The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-12-14
TALMAGE's SERMON.
The Great Preachers Greeting to
the New Congress-.
Lessons Drawn from tho Prophet Eiisha's
Chariots OF Iire-The Giories OF
the American Republic
Wildly Set Forth.

|
CT the assembling of the new congress
delivered sermon appropriate to the
occasion to his Washington congrega'
ton. which included many of the ma
tion's legislators. He took for his
text:
And the Lord opened the eyes OF the young
| man. and he saw; and. behold, tho mountain
was full OF horses and chariots OF fire around
about Elisha.-lI. Kings, vi, H.
The American congress is assem-
bling. Arriving or already arrived
are the representatives of all sections
OF this beloved land. Let us welcome
them with prayers and benedictions.
A nobler group of men never entered
Washington than those who will to
morrow take their places in the SEN
ate chamber and the house of repre-.
sentatives. Whether they come alone,
| or leave their families at the home.
stead far away, may the blessing
| of the Eternal God be upon them!
We invite them to our churches, and
together, they in political spheres and
we in religious circles, will give the
coming months to consideration Of the
best interests of this country which
God has blessed so mnch in the past
that propose to show you and show
them so far as may now reach their
ear, or tomorrow their eye through
their printing press, that God will be
with them to help them as in the text
He filed the mountains with help for
Elisha.
AS it cost England many regiments
and twenty million dollars year to
keep safely a troublesome captive at
ST. Helena, SO the king of Syria sends
out whole army to capture one
minister of religion-perhaps fifty
thousand men-to take Elisha. Dur
ing the night the army of Syrians
came around the village OF Dothan
where the prophet was staying. AT
early daybreak the man servant OF
Elisha rushed in and said: "What
shall we do? There is whole
army come to destroy you! We
must die we must die!" But
Elisha was not scared a bit, for
he looked up and saw the noun
tains all around full of supei natural
forces, aud he knew that if there were
fifty thousand Syrians against him
there were one hundred thousand
prophets prayer in behalf of his AZ
frighted man servant, the young man
saw it, too. Horses of fire harnessed
to chariots of fire, and drivers of fire
pulling reins OF fire on bits OF fire,
and warriors of fire with brandished
swords of fire, and the brilliance OF
that morning sunrise was eclipsed
by the galloping splepdors OF the
celestial cavalcade. And the Lord
opened the eyes of the young man;
and he saw; and, behold, the noun
tain was full of horses and chariots OF
fire round about Elisha" l speak oil
the upper forces of the text that are
to fight on our side as nation. If all
the low levels are flied with armed
threats, have to tell you that the
mountains of our hope and courage
and faith are full of the horses and
chariots of Divine rescue
You will notice that the Divine
equipage is always represented es a
chariot of fire. Ezekial and Isaiah
and John. when they come to describe
the Divine equipage always represent
1t as wheeled. n harnessed, an up
holstered conflagration. 1t is not n
chariot like kings and conquerors of
earth mount, but an organized and
compressed fire. That means purity.
Justice, chastisement. deliveranc nee
through burning escapes. Chariot Of
rescue? yes, but n chariot of fire. All our
| national disenthralments have been
through scorching agonies and red dis
asters. Through tribulation the indi-
vidual rises Through tribulation ma
tions rise. Chariots of rescue, but
chariots of fire. But how do know
that this Divine equipage is on the
side of our institutions? / know 1t by
the history Of the last one hundred
and nineteen years. The Anne rican
revolution started from the pen of
John Hancock in Independence hall
in 1776. The colonies, without
ships, without ammunition. without
guns, without trained warriors, with
out money, without prestige. On the
other side, the mightiest nation Of the
earth, the largest armies, the grandest
nevies, and the most distinguished
commanders, and resources inexhaus-
tible, and nearly all the nations ready
to back them up in the fight. Moth
ing, as against immensely.
The cause of the American colonies,
which started ut zero, dropped still
lower through the quarreling OF gen.
erals, and through the jealousies
at small successes, and through the
winters which surpassed all predeces-
sors in depth of snow and horrors OF
congcalment. Elisha surrounded by
the whole Syrian army did not seem
to be worse off than did the thirteen
colonies encompassed and overshad-
owed by foreign assault. What de-
cided the contest in our favor? The
upper forces, the upper armies. The
Green and White mountains of
New England, the Highlands along
the Hudson, the mountains of Vir-
ginia, all the Appalachian ranges
were full of re-enforcements which
the young man Washington saw by
faith; and his men endured the frozen
feet, and the gangrcncd wounds, and
the exllausting hunger. and the long
march. because "the Lord opened the
eyes of the young man; and he saw:
and, behold. the mountains were full
- hnroae opd chm of fire ron 1fl