The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-20


nest when He sought to save the perishing.
May your lives give a like testimony con-
,cernlhg your earnestness ana enthusiasm
IN your work for Christ and country.
The earnest. faithful soldier of the crcsg
VIII not be discouraged by apparent failbls
IN the midst of disappointment, he does not
throw down his weapon, leave the ranks
ana spend his time weeping in the grave
Sara OF buried hopes If all the
some tailure comes to them, our almshouses
would be full of paupers and our highways
f fud, OF tramps If all the preachers who
Ltei tnat they have sometimes utterly
tailed to preach should cease 10 try there
YOU'D be good many vacant pulpits in the
Y. r Church. know something of the
ENCOURAGEMENT that came to the Western
farmers when their crop had failed twice
or more IN succession. Did they say. We
sterner stuff. Though sad at heart as they
thought upon wasted labors and blighted
EIospeGtS' they planted more than ever be-
lore with the nope and prayer that God
would bless them in the time of reaping.
And in the harvest time. with beaming
faces and glad hearts. l have heard them
challenge the world to produce a garden
spot more fruitful Thus Il may be in
many field where there has been spiritual
sunshine and showers of blessing will one
day bring more abundant harvest to these
.Christlan Unions than was ever seen upon
the fertile plains of the West. The prom
Uses of the word of God are for us. There
is no danger of them breaking down. 1t is
rot faith, but doubt, that looks at hin
We can't do anything; the sons of Anak
are too strong for US 1t is faith, not doubt.
that says, Relying upon the promises of
God let us so up and possess the land
The difference between doubt and faith is
in their attitude toward the promises of
almighty God and 1t accounts for the dis
enlargement and failure of the one and the
courage and success of the other.
"A man crossing the Mississippi on the
ice concluded. when he came to the middle,
that there was danger of the ice giving
way. He was naturally very much fright
ened, and, in order to proceed more safely
on his journey. he went down on his hands
and knees. He was crawling along with
great caution when he heard a noise below
him. He looked down the river and saw
four-horse team hitched to a loaded wagon
crossing the river on the ice. He was
ashamed of his silly conduct when he
learned that the ice was a foot thick and
would hold up any weight that might be
placed upon it. 1t is an amusing picture TO
watch man crawling along on ice that
would hold up a brick block. But, OH 1t Is
sad sight to watch a child of God stepping
so gingerly and so tenderly upon His prom
ises as to suggest danger of their preaK1
ing down. Such a sad catastrophe VIII
never occur. All the redeemed In glory
have stood upon these promises and their
saints on earth have borne the weight or
their souls salvation and rested their hopes
of success in Christian work upon these
promises and not single one of them ever
gave way. In like manner let us step out
firmly upon Gods promises during this
coming year of service, and let. us attempt
great things for Christ and country.
DUTY TO A MINISTER.
1.-THE minister is not hired to do all the
mission work Of your congregation, and the
professed child of God that acts upon this
theory will not be found in the Christian
soldiers place. In almost every congrega-
ton represented here / venture there has
been scene like this enacted: There is a
late arrival at the door on Sabbath morn
ing and the usher is looking about to find
him a seat. The roads were so bad that he
was not able to get there on time. In fact,
the roads have been bad out in his direction
for long time. His usual time of arrival
is when the preacher is announcing his sec
ondly. On this morning the back seats are
all hlled and the usher is under the palnIul
necessity of taking him UP to the front
row. He reaches the front of the church
and turns aroun6 to usher the tate arrival
into the proper place, when he makes the
embarrassing discovery that the individual
is not there. He dropped into the usher
chair back beside the door, and with the
rest of the congregation seems to be enjoy
ing the rather amusing situation. The dis
appointment of the usher may be imagined,
and it would not be strange If there was
tinge of red in his face and a tinge of anger
in his breast as he beats hasty retreat
down the aisle.
But it is more embarrassing and more
Notifying still for a leader in the church
to attempt aggressive Christian work IN the
his members and then to make the sad
discovery that they have dropped into easy
seats Dy the WdySlut anu - lew
left Of the magnificent force that started
out so heavily. Such condition Of affairs
reminds one of the oft-repeated pastors
dream. He dreamed that his church was
stage coach at the foot of a long, steep
hill. The responsibility of taking that
heavy coach to the summit rested upon
himself At first he was almost discour-
aged, but his officers and members babe
all help him. He should guide, the tongue;
some of them would turn the wheels; others
would push; and so, together they would
heavy coach moved slowly but surely up
ward. After time, however, its weight
seemed to increase It BECAME SO heavy nt
FIAT the members had grown tired
coach LAND and were sitting contentediy inside
No one man can drag the gospel chariot
along the highways of a needy world with
heaviest load will move up the steepest hill.
do the members of this union and the
members Of our churches ask for an easy
want place and work where there will
be no hardships and no trials? If so, 1t Is
a sad day for our beloved church. It was
not an easy service that came to the sol
der of the Union in the dark hour of our
country's need. There was a strange, sad
feeling present when the new recruit ate his
last breakfast at home He tried to bear
up bravely when his fathers voice grew
husky in the reading of the Bible at family
falling thick and fast when his father
committed his boy into the keeping OF the
God who hears the ravens when they cry
and watches the sparroWS when they fall.
He did not try to speak. he knew he could
not, when he stood upon the threshold UNI
der the vining Virginia creeper TO re-
ceive his mothers parting kiss and benedic-
ton. On the brow of the hill he looked
back to wave his hand once more in last
adieu to home and friends. He wondered
whether he would ever again hear the To-
Gusts singing their monotonous song in the
old apple tree or watch the hum
ming-brd darting from flower to
flower in the honeysuckle vine.
He did not start on pleasure trip on that
eventful morning He did not expect
heart was not as bright and gay as that
of an uncaged bird. He slept on no bed of
roses when bhey tented the old camp
ground. After the Wearying march he
dreamed of home, with knapsack for
his pill ar and the starlit sky for a cover
ing.
1T was not boyish sport when the regi-
ment waited for the word in line of battle
and the bursting shells carried death and
destruction on every side. And when the
word came and the regiment went forward
like one man TO meet the enemy in the
shell. tie clash of steel on steel proved
that it was no chld's play 10 rally round
the flag boys, and rally once again. shout
ing the battle cry of freedom. And when
the fierce tornado of mans fury had passed
by, the wounded found no flowery beds Of
blood-stained battlefields. And when death
came. there were not many friends nor
flowers nor costly caskets there, but their
uncoffined clay was laid TO rest in I'M
marked. unnamed graves.
BE AS BRAVE AS SOLDIERS.