The Penn's Grove record., 1897-03-19

I StiO kuO uCIkutS VI Ouk oius az hfc
mounted the walls OF perdition, and amid 4;
very smoke and flame aud b!asphemy Ht
waved His triumph, while demons hoKled
with defeat and heaven
Thronged His chariot wheels
And bore Him to His throne,
Then swept their golden harps and sung.
The glorious work ID done.
Again, when a grand victory has been won
It Is customary to announce 1t by flags font.
in6 from public buildings and from trees and
from the masts OF ships. They arc the sig
nal Tor eulogy and rejoicing and festivlty'
80 the ensign which the church hoists Is a
banner Of victory. There was u time when
the religion OF Christ was not considered re-
spectacle. Men OF learning aud position
frowned upon II. Governments aunihema-
tiled its supporters. To be a Christian was
to be an underlIng. But mark the differ.
ence. Religion has compelled the world's
respect. 'Inddelity, in the tremendous
effort II has made to crush 1t, has compit-
mented Its power. Aud there Is not now a
single civilized nation bur in its constitution
or laws or proclamations pays homage to
the religion of the cross. In the war 10 In
dia, when Sir Archibald Campbell found, In
an hour OF danger, that the men he ordered
to the field were intoxicated, and asked for
the pious men whom the Christian Havelock
hal under his management. he said: "Call
out Hayo,ocl's saints. They arc never drgnk,
and Havelock Is always ready" That Chris
tianiiy which gathered its rsttrophies from
the fshermen's buts on tho shore OF Galliee
now has Samsonian strength thrown upon Its
shoulders and has clrrled off the gates of
science and worldly power. We point the
fortresses and staining armies and navles rs
the evidence of the church's progress. We
point to the men whom Christ has redeemed
by His blood.
What IL arsenals and navy yards do not be-
long to the church, We do not want them.
The weapon OF our warfare are not %carnal,
but spiritual and mighty through God to the
pulling down OF strongbolds. The world
and satan have nc idea OF the strength and
heroism which God will yet let out against
the forces OF darkness. As vet they have
had only one round from the first regiment.
The Lord OF Hosts viii soon appear In the
field at the head of his troops. Depend
upon It that when God inspires the soul with
q new life he puts in it the principle OF
"ncver give up" In all ages OF the church
there have been those who have had a faith
that was almost equal to sight, looking
through persecution and reverses with as
much expectation as through palpable
achievements. There have boon men for
Christ who have acted rs did the favorite
troops OF Brien, attacked by Fitzpatrick 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 one OF these stakes, to battle
in the ranks by the side Of a sound man."
1t Is said that 700 or 800 mon, pale and
emaciated from former wounds n thus
supported by the stakes. struggled through
the combat. Thus has-it been that multi
tudes OF the children OF God, though feel
ing themselves weak and wouuded-per-
haps in body, perhaps In estate, perhaps in
soul-supported by the staff of Gods prom
Use, have warred 1t up to the hilt in the sub
jugation of n world Of w~lckedness.
We are mighty In this cause, for we have
the help OF the pious dead. Messengers Of
salvation from high heaven, they visit the
field. They stand behind US to keep us from
encourage us In the strife. The McCheynes,
and the Paysons, and the Martyrs, and the
Braiuerds, an ~uncounted multitude Of the
glorl1ed, are our c~oadjutors. Have you
heard the Swiss tradition TIL herdsmen
say that three gre1t leaders OF the Helvetic
nation, though seemingly dend, are ONLY
lying down under the ground In their old
time dress, refreshing themselves with sleep,
and that II at any time the liberties Of their
country are In danger they will immediate
ly spring to their feet aud drive back the
enemy. May l not have the thought
that II ever the church OF the blessed
Christ shall be threatened with destruction
| Nv ku0 IOtS WulCu bOoll wv kICat bVl
| strength the Lord himself will not only come
to the deliverance, but those great a1cients
who have seemed to be sleeping among the
dead shall Immediately 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 conquerors through Him that loved
us?" Although we have already much to
encourage us in the work OF the worlds
evangelization, yet wo must confess that
much OF our time has been consumed In
planting our batteries n 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 missionary stations.
They nave scarcely yet begun to accom-
plish what they propose. Ittakes some time
to dig the trenches and elevate the standard
and direct tho great guns. From whtes !
hear Think Il are about ready now. Let
but the grent Captain wave the signal, and
the ringing Of celestial weaponry shall quake
every dungeon Of hell and sound up among
the thrones OF heaven. Pagodas and temples
shall tumble under the shock and besotted
nations shall fly from their idols and super
~stitions, shouting like the COMPOUNDED
worshipers OF Baal: "The Lord, He is the
God! The Lord. He is tibet od!"
We 90 not alone to the field. We rave in
vipcible allies In the dumb elements of ma
ture. As Job said. we are In league will the
very stones OF the iield. The sun by day and
the moon by night, directly or indirectly,
shall favor Christianity. The stars In their
courses are marshaled for US, Us they fought
against Sisera. The winds Of heaven are o
as certainly acting In favor of Christ as in
reformation times The invlncible armada 10
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 arc ours. Aye. God the
Father. God the Son and God the Holy Ghost
are our allies.
The Mohammedans, in their struggle 10
subiugaie the world, had passages from the
Koran inscribed on the blades of their scimi-
tiers, and we have nothing to fear II, ap.
preaching the inidelity and malice that OPP
pose the Kingdom OF Christ. We shall have
glittering on our swords the words OF David
10 the giant, 81 coh.s to thee In then name OIL
the Lord OF Hosts, the God OF the armies oil
Israel, whom thou hast deled."
Now the church goes forth bearing pre-
cious seed, but after awhile 1t will be the
sheaf binding, and reaper angels shall shout
tho harvest home. Nowit Is tents and march,
ing aud exposure, but then, in the ranks Of
PROSTATE inIquity and on the very walls oil
heaven, "in the name Of God We will set up
our : anners."
The earth sends up its long, deep groan Of
pain and clanks the great chains OF its bond
age and cries by tho voice OF sea and land
and sky, "How long, o Lord, how lo1~?'
There was a tr idition on the other side OF
the water that the daughter of Lir was
! transformed into a bird OF the air and that
sho wandered for hundreds OF years over
river and lake until the arrival OF CHRIS
tianity and that at the stroke Of the
nrst cathedral bell her spirit was freed.
Uncounted millions OF our race by the
power ofsln and satan have been transformed
into a state OF wretchedness, aud they wan
der like the poor daughter Of Lir, but they
shall after awhile he released. When the
great church OF Christ shall In those dark
ene6 lands from its tower ring out the glad
tidings Of the gospel, then millions of wan
deriug souls shall Mad rest in ii Saviour's
pity and a, Saviour's love, transported from
the kingdom OF satan into the kingdom OF
Gods dear Son.
BY. and by you would hardly know the
earth IL you saw it,. The world as q whole
shall be as greatly improved rs the individual
heart by conversion. Fraud, leaving its
trlekery, viii go to work foran honest living.
Knnvery shall begin to make righteous