Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1894-02-02

Niagara abysm of inebriety than at any time
since the first grape was turned into wine
and the first head of rye began to soak in a
brewery. When people touch this subject.
they are apt to give statistics as TO how many
millions are in drunkaris' graves, or with
quick tread marching on toward them. The
land Is full of talk of high tariff and low
tariff, but what about the highest ofal tariffs
in this country, the tariff Of $500, 900, O0)
which rum put upon the United States in
1891, for that is what it cost us? You do not
tremble or turn pale when I say that. The
tact IS we have become hardened by sta
tistics, and they make little impression.
But II some one could gather into ons
mighty lake all the tears that have been
wrung out OF orphanage and widowhood. or
into one organ diapason all the groans that
have been uttered by the suffering victims
nfthls holocaust, or into one whirlwind all
the signs OF centuries of dissipation or from
the wicket OF one immense prison have look
upon US the glazing eyes Of all those whom
strong drink has endungeoned, we might
perhaps realize the appalling desolation.
But, no, no, the sight would forever blast
our vision the sound would forever stun
our souls GO on with your temperance
literature go on with your temperance plat
forms; go on with your temperance Jaws.
But we are all hoping for something from
above. an while the bare arm Of suffering,
and the bare arm Of invaldism, and the Dar9
arm of poverty, and the bare arm Of domes-
tic desolation, from which rum hath torn the
sleeve. are lifted ND in beggary and suppll-
cation and despair let the bare arm OF Coz
strike the breweries AMI the liquor stores.
and the corrupt politics, and the license
laws. and the whole inferno of grogshops all
around the world. Down, thou accursed
bottle, from the throne! Into the dust, thou
king of the demiiohn Parched be thy lips,
thou winecup with fires that shall never be-
quenchedl
But have no time to specify the manifold
evil, that challenge Christianity. And |
think have seen in some Christians, and
read in some newspapers, End heard from
some pulpits disheartenment, as though
Christianity were so worsted that 1t is hardly
worth while to attempt to win this world Tor
Col. and that all Christian work would col
lapse and that it is no use for you to teach
Sabbath class, or distribute tracts, or exhort
in prayer meetings, or preach in pulpit, as
satan is gaining ground. To rebuke tnat
pessimism, the gospel OF smashup, preach
this sermon. showing that you are on the
winning side. Go ahead. Fight on What
I want to make out to-day is that our ammu-
milton is not exhausted that all which has
been accomplishei mas been only the sklrm-
ishing before the great Armageddon tnat
not more than one Of the thousand fountains
of beauty in the Kings park has begun to
play that not more than one brigade OF the
innumerable hosts to be marshalet by the
rider on the white horse has yet taken the
field that what God has done yet has been
with arm folded in flowing robe, but tnat
the time is coming when He will rise IRON
His throne, and throw of that robe, ana
come out of the palaces OF eternity, ana come
down the stairs Of heaven with all conquer
iny step. and halt In the presence of expec-
fant Nations. and flashing His omniscleat
ewes across the work to be- dono Will put
back the sleeve Of His right arm to the shout
der. and roll it up there, an for the wori1s
final and complete rescue make bare HIS
arm. Who can doubt the result when &C"
cording TO nv. text Jehovah does HIS
best when the last reserve force OF Omnlp)-
tence takes the field when the last sword
OF eternal might leaps from It's seao,
bard2 Do you know what decided
the battle of Se1an2 Toe hills thousand
feet higd. Eleven hundred cannons on the
hills. Artillery OH the heights OF Glvonne,
and twelve German batteries OH the heights
of La Moncelo The Crown Prince OF Sax
ony watched the scene from the heights OF
Marry. Between a quarter 10 O'Clock IN
the morning and O'Clock in the afternoon
of September 9, 1870. the mills dropped this
shells that shattered the French host in the
valley. The French Emperor and the Sc 900
of his army captured by the Mills. So In this
conflict now raging between holiness ana
sin ''our eyes are unto the hills.
Down here in the valleys of earth we must
be valiant soldiers of tho cross, but the Com
mander of our host walks the heights and
views the scene far better than we can in the
valleys, and at the right day and the right
hour all heaven will open its batteries on our
side. and the Commander of the hosts of I'M
Righteousness with all his followers will sur
render. and 1t will take eternity to fully cele-
brate the universal victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ. "Our eyes are unto the NILS.
II is so certaint to be accomplished that Isaiah
in nv text looks down through the field glass
of prophecy and speaks of it as already ac-
complished, ard take my stand where the
prophet took his stand and look at it as all
done. "HalIeluiah, it's done" Seel Those
cities without O tear! Lookl Those con-
tinents without pang. Behold Those
hemispheres without sin Why, those
deserts. Abraham desert, American des-
ert. and Great Sahara desert, are all
irrigated into gardens where God walks in
the cool of the day. The atmosphere that
encircles our globe floating not one groan.
All the rivers and lakes and oceans dimpleI
with not one falling tear. The climates OK
the Garth have dropped out of them the
ripors ofthe cold and the blasts OF the heat,
and it is universal spring Let US change
the old worlds name. Let 1t no more be
called the earth, as when it was reeking with
everything pestiferous and malevolent, scar
leted with battlefelds and gashed with
graves. but now SO changed, so aromatic
with gardens, and SO resonant with song,
and so rubescent with beauty, let us call 1t
Tmmanuel's Land or Beulah or millenniai
gardens OF paradise regained or heaven
And to Col, the only wise, tho only Sool,
~ onl., graat ts g.1ry forever. AmsI.