The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-02-02

Y
have been taken. Fathers and moth.
ers. brethren and sisters IN Jesus
Christ what the Church most wantf;a
learn. this day. Is that any plan isYid
Is lawful. is best. which helps tdIlyof-
throw the temple OF sin. and csptutr
this world f0r God. We are very apt
10 stick TO the old modes OF attack.
We put on the old-Htyle coat Of mail.
We come mp with the sharp. keen. gilt
tering spear OF argument. expecting In
that way TO take the castle; but they
have a thousand spears where we have
ten. And SO the castle OF sin stands.
Oh. my friends. We will never capture
this world for God by any keen sabre
Of sarcasm. by any glitterlng lances OF
rhetoric. by any sapping and mining
Of profound disqulsiiion. by any gun.
powdery explosions OF indignation. by
sharpshootings OF wit. by howiizers OF
mental strength made TO swing shell
five miles. by cavalry horses gorgeously
caparisoned paving the air In vain
all the attempts on the part OF these
ecclesiastical foot soldiers. light horse.
men and grenadlers.
My friends. propose n different style
OF tactics. Let each one go to the for
est OF Gods promise and invitation. and
hew down O branch and put II on his
shoulder. and let MS all come around
these obstinate iniquities. and then
with this pile, kindled by the fires OF
holy zeal and the flames Of a conse.
Grated life. We will burn them out.
What steel cannot do. IRE may. And
! announce myself In favor OF any plan
OF religious attack that succeeds any
plan OF religious attack. however radl.
cal. however odd however unpopular.
however hostile TO all the convention.
allties ~ Church and State. n one
style OF prayer does not do the work
let Us try another II the Church
music OF to-day does not get the vic.
tory. then let us make the assault with
u backwoods chorus. n prayer-meet.
ing at half past seven In the evening
does not succeed. let us have one as
early In the morning as when the angel
found wrestling Jacob too much for
him. II sermon with the three au.
thorized heads does not do the work.
then let us have a sermon with twenty
heads. or no heads at all We want
more heart In our song, more heart In
our almsgiving, more heart Ia Oui
prayers. more heart In our preaching
Still further. learn from this sub.
ject the power Of example II Abim,
elech had sat down on the grass. and
told his men to 20 and get the boughs
and 90 out to the battle, they would
never have gone at all. or II they had
Il would have been without any spirit
or effective result: but when Ablmelech
GOES with his own axe and hews down
branch. and with Abimelech's arm,
puts Il on Abimelechs shoulder. and
marches on then, my text says. all
the people did the same. How natural
that was. What made Garibaldi and
stoncwall jackson the most magnetic
commanders OF the century? They al.
ways rode ahead. Oh. the oyerwhelm.
ing power OF example, Here is a father
on the wrong road. all his boys 20 or
the wrong road Here is a father who
enlist for Christ: his children enlist
saw In some Of the picture galleries
OF Europe. that before many Of the
great works OF the masters-the ole
masters-thcre would be sometimes
four or Eve artists taking copies OF the
pictures. These copies they are going
to carry with them. perhaps TO distant
lands. and ! have thought that youi
life and character are a masterpiece
and II Is being copied, and long after
you are gone Il will bloom or blast IN
the homes OF those who knew you. and
be a Gorgon or a Madonna Look oul
what You say. Look Out what YOU
do. Eternity will hear the echo The
best sermon ever preached Is a holy
life. The best music ever chanted Il
a consistent walk. II you want other,
to serve God. serve him yourself II
you want others TO shoulder their duty
shoulder yours Where Abimelect
goes his troops 60 Oh, start out fo'
heaven to-day. aud your family will
come after you, and your business as
sociates will come after you. and youi
social friends will Join you. with one
branch OF the tree OF life for a baton
marshal just as many as you can to.
gether. Oh. the Infinite the semi-om'
nipotent power Of a good or bad exam
plel
We'll" you say. Il have been driven
out OF that tower; where shall ] CO.,
Step into this tower OF indifference,
You say: II this tower is attacked, Il
will be a great while before II Is taken.
You feel at ease, Hut there is an Abim-
elcch. With ruthless assault, coming on,
Death and his forces are gathering
around. and they demand that YOU sur
render everything. and they clamor for
your overthrow. and they throw their
skeleton arms In the window, and with
their iron fists they beat against the
door. and while you are trying 10 keep
them out you see the torches Of judg.
A.