The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-03-31
REV. DIR. TALMAGE
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: "a Mighty Warfare.

hate war. In our boyhood we may hav
| read the biography Of Alexander or Of som,
| Revolutionary hero until our young hearts
beat high and We wished we had been borl
over loo years ago just for the glory OF strik
| ing down Hessian. For rusty swords hun,
| up on the rafters and bullets cut out OF 10.
houses in which they were lodged during tn,
| great strife We had unbounded admiration
| or on some public day, clothed in our grand
| fathers soldierty accouterments, We felt a:
brave rs Garlbaldi or Miltiades. We are
| wiser now, for we make vast distinction
between the poetry and the prose of war
| The roll Of drums, and the call OF bugles
and the champin1 Of steeds foaming anG
paving for the battle, hundred Thousand
muskets glitterlng among the dancing
plumes, "God Save the King" waving up
from clarinets and trumpets and rung back
from deep deflles or the arches Of PROSTATE
city. distant capitals of Kingdoms illuminated
at the tidtngs, generals returning home un-
der flaming arches and showering amar.
anths and the shout Of empires-that Is
poetry.
Chilled and half blanketed, lying on the
wet earth, feet sore with the march aud
bleeding at the slightest touch, hunger pull.
ing on every fiber of flesh or attempting to
satisfy itself with scanty and spoiled ra-
tion, thirst licking up the dew or drinking
out OF filthy and trampled pool. thoughts of
home and kindred far away while just on the
eve OF deadly strife where death may leap
on him from any one of n hundred bayone.s,
the closing in oftwo armies now changed to
a hundred thousand maniacs, the ground
slippery with blood and shattered flesh. fall
On ones writhine under the hoofs of un-
bridled chargers maddened with pain, the
dreadfulness Of night that comes down when
the strife Is over, the struggle ofthe wounded
ones crawling out over the corpses, the long,
feverish agony Of the crowded barrack and
hospital. from whose mattresses the frag-
ments Of men send up their groans, the only
music Of carnage and butchery, desolate
homes from which fathers and husbands and
brothers aad Sons went of, without giving
any dying message or sending a kiss to the
dear ones at home, tumbled into the soldiers
grave trench, and houses IN which q few
weeks before unbroken FAMILY circles re-
joiced now plunged in the great sorrows Of
widowhood and orphanage-that Is prose.
But there IS now on the earth a kingdom
which has set itself up for conflicts without
number. In Its march 1t tramples no grain
field; 1t sacks no cities; 1t inlpoverishes
no treasures; 1t fills no hospitals; It bereaves
no families. The courage and victory Of
Solferino and Magenta Without carnage-the
kingdom OF Christ against the kingdom Of
satau-that Is the strife now raging. We will
offer no armistices. We will make no treaty.
Until all the revolted nations OF the earth
shall submit again to King Emmanuel sin
the name of God we will set up our ban
ners."
Every army has its ensigns. Long before
the time when David wrote the text they
were In use. The hosts OF Israel displayed
them. The tribe of Benjamin carried flag
with the inscription Of wolf. the tribe OF
non fatt ~ oh doh
lion wrought into the groundwork of white,
purple, crimson and blue. Such flags from
their folds shook fire into the hearts of such
numbers rs were in the field when Abijah
fought against Jehoram, and there were
1000, 600 soldiers. end more than 500, 900
were left dead on the field. These ensigns
gave heroism to such numbers as were as
sembled when Asa fought against Zerah, and
there were 1850, 100 troops In the battle. The
Athenians carried an inscription OF the owl,
which was their emblem of wisdom. The
flags Of modern nations are familiar to you
all, and many Of them so inappropriate for
the character OF the nations they represent
1t would be impolitic to enumerate them.
These ensigns are streamPrs borne on the
point of lance and on. the top OF wooden
shafts. They are carried in the front and
rear OF armies. They unroll from the main
topgallant masthead Of an admirals flag
ship to distinguish it among other ships OF
the same squadron. They are the objects OF
national pride. The loss OF them on the field
Is ignominious.
The three banners of the Lords hosts are
the banner Of proclamation, the banner of
recruit and the banner of victory. When
nation feels its rights infringe1 or its honor
insulted, when ite citizens have In foreign
climes been oppressed and no indemnity has
been offered to the inhabitant Of the republic
or kingdom, a proclamation OF war Is uttered.
On the tops Of batteries and arsenals and
custom houses and revenue Offices flags are
Immediately swung out. All who look upon
Them realize the fact that uncompromising
war Is declared. Thus 1t Is that the church
Of Jesus Christ, jealous for the honor Of its
sovereign and determined 10 get back those
who have been carried off captive into the
bondage Of satan and intent upon the de-
struction OF those mighty wrongs which
have 80 long cursed the earth and bent upon
the extension of the Snviour's reign OF
mercy, in the name OF God sets its banner
OF proclamation.
The church makes no assault upon the
world. do not believe that God ever made
better world than this It Is magnificent In
its ruins. Let US stop talking 80 much against
the world. God pronounced it very good at
the beginning. Though wandering child
Of God, I ser In it yer the great Fathers
lineaments. Though tossed and driven by
the storms of 5000 years. she sails brayely
yet, and as ut her launching in the beginning
the morning stars sang together and all the
sons OF God shouted for Joy, so at last, when
coming into the calm harbor Of Gods mercy,
she shall be greeted by the huzzas Of fglorif1ed
kingdoms. 1t Is not the world against which
we contend, but its transgressions. What
ever is obstinate In the will, degrading in
passion, harmful In custom, false In friend
ship, hypocritical In profession-against al,
this Christ makes onset. From false profess
sion he would tear the mask. From oppres-
sion he would tear the rod. From pride he
would rend off the plumes. From revenge he
would exercise the devil. While Christ loved
the world 80 much he died saveit, he hates
sin so we'll that to eradicate the last trace OF
its pollution he will utterly consume
the continents and the oceans. At the gate
of Eden the declaration OF perpetual enmity
was made against the serpent. The tumult
roundabout Mount Sinai was only the roar
aud flash OF Cots artillery of wrath against
sin. Sodom on fire was only one of Gods
flaming. bulletins announcing hostility.
Nineveh and Tyre and Jerusalem in awful
ruin mark the track Of Jehovah's advance
ment. They show that God was terribly in
earnest when he announced himself abhor-
rent OF all 1nlquIty. Iney make US DelleVe
that, though nations belligerent and revenge
full may sign articles OF peace and come to an
amicable adjustment, there shall be no cessa-
tion OF hostilities between the forces OF light
and the forces of darkness until the king
doms of this world have become the king
doms of our Lord. Affrighted by no opposi-
ton. discouraged by no temporary defeats,
shrinking from no exposure, every man to
his position, while from the tops OF our
schoolhouses and churches and seminaries
and asyIums "in the name OF God we will set
up our banners.
There are nonprofessors who have very
correct idea OF what Christians ought to be.
bo- ~ bn oh,,r rphn