Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-02-01
The Tactics Used.

-NbN 4 llErA lENill llllS Huulttt tilt
folly of depending upon any ono form Of
tactics in anything we have To do for this
world or for God. Look over the weaponry
of olden timcs-javelins, battleaxcs, haber-
geons-and show me IA single weapon with
which Abimclcch and his men could have
gained such complete triumph. Ii is no
easy thing to take IA temple thus armed.
/ have seen housc where, during Revolu-
tionary times, "a man and his wife kept
back whole regiment hour after hour be-
cause they were inside the house and the
assaulting soldiers We're outside the house.
Yet here Ahimelcch and his army come
up, they surround this temple and they
capture IL without fhe loss of "a single man
on the part of Ab.mrIcch. although sup.
pose some of the Old lSraclitish heroes told
Abimelcch. You are only going up there
To be cut 10 pieces" Yet you are willing
TO testify today that by no other mode
certainly not by ordinary modcs-could
that temple 50 easily. - thoroughly, have
been taken Fathers and mothers broth
rem and sisters in Jesus Christ, what the
church most wants To learn this day Is
that any plan is right, Is lawful, Is best,
which helps Ia overthrow the temple of sin
and capture this world for God. We are
very apt to stick to the old modes of at
tack We put on the old style coat OF
mail. We come mp with the sharp, keen,
glittrring steel spear Of argument, expect.
ing in that way 10 take the castle, but
they have 900 spears where we have 10.
And ~ the castle of sin stands Oh, my
friends, we will never capture this world
for God by any keen sabcr of sarcasm, by
any glittcring lances Of rhetoric, by any
sapping and mining Of profound disgust.
tion, by any gunpowdcry explosions OF in.
diRnation, by sharpshootings of wit, by
howitzers of mental strength made e
swing shell five miles by cavalry horses
gorgcouSly caparisoncd paving the air.
In vain all the attempts on the part OF
these ecclesiastical foot soldiers, light
horsemcn and gronadicrs
My friends propose n different style oi
tactics. Let each one go to the forest OF
Gods promise and invitation and hew
down IA branch and put II on his shoulder,
and let MS all come around these obstinate
iniquitics, and then, with this pile Kin.
died by the fires Of n holy zeal and the
flames Of "A consccraied life, we will bum
them out. What steel cannot do fire may.
And | announce myself I'm favor Of my
an of religious attack that succeeds
IAsAll "a EfAAEibuN HoWtNtf
radical. however odd. however unpopular,
however hostile to all the conventional
titles of church and state. II one style oi
prayer does not do the work, let us try an.
other style II the church music Of today
does not get the victory, then let us maxi
the assault with backwoods chorus. II
prayer meeting at half past : in the
evening does not succeed. let us have one
ns early In the morning rs when the angel
found wrestling Jacob too much for him.
II sermon with the three authorized
heads does not do the work, then let us
have sermon with 90 heads, or no heads
at all
Gospel Truths.
We want more heart in our song, more
heart In our almsgivlng, moro heart In
our prayers. more heart in our preaching
Oh, for less Of Abimclcch's sword and
more Of Abimelcch's conflagrationI ! had
often heard
There Is "A fountain filed with blood
sung artistically by four birds perched on
their Sunday roost in the gallery until
thought ~ Jenny Lind and Nilsson and
Sontag and all the other warblers, but
there came not one tear to my eye, MOI
ono master emotion 10 my heart. But one
night went down io the African Mctho
dist meeting house In Philadelphia. and u,
the close II The service black woman IN
the middle If the audience began Ia sina