The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-02-07

and 20 ont 70 the battle, they would
never have gone 1t all, or IL they had
4 IL would have been without any spirit
or effective result; but when Albime-
lech goes with his own ar and hews
down . branch, and with Abimelech's
arm puts It on Abimelech's shoulder,
and marches on, then, my text says,
all the people did the same. How ma
tural that wasl What made Garibaldi
and Stonewall jackson the most
magnetic commanders Of this
century, They always rode ahead.
oh, the overwhelming power
Of example! Here is q father
on the wrong road. Here Is father
who enlists for Christ; his children en-
list. saw in some of the picture gal
leries OF Europe that before many OF
the great works Of the masters the
old masters--there would be some
times four or Ave artists taking copies
of the pictures. These copies they arc
going to carry with them, perhaps to
distant lands; and have thought that
your life and character are master
piece, and it is being copied, and long
after you are gone it will bloom or
blast in the homes Of those who knew
you, and be Gorgon or Madonna.
Look out what you say. Look out
what you do. Eternity will hear the
echo. The best sermon ever preached
is holy life. The best music ever
chanted is consistent walk. If you
want others to serve God, serve Him
yourself. If you want others to do
their duty, shoulder yours. Where
Abimelech goes his troops go. Oh,
start out'for Heaven to-day, and your
family will come after you, and your
business associates will comeafter you,
and your social friends will join you.
With one branch of the tree of life for
baton, marshal just as many as you
can gather. Oh, the infinite, the semi
omnipotent power Of good or bad ex-
ample!
saw last summer, near the beach, a
wreckers, machine. 1t was cylinder
with some holes at the side, made for
the thrusting in of some long poles
with strong leverage; and when there
is any vessel in trouble or going to
pieces in the offing, the wreckers shoot
q rope out to the suffering men. They
grasp 1t, and the wreckers turn the
cylinder, and the rope winds round
the cylinder, and those who are ship
wrecked are saved. So at your feet,
to-day, there is an influence with
tremendous leverage. The rope at
tached to it swings far out into the
billowy future. Your children, your
children's children, and all the genera
tions that are to follow, will grip that
influence, and feel the 1ong-reaching
pull long after the figures on your
tombstone are so worn out that the
visitor can not tell whether it was 1895,
1896 or 1896 that you died.
Still further / learn from this sub
ject the dangers of false refugees. As
soon as these Sechemites got into the
temple they thought they were safe.
They said: BERTH will take care of
us. Abimelech may batter down every
thing else; he can not batter down the
temple where we are now hid" But
very soon they heard the timbers crack
ling, and they were smothere9 with
smoke, and they miserably died. Isup-
pose every person in this audience this
moment is stepping into some kind Of
refuge. Here you step in the tower of
good works. You say: II shall be safe
in this refuge" The battlements are
adorned; the steps are vanished; on
the wall are pictures of all.the suffering
you have alleviated, and all the schools
you have established, and all the
fine things you have ever lone. Upin
that tower you feel you are safe. But
hear you not the tramp of your un-
pardoned sins all around the tower?
They each have a match. You are
kindling the combustible material
You feel the heat and the suffocation.
Oh, may you leap in time, the Gospel
by the deeds of the law
shall no flesh living be justified"
"Well, you say, 81 have been driven
out of that tower; where shall go?'
Step into this tower of indifference.
You say: IF this tower is attacked,
it will be a great while before it is
taken" You feel at ease. But there |
is an Abimelech, with ruthless assault,
coming on. Death and his forces are
gathering around, and they demand |
that you surrender 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 to keep them out you see
the torches of Judgment kindling, and
svery forest is q torch, and every
torch, and every seat
torch, and while the Alps, and
Pyrenees, and Himalayas, turned into
; live coal. blown redder and redder
by the whirlwind breath of q God
what viii become of your
refuge of lies?