The Baptist headlight., 1894-06-06


I'VE must win it. Everything de-
pends upon it. Let each one take q
man on point of spear or sword. we
must win IT." And | have to tell Won
that between us and coming into fbe
companlOnship of our loved ones who
| nave departed there is an Austerlitz.
| there is Gettysburg, there is q
Waterloo. War with world. war wit
the flesh, war with the devil. we
| nave either TO conquer our troubles or
| our troubles will conquer US. David
VII either slay the Amalekites, or the
Amalekltes will slay David. And vet
Is not the fort TO be taken worth all the
pain, all the peril, all the bes:ege-
ment?
Look! Who are they on the bright
nils OF Heaven yonder? There they
are, those who sat at your own table.
Ine cnalr now vacant. There they are.
those whom You rocked in infancy in
the cradle or hushed to sleep in your
arms. There they are, those in whose
lie your life was bound I'D. There
uheY are, their brow more radiant than
ever before you saw it. their lips wait
ing Tor the kiss of heavenly greeting.
their cheek rOseate with the health
OF eternal summer, their hands beck
onlng you up the steep. the feet bound
ing with the mirth OF Heaven. The
pallor of their last sickness gone ont
OF their face. nevermore to be sick.
nevermore to cough, nevermore to
limp, nevermore to be old, nevermore
to weep. They are watching from
those heights to see if through Christ
you can take that fort and whether
you will rush in upon them-victors.
They know that upon this battle de-
pends whether you will ever ioin their
society. Up. Strike harderl Charge !
more bravely. Remember that every |
men you gain puts you so much farther |
on toward that heavenly reunion.
Victory or Death!
This morning while | speak YOU
could hear the cannonade of a foreign 4
enemy which was TO despoil your city. |
and II they really should succeed in
carrying families away from YOU, how
long would we take before we resolved
10 go after them? Every weapon.
fresh from the armory or old
ana rusty in the garret, would be
Drought out, and we would urge on.
ma coming IN front Of the foe we would
ook at them and then look at our
amllles, and the cry would be. Vic
ory or deathl' and when the am
was gone we would take the
'aptors on the point of the bavOnet or
lnder the breech of the gun.
Ii you would make such a struggle
or the getting back OF your earthly |
rlends, will you not make as much
truggle for the gaining OF the eternal
ompanlonship of your heavenly
rlends? Oh. yes. we must ioin them,
We must sit in their holy society. We
aust sing with them the song. We
lust celebrate with them the triumph.
.et 1t never be told on earth or in /,
Leaven that David and his men pushed
ut with braver hearts for the getting
ack of their earthly friends for a few
ears on earth than we to get our de-
arted I
You say that all this implies that
lr departed Christian friends are
i've. Why, had you any idea they
ere dead? They have only moved.
you should go on the 2nd of May to c
house where one of your friends L
Ved and find him gone, you would not il
INK that he was dead. You would k
qulre next door where he had moved h
. Our departed Christian friends n
ave only taken another house. The +
cret is that tney are richer now than -
ey once were and can afford better :
sidence. They once drank out of 81
rthenware: they now drink from the :
Lng's chalice. Joseph is yet alive" I'll
ID Jacob will go up and see him. Liy-
@, are they? Why, if man can live VI
this damp dark dungeon OF earthly a
ptlvlty. can he not live where he
eaths the bracing atmosphere OF the T.
'untains of Heaven? Oh, yes, they -
, living. q
Faint. Yet Pursuing. =
Do you think that Paul is so near :,
al now as he was when he was liv-
: IN the Roman dungeon? Do YOU
nix that Frederick Robertson of
lg hton Is as near dead now as he was
en, year after year, be slept seated
the floor, his head on the bottom OF
hair, because he colld tind ease in or
other position? Do you think that
bert Hall IS as near dead now as 10.
en-, on his couch. he tossed in phy- -
al tortures? No. Death gave them =
few black drops that cured them. III
at Is all death does to a Christian OF
'es him, | know that what | have Co
implies tnat they are living.
ere Is no question about that. The plS
y question this morning is whether col
| will ever join them
tut | must not forget those 200 men n,
0 tainted by the brook Besor. They -.
Id not take another step farther. ~
cir feet were sore: their head M
ed: their entire nature was ex- acc
sted. Besides that. they were ing
ken hearted because their homes by
g gone. Ziklag in ashes, And +
David, when he comes I'D to them.
des the spoils among them. He
J they shall have some of the :ew
some of the robes. some of the .
Isures. I look over this audience dut
morning, and | find at least 200 the
} have tainted by the brook Besor OF