Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-02-01

more decisive for the Lord that bought
me. Oh, brethren, how swiftly the time
goes byl 1t seems to me as if the years
had gained some new power of locomo-
tion-a kind of speed electric.
The temple of Berth is very broad,
and it is very high. 1t has been going
up by the hands of men and devils, and
no human engineering can demolish it,
but if the 10000 ministers of Christ in
this country should each take branch
of the tree of life, and all their congre-
cations should do the same, and we
should march on and throw these
branches around the great temples of sin
and worldliness and folly, it would need
no match or coal or torch Of ours to
touch off the pile, for, as in the days Of
Elijah, fire would fall from heaven and
kindle the bonfire of Christian victory
over demolished sin.
One Safe Refuge.
Still further, learn from this subject
the danger of false refugees. As soon as
these Shechemites got into the temple
they thought they were SAFE They said .
Berth will take care of us. Abimelech
may batter down everything else. He
cannot batter down this temple where
we are now hid. " But very soon they
heard the timbers cracking, and they
were smothered with smoke, and they
miserably died. / SUPPOSE 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, 81
shall be safe in this refuge. The bat
Elements are adorned; the steps are var
nished; 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
done. Up in that tower you feel you are
safe. But hear you not the tramp of your
unpardoned sins all around the tower?
They each have match. You are kim
ding the combustible material. You
feel the heat and the suffocation. Oh,
may you leap in time, the gospel de-
claring "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 Abim-
elech with ruthless assault coming
ON. Death and his forces are gathering
around, and they demand that you sur
render erything, 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 judg-
ment kindling. and every forest is a
torch and every mountain torch and
every sea torch, and while the Alps
and Pyrenees and Himalayas turn into a
live coal, blown redder and redder by
*he whirlwind breath of God omnipo-
tent, what will become of your refuge
of hess
But" says some one, "you are en-
gagged in very mean business, driving
us from tower TO tower. :" Oh, no.
want to tell you of Gibraltar that
never has been and never will be taken,
of wall that no satanic assault can
scale, of a bulwark that the judgment
earthquakes cannot bulge The Bible
refers to it when it says, In God is thy
refuge. and underneath thee are the
everlasting arms y oh, fling yourself
into it. Tread down unceremoniously
everything that intercepts you. Wedge
your way there. There are enough
hounds of death and peril after you to
make you hurry. Many a man has per
ished just outside the tower with his
foot on the step, with his hand on the
latch. Oh, get inside. Not one surplus
second have you to spare. Quick Quick
Ouicki