The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-15

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veh and Tyre and Jerusalem in awful ruin
mark the track of Jehovahs advancement
They show that God was terribly in ear
nest when he announced himself abhorrent
of all iniquity. They make us believe that
though nations beligcrent and revengeful
may sign articles of peace and come to an
amicable adjustment. there shall be no ces-
sation of hostilites between the forces Of
light and the forces of darkness until the
kingdoms of this world have become the
kingdoms Of our Lord. Affrghted by no
opposition, discouraged by no temporary
defeats, shrinking from no exposure-ev-
cry man to his position, while from the top
Of our schools and churches and semina-
ries and asylums, I'm the name of God
we will set up our banners"
Again, it was the custom in ancient
times for the purpose Of gathering arm
les to lift an ensign on the top Of some
high hill so that all who saw it would
feel impelled to rally around it, In more
modern times the same plan has been
employed for the gathering of an army.
Thus 1t is that the church of Christ lifts
its flag for recruits. The Cross of Jesus
is our standard planted on the hill of Cal
vary other armies demand that persons
desiring to enter the lists of war shall
be between such and such an age, lest
the folly of extreme youth or the infirmity
of advanced age be a clog rather than
an advantage. But none are 100 young
for Christ 5 regiment; none can be too
old. The hand that is strong enough to
bound bah or trundle a hoop is skilled
enough to fight for Christ while many q
hand trembling with old age has grasp
ed the arrow of truth, and with a dim
eye close to it, taking aim, has sent it's
sharp point right through the heart of
the kings enemies. Many of you have
long ago had your names written on the
roll OF celestial troops, and you like the
service well, although you now bear the
scars of multitudinous conflicts and can
recount many long march and tell of
siege-guns opened on you that you thought
never would be spiked. But there may
be some who have not yet enlisted Your
being here implies that you are seriously
thinking about it, and your attention
makes me hone you are only looking for
the standard 10 be hoisted. VIII you not,
a hundred of you, with all the aroused
enthusiasm of your nature, come bound
ing into the ranks, while I'm the name
Of God we set up our banners?'
Through natural modesty do you hold
back and say, Il will be of no advantage
to Christ; l am too awkward to learn the
step of the host, or to be of any service
in the shock of battle?" To YOU I make
the reply, Try 1t. One hour under Christ's
drill, and you would so well understand
his rules that the first step of your march
heavenward would make the gates of hell
tremble on their hinges. We may not be
as polished and trim many Christians
we have known. and we may not as well
understand sharpshooting, but there is
rough work which we can all accomplish
We may be axemen, and hew a pathway
through the forests We may be SPADES
men, and dig the trenches or. throw nm
the foruhcations We do not care where
We do not care what-if we can only helm
in the cause of our King and shout as
loudly as any of them at the completion
of the conquest
There are non-professors who have
very correct idea of what Christians ought
10 be. You have seen members of the
church who were as proud as Ahab and
lied as badly as Ananias, and who were as
foul hypocrites as Judas. You abhor all
that You say followers of Christ ought
to be honorable, humble and seIf-denyine
ana charitable, and patient, and forgiving
amen! so they ought. Come into the
kingdom of Christ, my hearer, and be inst
that glorious Christian that you have de-
scribed. Every church has enough stinpv
men in II to arrest its charities, and
enough proud men in il to grieve away
the holy Ghost and enough lazy men in
u to hang on behind till its wheels, like
Pharoahs chariots drag heavily, and
enough worldly men to exhaust the pa
thence of the very elect, and enough snarly
men to make appropriate the Bible warn
ing, Beware of dogs" If any of YOU
men on the outside of the kingdom ex-
pect to make such Christians as that. we
do not want you to come, for the church
has already million members too many
Of just that kind We do not want our
ranks crowded with serfs when we can
have them filled with zouaves
There are men now, as in Christs time,
possessed of seven devils. In some in
stances 1t seems as though at conversion
only six of those evil spirits were cast out.
while there remains still one In the heart.
nf Hin ha 1nxr1
the devil of pride. Men of the world. If
you would be transformed and elevated
by the power of the Gospel now is the
time to come. 1t is no mean ensign 1
lift this hour. II is a time honored flag
1t has been in terrific battle Draggled
in the dust of a Saviours humiliation
from Bethlehem to Calvary. Rent by
hell'S onset, the spears of a maddened
| soldiery, and the hands of the men who
said Let him be cruclfed." With this
ensign in his bleeding hand the Saviour
! scaled the nights Of our sin. With this
he mounted the walls Of perdition, and
amid its very smoke. and flame, and bias
phemy he waved his triumph, while dem
ons howled with defeat, and heaven
Thronged his chariot wheels
And bore him TO his throne;
Then swept their golden harps and sung,
The glorious work is done.
Again. when grand victory has been
won. II is customary TO announce IL by
flags floating from public buildings and
from trees and from the masts of ships.
They are the signal for eulogy and reioic-
ing and festivity. SO the ensign which
the church hoists is a banner of victory
| There was time when the religion of
Christ was not considered respectable
Men of learning and position frowned up
on IL. Governments mathematical its
supporters. To be a Christian was TO be
an undorling. But mark the difference
Religion has compelled the worlds respect.
Inhdelity, in the tremendous effort IL has
made TO crush IT, has complimented it's
power. And there Is not now a single civ
ilized nation but in its constitution, or laws
or proclamations pays homage to the re-
ligion of the cross. In the war in India
when Sir Archibald Campbell found I'm an
| hour of danger that the men he ordered
70 the field were intoxicated, and asked
for the pious men whom the Christian
Havelock had under his management ne
said: call out Havelock's saints. they are
never drunk, and Havelock is always
ready" That Christianity which gathered
its first trophies from the hsherman's
q