.
but all Christendom, felt thrilled by his
Christian power.
Well. now. my friends. we all have tools OF
Christian usefulness. Do not let them lose
their edges. We want no rusty blades in
this fight. We want no Golfer that cannot
rip up the glebe. We want no AK that can
not fell the trees We want no goad that
cannot start the lazy team. Let US get the
very best grintstOnta We can lind, though
they be in the possession OF the Philistines,
compelling them to turn the crank, while we
bear down with all our might on the swift
revolving wheel until all our energies and
faculties shall be brought up to a bright
keen. sharp, glitterinS edge.
Again. my subject teaches us on what
small allowance Phiistine iniquity puts "a
man. Yes, these Philistines shut up the
mines, and then they took the spears and the
swords, then they took the blacksmiths, then
they took the grindstOnes. ana they took
everything but file. Oh that is the wav ain
works. Ii grabs everything. 1t begins with
robbery, and 1t ends with robbery. Ii de-
spoil- this faculty and that faculty and keeps
on until the whole nature is gone. Was the
mau eloquent before. II generally thickcns
his tongue. Was he fine in personal appear
ance. it mars his vlsAge. Was he afiiucnt, It
sends the sheriff to sell him out Was he iu-
tiuential, It destroys his popularity. Was he
placid and genial and loving, It makes him
splenetic and cross, and 30 utterly is he
changed that you can Sc" he IS sarcastic and
rasping and that the Philistines have left him
nothing but a file.
Oh. "the way OF the transgrcssor is hard
His cup is bitter. His might is dark. His
pangs are deep His end il terrible. Philis-
tine iniquity says TO that man, Now, sur
render to me, and will give you all you
want-music FOR the dance swift stecds
for the race, imperial couch to slum-
Der on, and you shall be refreshed with the
rartst fruits in baskets Of golden hligrec.'
He lies. The music turns out to be u groan.
The fruits burst the rind with rank poison.
The nligree Is made up Of twisted snakes.
The couch is grave. Small allowance OF
rest, small allowance of peace, small allow
ancc OF comfort. Cold, hard, rough-noth-
ing but file. SO it was with Noltairc, the
most applauded man OF his day
The Scripture was hls jestbook whence he drew
Bonmots Ia gall the Christian and the Jew;
An nhde when wei, but what when sick'
Oh, then a text would touch him 10 the quick.
Seized with hemorrhage OF the lungs in
Paris where he hat gone to be crowned in
the theater rs an idol of all France. he sends
messenger TO get priest that he may be
reconciled to the church before he dies A
great terror falls upon him. He makes the
place all round about him 50 dismal that the
nurse declares that she would not for all the
wealth OF Europe see another inhdel die
PhilIstine iniquity had promised him all the
worlds garands. but in the last hour OF his
life, when he needed soacing sent tearing
across his conscience and his nerves a flle a
file.
so it was with Lord Byron, his uncleanness
In England only surpassed by his uncean-
ness In Venice, then going on to his brilliant
misery at Missolonghi, and fretting at his
nurse, Fletcher frettinS at himself, fretting
at the world fretting at God, and he who
gave to the world "Childe Harold" and
hSardanapalus, and THE Prisoner OF
| Chillon," and "The Siege Of Corinth," re-
duced TO nothing but tle
Oh sin has great facility for making prom
ises, but 1t has just rs great facility for
| breaking them. Christian life Is the only
, cheerful life, while a life of wicked surrender
is remorse, ruin and death. Its painted glee
! is sepulchral ghastliness. In the brightest
! days OF the Mexican Empire Montezuma
| said he felt knawing at his heart something
| like a canker. SIN, like a monster wild
! beast OF the forest, sometimes licks all over
| its victim In order that the victim may be
more easily swallowed but generally sin
rasps and gals and tears and upbraids and
| flies. Is II not 80, Herod? Is 1t not so, Hill
debrand2 Is it not go, Rohespierre2 Aye!
aye it is 50; it is 80. THE way OF the
| wicked He turneth upside down"
History tells us that when Rome was
| founded, on that day there Were II yulturrs
| flying through the mir, but when a trans
| vressor dies the .eS Is black with whole
| flocks Of them. Lltures When | See sin
| robbing so many people, and see them go
! ing down day by day and week by week. l
| must give "A plain warning. | dare not keep
| ii back lest risk the salvation Of my own
soul. Rover, the pirate, pulled down the
| warning bell on Inchcape rock. thinking that
| he would have "a chance to despoil vessels
| that were crushed on the rocks, but one
night his own ship crashed down on this
| very rock, and he went down with all his
cargo. God declares, "When | say to the
wicked thou shalt surely die, and thou
givest him not warning, that same man shall
! die in his iniquity, hut his blood will re-
| Quire at thy hands.
learn from this subject what sad thing
1t is when the church OF God loses its metal
| These Philistnes saw that If they could only
| get all the metallic weapons out OF the hands
| OF the lsraelites all would be we'll, and there
| fore they took the swords and the spears.
| They did not want them to have a single me
tallic weapon. when the metal OF the Is
raelites was gone, their strength WAS gone.
| This Is the trouble withth church OF God to-
day. 1t ia surrendering its courage. 1t has
| not got enough metal. How dom II Is that
i Ii