The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-11-27

A captain IN ancient timaS. 20 enCOuF7
re his men against the immense odds
ON the side of their enemies, said:1
"Come. my men. look these fellows in
the face They are 5000, you are 800.
Surely the match is even" That
speech gave them the victory. Be not,
nv hearers, dismayed At any time by
what seems an immense odis against
you Is fortune, is want of education,
are men, are devils against you,
thous h the multitudes of earth and
hell confront you. stand up To the
charge. With a million against you
the match is just even. Nay. you have
a decided advantage. II God be for US,
who can be against us? Thus protect
ed. lou need not spend much time in
answering YOUR sssailants
Many We; rs ago word came TO me
that two i'm posters, as temperance
lecturers. had heen speaking in Ohio,
in various places. an giving their ex-
! rerience. and tney 'Ol their II fence
that they had Ion been intima;c with
me. and they had become drunkards
! bv dining at my table. where | always
had l;quOrs of u ! sorts. Indignant to
! the last degree went down t. the chief
! OF BROOKLYN pol.ce. saving that / was
! going to start that night for Ohio to
| nave those villains arrested, and /
wanted him To tell me how to make
! the arrest. He smiled and said: do
not waste your time chasing these
men. Go home and 40 your work, and
| they can do You no harm" 1 took
his counsel, ami all was we'll Long
ago made no my mini that if one
will put his trust N G.,d aud he faith
| full to duty, he need not fear any evil
| Have God on your side, young man,
and all the com mined forces of earth
and hell can do yOu no damage.
And this leads me To say that the
mightieSt defense frr a young man is
the possession of religious principle
Nothing can take the place of it. He
may nave manners tnat would put to
shame the gracefulness and courtesy
| of a Lord Chesterfield. Foreign Lam
guages may drop from his ton. Ne. He
may be able to discuss literature, and
laws, and foreign customs. He may
WELD pen of unqualified polish and
power. His quickness and tact may
qualify him for the highest salary of
sharp as Herod and as strong as Sam
son. with as fine locks as those
which hung Absalom still he is not
safe from contamination. The more ele-
CANT his manner, and the more fasci.
mating his dress, the more peril Satan
does not care for the allegiance of a
cowardly and illiterate being. He
cannot bring him into efficient service.
But he loves to storm that castle of
character which has in it the most
spoils and treasures. 1t was not some
crazy craft creeping along the coast
with valuelesS carr 70 that the pirate
attacked, but the ship. full-winged and
tagged, plying between great ports,
carrying its millions of specie. The
more your natural and acquired
accomplishments, the more need
of the religion of Jesus. That does
not cut in upon or hack up any smooth
ness of disposition or behavior. 1t
gives symmetry. 1t arrests that in the
soul which ought to be arrested. and
proDels that which ought tn he pro-
pilled 1t fills up the gulleys. 1t
evates and transforms. To beauty
it gives more beauty, 10 tact more tact,
To enthusiasm of nature more enthusi-
assn. When the Holy Spirit impresses
the image of God on the heart He does
not spoil the canvas If in all the null
titudes of young men upon whom re-
ligiOn has acted you could find one
nature that hal been the least dam
aged. l would yield this proposition.
You may now have enough strength
- Il, -. 4
tations to gross wickedness which as
sail you, but 1 do not know in what
strait You may he thrust at some fu-
ture time. Nothing short OF the grace
of the cross may then be able to de-
liver you from the lions You are not
meeker than Moses, nor holier than
David. nor more patient than Job, and
you ought not to consider yourself
invulnerable. You may have some
weak point of character that
you have never discovered, and in
some hour when you are unsuspecting
the Philistines will be upon thee. Sam
ION. Trust not in your good habits, or
your early training. or your pride of
nothing short of the arm of
Almighty God will be sufficient To up
AAOAu IONs LOU AOOh 1OTWdru 10 the
world sometimes with a chilling de-
spondency. Cheer up; 1 will tell you
how you may make a fortune. Seek
first the kingdom of God and His right
and all other things shall be
added unto you" know you do not
want TO be mean in this matter. Give
God the freshness of your life. You
will not have the heart to drink down
the trimming cup of life and then
pour the dregs on Gods altar. To
Saviour so infinitely generous you
have not the heart to act like that.
That is not brave, that is not honor
able, that is not manly. Your great
EST want in all the world is a new
heart. In Gods name 1 tell you. And
The blessed Spirit presses through the
'olemnities and privileges of this holy
hour. Put the cup OF life eternal to
your thirsty lips. Thrust it not back.
Mercy offers it; bleeding mercy, long