Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1896-07-09

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Again. if you want T. be kiilful in spirit
ual archery You must hunt il unfreqnentei
and secluded places. WIZ does the hunter
80 three or four days i'll the Pennsylvania
forests or over Raque:te Lake into the Willis
OF the Adtrondacks? II is the only way II
do. The deer are shy, AMI one bang q
the gun clears the forest. From the Califor-
MIA stage you see. rs you 20 over the plains.
here and there n cpvoie tr0tting along. al
most within range II tia gun--0netimes
quite within range u il. No one cares for
that; IT is WORTHLESS. The good. game Is hid
den and -oclu TED. Ev"r: hunter knows that.
50, many Of tn. sous tia. will b" Of IL ~
worth FOR Christ ani of nt-f yalnn 70 the
church are -e:lu1ei. TAcy j. not sp'4a IN
| your way. You will have 10 70 where they
are. Wonder they are down in that cellar:
Wonder they are UP In that garnet. Far away
from the door Of any church, the gospel ar
row has not been pointed at them. The tract
distributor and city missionary sometimes
cam q glimpse Of them, as a hunter through
The trees gets a noncntarys sight Of a part
ridge or a roehrck. The trouble Is, We are
waiting for the Sameto come to Us. We are
not good hunters. We are standing IN some
street or highway expecting that the timid
antelope will come up and eat OUT Of our
ilaLi-. We are expecting that the prairie
fowl will light on our church steeple. II is
not their habit.
If the church should wait 1000. 900 Of
YEAR for the world 70 com n ana bo e2Ted,
II will wait in vain. TIE w3rid v-.'; net
come. What the church V ants nnw is t. lift
its feet from daInask ottomans and PIT IL II
in the stirrups. We want C. pulpit on Wheels.
The church wants not SO muci. eushione As
I wants saddlebags and arrows. We have
got TO put aside the gown and kid gloves and
put Cd the hunting shirt. We have been fish,
iny 50 long in the brooks that run uLier the
shadow Of the church that the fish know us:
that they avoid the hook and escape a soon
II We come to the bank, while yonder is Up
per Saranac md Big Tupper's lake. where
the first swing Of the gospel net would break
It for the multitude Of the fishes. There is
ou:side work to be done. What is that | see
in the backwoods? 1t is a tent. The hunters
have made a clearing and campet out.
What do they care If they have wet feet. or
if they have nothing but a pine branch for a
pillow or for the northeast storm? If q
moose in the darkness steps into the lake to
drink. they hear it right away. II a loon
cry iii the moonlight, they hear it. 50 in
the service Of God we have exposed work.
We nave got TO 'amp out and rough 1t. We
are putting all our care on the people who
come II our churches. What are we doing
for The thousands upon thousands that do
not come? Have they no souls? Are they
-inless that they need no pardon? Are there
n" dead in their houses that they need no
comfort? Are they cut off from God to 20
into eternitv-no wing to bear them. no light
to cheer them. no welcome to greet them? /
uthl lD-lts Sui-iH- up 1IOu lut iOWtI
depths a grCan that comes through our
Christian asSemtlayes and through our
beautiful churches. and it blOts out all this
scene from my eyes to-day. as by the mists
~ 81 great Niagara. for the dash AMI the
plunge OF these great torrents Of lie drop
ping down into the fathoniless and thunder
ing abyss Of suffering and woe. I5ometimes
think that just "a God hl0ttet out the
cnurrhes of Ihvatirb and Corinth and
Laodic"a. because Of their sloth and stolidity,
He vii! blot out American and English
Christianity and raise on the ruins a stall
wart. wideawake. missionary church that
can take the full meaning of that command.
& into all the world and preach the gospel
to every creature"
remark, again, if you want to be success
fui in spiritual archery yon need not only IL
bring down the game, but bring it in. !
: think one Of the most beautiful pictures OF
Ihtrwa,dsen is his Autumn. 1t represents
a sportsman coming home and standing I'M
&c: a grapevine. He has a staff over his
shoulder, and on the other end Of that staff
are hung rabbit and brace of birds Every
hunter brings home the game. No one would
think OF bringing down Il reindeer or whip
ping UP Ii stream for trout and letting them
l lie IL the woods. At eventide the camp is
: adorned with the treasures Of the forest
beak and fin and antler. If YOU go out to
? hunt for immortal souls, rot only bring them
down under the arrow Of the gospel, but
l bring them into the church Of God, the ZEN
eamrment we have pitched this side Of tho
skies. Fetch them in. Do not let them lie
: out in the open field. Theyneed our prayers
{, and -yInpathies and help. That is the mean
: Ing Of the church Ct God help. . We hun
E ter- for the Lord. not only brin: down tho
game. but bring it in,
: Ii Mithridates liked hunt!n. ;, we'll tina.
for seven years he never Went indoors, what
enthusiasm ought we to have WHO are hunt
I. jug for immortal souls, If Domi;lauus prdc-
/ ,ieel archery until he could stand a hov
| low'i IN the Roman aInphitheater. with Il
: hand ONT, thefingers like that, AMI then the
= King could shoot an arrow between the
t fingers without wounding them. to what
d drill and what practice ought not we sub
g Jet ourselves in order to become spiritual
: archers and "mighty hunters before the
y Lord. But let me say. YOU will never Work
u any better than You pray. Tho old archer
y took the bow. put one end Of it down beside
the foot. elevated the other end. ami il wa.
: the rule that the bow should DC Just the size
: Of the archer: if it were Just his size then ii,
would 20 into the battle with confidence
Let me say that your power TO project CooC
III the world will correspond exactly to You
own spiritual stature In other words. tn,
+ tir$' thing III preparation for Christian worr
II Is personal conSecration-
Oh. Tor a closer walk with God.
= Acalm aud heavenly frame.
- Il A light to shine upon the road
- That. leaC!s me u thc Lamb.
II ! am sure that there are some here who a
10 some time have been hit by the gospel arrow
no You FELT the wound of that conviction. ar
no YOU plunged into the word deeper: lust a
n the stag. when the. hounds are after il
nlungcs into Scroon lake. expecting in tha
ke way 70 escape. jesus Christ is on YOU
h. track TO-DAY. impenitent man not in wratt
h. but III mercy. q We chased aud pantin
or souls, here Is the stream Of Gods marcv an
,ol salvation, where you may cool Your thirs
Stop that chase OF sin to-day. Bv the re
fountain that leaped from the heart OF II
nd Lord. | bid You stop. l. the-" IL all tn
in house anyone who can refuse the offer III;
adj comes from the heart Di the diving Son
Ia God? Why. do you know that there are.
as the hanished world. souls that. for that off
II YOU set to-day. would fling the crown OF II
IRE universe at Your feet. il they possessed i
cir But they went out on the mountains. Il
ed storm took them, and they died.
,eL. There is in a forest in Germany a pIa,
yas they call the deer leap-two crac, abo.
az IS feet apart, between them a fearful chas,
This IS called the. deer leap because on
re- a hunter was onthe track OF adeer. II can