Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-03-18

would tear the mask. from oppression he
would snatch the rod. From pride he
would rend of the plumes. From rcTenge
he would exercise the devil While Christ
loved the world so much he Gied TO save il,
he hates sin so we'll that 70 eradicate the
last trace Of It's pollution b. will utterly
consume the continents and the oceans
At the gate Of Eden the declaration Of per-
pcrual enmity was made against the ser
pent The tumult roundabout Mount
Sinai was only the roar and flash of Gods
artillery of wrath against sin. SOdom on
ilre was only one of Gods flaming bulletins
announcing hostility. Nineveh and Tyre
and Jerusalem in awful ruin mark the
track of Jehoyah's advancement. They
show that God was terribly in earnest
when he announced himself abhorrent of
all iniuuity. They make us believe that
though nations belligerent and revengeful
may sign articles of peace and come to an
hmicable adjustments there shall be no
cessation of hostilities between the forces
of light and the forces of darkness until
the kingdoms of this world have become
the kingdoms of our Lord. Affrighted by
no opposition, discouraged by no tempo
rary defeats, shrinking from no exposure
every man to his position, while from the
top of our schools and churches and semi
haries and asylums ''in the name Of God
we will set up our banners"
A Glorious Standard.
Again, it was the custom in ancient
times for the purpose Of gathering armies
to lift an ensign on the top Of some high
hill, so that all who saw it would feel inn
PEELED to rally around it, In more modern
times the same plan has been employed for
the gathering of an army. Thus it is that
the church of Christ lifts it's flag for re-
cruits. The cross of Jesus is our standard,
planted on the hill of Calvary. Other ar
mics demand that persons desiring to en-
ter the lists of war shall be between such
and such an age, lest the folly of extreme
youth or the infrmity of advanced age he
clog rather than an advantage. But none
is too young for Christ's regiment; none
can be too old The hand that is strong
enough to bound ball or trundle hoop
i9 skilled enough to fight for Christ, while
many hand trembling with old age has
grasped the arrow of truth, and, with a
dim eye close to it, taking aim, has sent
| its 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 be-
ing here implies that you are seriously
thinking about it, and your attention
makes me hope you are only looking fol
the standard to be hoisted. Will you not,
100 of you, with all the aroused enthusi
asm of your nature, come bounding into
the ranks, while Sin the name of God We
set up our banners?"
Through natural modesty do you hold
back and say: II will be of no advantage
to Christ. am too awkward to learn the
step of the host, or to be of any service il
the shock of battle?' To you make the
reply, Try it. Ono hour under Christ.
drill, and you would so we'll understand
his rules that the first step of your marcl
hcavenward would make the gates of hel
tremble on their hinges. We may not be a:
polished and trim rs many Christians W.
have known, and we may not as we'll un
derstand sharpshooting, but there is rougl
work which we can all accomplish. w
may be axmen and hew pathway through
the forests. We may be spadesmen and dig
the trenches or throw up the Notifications
We do not care where, we do not care wha
If we can only help in the cause of ou
king and shout as loudly as any Of them a
the completion Of the conquest.
Serfs OF Zouaves.
There are nonprofessors who have YER
correct idea of what Christians ought t.
be. You have seen members of the churcl
who were as proud as Ahab and lied q
badly as Ananias, and who We're as fou
| hypocrites as Judas. You abhor all that
You say followers of Christ ought to b
| honorable, humble and self denying ant
charitable and patient and forgiving
Amen! So they ought. Come into tn
kingdom of Christ, my hearer, and be jus
that glorious Christian that you have de
! scribed. Every church has enough sting.
men in it to arrest it's charities, and enough
proud men in it to grieve away the Hol..
Ghost, and enough lazy men in it to han.
on behind till its wheels, like Pharaoh
chariots, drag heavily, and enough world
ly men to exhaust the patience of the yer,
elect, and enough snarly men to make ap
propriate the Bible warning, beware o
| dogs!" If any of you men on the outsid
of the kingdom expect to mako such Chris
tians as that, we do not want you to come
for the church has already q million mem
bers too many of just that kind. We d
not want our ranks crowded with serf
| when we can have them filled with zouaves
! There are men now, as in Christ's time
possessed Of seven devils. In some in
stances it seems as though at conversion
only six of those evil spirits were cast out
while there remains still one in the heart
the devil of avarice, the devil of lust or tn
devil of pride. Men of the world, if yol
would be transformed and elevated by tn
power of the gospel, now is the time t
come. 1t is no mean ensign I lift thi
hour. 1t is time honored flag. It ha
been in terrific battle. Draggled in th
dust of Saviour's humiliation from Beth
lehem to Calvary. Rent by hell's onset
the spears of a.maddened soldiery, and th
hands of the men who said, "Let him b
crucifed." With this ensign in his bleed
ing hand tho Saviour scaled the heights c
our sin. With this he mounted the wall
of perdition, and amid its very smoke an
flamo and biasphemy he waved his tri
umph, while demons howled with defea
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 bee
won, lis customary to announce it by flag
floating from public buildings, and fror
trees, and from the masts of ships. The
are the signal for eulogy and rejoicing an
festivity. So the ensign which the churc
hoists is % banner of victory. There wa
time when the religion of Christ was nc
considered respectable. Men of learnin
and position frowned upon it. Govern
nents anathematized its supporters L
be Christian was to be an underlinq
Rl1t mark the difference RcliuiDn ba