The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-07-27

| 'a''t''t aVt thEt-t ~Hktf ike inc nItk-
name that the English soldiers gave 10 Blu.
cher. the commander. They called him "Oid
| Forwards" We have had enough retreats In
the church OF Christ let us have n glorious
advance. And | say TO you now as the
general said when histroops were nffrighted
Rising up In his stirrups, his hair hying In
the wind, he lifted hts voice dntii 20 900
troops heard him, crying out, Forward, the
whole line -
Again. I learn from this subject that we
sometimes do well TO take advantage OF the
worlds sharpening instruments. These
lsraelites were reduced TO file, and 40 they
went over TO the garrison of the Philistines
TO get their axes, and their goads. and their
plows sharpsned. The Bible distinctly states
In the context that they had no other instru-
ments now with which to do this work and
the Israelites did right when they went over
TO the Philistines to use their grindstones
My friends. Is II not right for us TO employ
the worlds grindstones? II there be art. II
there be logic, II there be business faculty on
the other side. let us go over and employ IL
for Christ's sake
The fact Is we fight with too dull weapons.
and we work with too duh implements. We
hack and we maui when we ought to mako n
clean stroke. Let us GO over among sharp
business men and among sharp literary men
and find out what their tasto IL, and then
transfer II TO the cause OF Christ. III they
have science and art, II will do US good 20
ploy the worlds grindstones. We will listen
to their music. and we will watch their acu-
mon, and we will use their grindstones and
we will borrow their philosophical apparatus
TO make our experiments, and we will bor-
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 to transport our
missionaries
That was what made Paul such n master IN
his day He not only got all the learning ne
could got OF DIR. Gamaliel. but nfterward
standing on Mars hill and In crowded thor
oughfares quoted their poetry and grasped
their logic and welded their eloquence and
employed their mythology until Dionysius
the Areopagite, learned in tho schools ot
Athens aud Heliopolis, went down under his
tremendous powers.
That was what gave Thomas Chalmers his
power In his day. lie conquered the worlds
astronomy ani compelled II to ring out the
wisdom and greatness OF the Lord. until for
the second time the morning stars sang to-
gcther, and all the sons OF God shouted for
Joy. That was what gave to Jonathan Ed
wards his influence in hts day. lie con-
quere1 tho world : metaphysics and forced II
into the service OF God. until 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
NuTlhllHn UstluinfNs. DO nov let tnom lose
their edges. We want no rusty blades IN
this fight We want no colter that cannot
rip up the globe. We want no AK that can
not fell the trees. We want no gond that
cannot start the lazy team. Lot us get the
very best grindstones we can find, though
they be In the possession OF the PhilistiDes.
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 mp 10 bright
keen, sharp. glittering edge.
Again, my subject teaches US o" what u
small allowance Philistine inlquity puts n
man. Yes, these Philistines shut up the
mines, and then they took the spenrs and tho
swords, then they took the blacksmiths. then
they took the grindstones. and they took
everything but file. oh, that Is the wav sin
works. II grabs everything. II begins with
robbery. and II ends with robbery. II de-
spoils this faculty and that faculty and keeps
on until the whole nature Is gone. Was the
man eloquent before, It generally thickens
his tongue. Was he fine In personal appear
ance, II mars his visage. Was he affiuent. II
sends the sheriff to sell him out. Was he in
iiuential. II destroys his popularity. Was he
placid and genial and loving, IL makes him
sPienetic and cross. and so utterly Is he
changed that you can see he Is sarcastic and
rasping and that the Philistlnes have left him
nothing but a file.
Oh, 'the way of the trnnsgressor Is hard
His cup Is bitter. His night Is dark. His
pangs are deep. His end is terrific. Philis.
tine iniquity says to that man. Now. sur
render to me, and will give YOU all YOU
want-music for the dance. swift steeds
for the race, imperial couch 10 slum-
ber on and you shall be refreshed with the
rarest fruits In baskets OF golden iiligree"
He lies. The music turns out to be groan
The fruits burst the rmd with rank poison
The nligrec Is made up OF twisted snakes
Rnliph Ia "a uNa Anann MI q
rest. small allowance OF peace, small allow
ance OF comfort. Cold, hard, rough moth
ing but n file. 30 IL was with Noltairc, the
most applauded man OF his day
The Scripture was his Iestbplk whence he drew
BonmOts tO gall the Christian and the jew:
An inndel wnen wei but what when sick'
on thena text would touch him Ia the quick.
Seized with hemorrhago OF the lungs in
Paris, where he had gone to he crowned In
the theater ~ an idol OF all France. he sends
"A 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 80 dismal that the
nurse declares that she would not for all the
wealth OF Europe see another infldcl die
Philistine iniquity had promised him all the
worlds garands, but In the last hour OF his
life, when he needed sOacng. sent tearing
across his conscience and his nerves iilc a
tle
SO It was with Lord Byron. his uncleanness
In England only surpassed by his unclean-
ness In Venice, then going on to his brilliant
misery at Missolonghi, and fretting at his
nurse, Fletcher, irotting at himself, fretting
at the world, fretting AT God, and he who
gave to the world "Childe Harold" and
''Sardanapalus. and THE Prisoner OF
Chillon.' and "The Siege of Corinth," re-
duced TO nothing but a file
Oh, sin has great facility for making prom
ises but II has just as great facility for
breaking them. A Christian life is the only
cheerful life. while a life OF wicked surrender
Ia remorse, ruin and death. Its painted glee
Is sepulchral gh,stliness. In the brightest
days OF the Mexican Empire Montezumn
said he felt knawing at his heart something
like canker. Sin, like monster wild
beast of the forest, sometimes lcks all over
Its victim In order that the victim may be
more easily swallowed; but generally sin
rasps and gals and tears and upbraids aud
hles. Is II not so, Herod2 Is II not so, Hill
debrandI Is II not so, RobesperreG Aye
aye II is SO IL is so. ''rhe way OF the
wicked He turneth upside down"
History tells US that when Rome was
founded, on that day there were ~ yultures
flying through the air. but when trans