The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-03-19

in the heart-the devil VI dNdflCe, tue
devil of lust or the devil Of pride. Men
of the world, if you would be trans
formed and elevated by the power of the
gospel, now is the time to come. 1t is
no mean ensiNn lift this hour. 1t is a
time honoreu flag. 1t has been in ter
rifle battle. Draggled in the dust of a
Savioul's humiliation from Bethlehem
to Calvary. Rent by hell's onslaught
the spears Of a maddened soldiery and
the hands of men who said, "Let him
be crucifed. " With this ensign in his
bleeding hand the Saviour scaled the
heights of our sin With this he mount.
ed the walls Of perdition, and amid ita
very smoke and flame and blasphemy he
waved his triumph, while demons howl.
ed 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.
Victory Signal.
Again, when a grand victory has
been won, it is customary to announce
it by flags floating from public build
ings and from trees and from the masts
of ships. They are the signal for eulogJ
and rejoicing and festivity. So the en-
sign which the church hoists is a banner
of victory. There was a time when the
religion of Christ was not considered
respectable. Men Of learning and posi-.
ton frowned upon it. Government
mathematical its supporters. To be d
Christian was to be an underling. But
mark the difference. Religion has com.
PEELED the worlds respect. Infidelity, III
the tremendous effort it has made tc
crush it, has cOmplimented its power.
And there is not now single civilized
nation but i'll it's constitution or laws o.
prOclamatiOns pays homage to the reli'
giOn of the cross. In the war in India,
when Sir Archibald Campbell found IL
an hour Of danger that the men he or.
dered to the field We're intoxicated and
asked for the pious men whom the Chris
tian Havelock had under his manage
ment, he said: Call out HavelOck' 4
saints. They are never drunk, and Have.
lock is always ready" That Chris
tianity which gathered its first trophies
from the fsheImen's huts on the shore
of Galilee now has SamsOnian strength
thrown upon it's shoulders and has car.
ried off the gates Of science and world.
ly power. We point not to the fOrtresseE
and standing armies and navies as the
evidence of the churchs progress. We
point to the men whom Christ has re-
deemed by Lis blood
What if arsenals and navy yards dc
not belong to the church? We do not
want them. The weapons of our war
fere are not carnal, but spiritual and
mighty through God to the pulling
down Of strongholds, The world apC
satan have no idea of the strength and
heroism which God will yet let Out
against the forces of darkness. AS yet
they have had only one round from the
first regiment. The Lord of Hosts will
soon appear in the field at the head OF
his troops. Depend upon it that whel
God inspires the soul with new life hC
puts in it the principle of never give
up" In all ages of the church there
have been those who have had a faitl
that was almost equal TO sight, looking
through persecution and reverses with
as much expectation as through palpablt
achievement, s. There have been men fol-
Christ who have acted as did the favor.
lite troops of Brien, attacked by Fitzpat.
rick Of Ossory. The wounded soldier
begged that they might enter the fight
with the others. They said, Let stakC'
be stuck in the ground and suffer ca,
VI us, tied to and supported by one
these stakes, to battle i'll the ranks
the side of a sound man. 1t is sa
that 700 or 800 men, pale and emaciatc
from former wounds and thus supported
by the stakes, struggled through thc
combat. Thus has it been that multi
tudes of the children of God, though
feeling themselves weak and wounded
perhaps in body, perhaps in estate, per
haps in soul-supported by the staff
God s promise, have warred it up to the
hilt i'll the subjugation of world Of
wickedness.
Mighty Cause.
We are mighty in this cause, for we
have the help of the pious dead. Mes,
sengers of salvation from high heaven,
they visit the field. They stand behind
us to keep us from ignominious retreat
They go before us to encourage us in the
strife. The McCheyncs and the Pay
sons, and the Martyrs, and the Brain
erds, an uncOunted multitude of the
glorified, are our coadjutors. Have you
heard the swiss tradition? The herds.
men say that three great leaders Of the
Helvetic nation though seemingly dead,
are only lying down under the ground
in their Old time dress, refreshing
themselves with sleep, and that if a
any time the liberties of their country
are III danger they will Immediately
spring to their feet and drive back the
enemy. May | not have the thought
that if ever tie church of the blessed
Christ shall LC threatened with destruc
ton by the foes which seem too great
for her strength the Lord himself viii
not only come to the delivcTance, but
those great ancients who have seemed
to be sleeping among the dead shall i'm
mediately hear the trumpet blast Of the
church militant, and, full armed, spring
back to their Old positions i'll the ranks
of God with the battlpCry. More than