The Monitor-register., 1897-03-19


soon appear in the field at the head OF
his troops. Depend upon it that when
God inspires the soul with a new life he
puts in it the principle of never give
up" In all ages of the church there
have been those who have had q faith
that was almost equal to sight, looking
through persecution and reverses with
as much expectation as through palpable
achievements. There have been men for
Christ who have acted as did the favor
lite troops of Brien, attacked by Fitzpat-
rick of Ossory. The wounded soldiers
begged that they might enter the fight
with the others. They said, "Let stakes
be stuck in the ground and suffer each
of us, tied to and supported by II OF
these stakes, to battle in the ranks by
the side of a sound man. 1t is said
that 700 or 800 men, pale and emaciated
from former wounds and thus supported
by the stakes, struggled through the
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 of
Gods promise, have warred it up to the
hilt in the ~subjugation of a world of
wickedness.
A 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
VIC ~ 1zaan nj frop, prop,iDio,,c ra+roo+
They go before us to encourage us in the
strife. The McCheynes, and the Pay
sons, and the Martyrs, and the Brain
erds, an %uncounted multitude of the
gloriied, 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 at
any time the liberties of their country
are in danger they will Immediately
spring to their feet and drive back the
enemy. May l not have the thought
that if ever the church of the blessed
Christ shall be threatened with destruc-
ton by the foes which seem toe great
for her strength the Lord himself will
not only come to the deliverance, 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 in the ranks
| of God, with the battlecry, More than
| conquerers through him that loved us?"
| Although we have already much to en-
courage us in the work of the worlds
| evangelization, yet we must confess that
much of cur time has been consumed in
| planting our batteries and getting ready
for the conflict. We have not yet begun
to preach. We have not yet begun to
pray. We have not yet begun to work.
| On the coast of heathendom are mission
airy stations. They have scarcely yet be-
gun to accomplish what they propose,
1t takes some time to dig the trenches
and elevate the standard and direct the
great guns. From what 1 hear I think
they are about ready now. Let but the
great Captain wave the signal, and the
ringing of celestial weaponry shall
quake every dungeon of hell and sound
| up thIAOAS oAO l4llOACs VI LCafCu L dSO-
das and temples shall tumble under the
shock and besotted nations flying from
their idols and superstitions, shouting
like the COMPOUNDED worshipers of Baal:
"The Lord, he is the Godl The Lord,
he is the God!'
We go not alone to the field. We have
invinoible allies in the dumb elements
of nature. AS Job said, we are in league
with the very stones of the field. The
sun by day and the moon by night, di-
rectly or indirectly, shall favor Chris
tianity. The stars in their courses are
marshaled for us, as they fought against
Sisera. The winds of heaven are now as
certainly acting in favor of Christ as in
reformation times the invincible arma-
da in its pride approached the coast of
England. As that proud navy directed
Its guns against the friends of Christ
and religious liberty, God said unto his
winds, "Seize hold of them,'' and to
the sea, "Swallow Them" The Lord.
with his tempests, dashed their hulls
together and splintered them on the
rocks until the flower of Spanish pride
and valor lay crushed among the waves
of the seabeach. All are ours. Aye,
God the Father, God the Son and God
the Holy Ghost are our alliesl
The Mohammedans, in their struggle
to subjugate the world, had passages
from the Koran inscribed on the blades
OF their scimiters, and we have nothing
to fear if, approaching the infidelity
and malice that oppose the kingdom of
Christ, we shall have glittering ON our
swords the words of David to the giant,
II come to thee in the name of the
Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of
Israel, whom thou hast defied,"
Effect of the Conquest.
Now the church goes forth bearing
precious seed, but after awhile it will
be thes heaf binding, and reaper angels
shall shout the harvest home. Now it
is tents and marching and exposure, but
then, In the ranks Of PROSTATE iniquity
inc on the very walls of heaven, Gin the
name OF God we will set up our ban
ners."
The earth sends up its long, deep
groan of pain and clanks the great
chains OF its bondage and cries by the
voice OF sea and land and sky, "How
long, o Lord, how long?'' There was a
tradition on the other side of the water
that the daughter of Lir was transform
ed into a bird of the air and that she
wandered for hundreds of years over
river and lake until the arrival of Chris
tianity and that at the stroke of the
first cathedral bell her spirit was freed.
Uncounted millions of our race by the
power of sin and satan have been trans
formed into a state of wretchedness,
and they wander like the poor daughter
of Lir, but they shall after awhile be
released. When the great church of
Christ shall in those darkened lands
from its tower ring out the glad tidings
OF the gospel, then millions of wander
ing souls shall find rest in a Saviour's
pity and a Saviour's love, transported
from the kingdom of satan into the
kingdom of Gods lear Son