Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-01-05

NSS~&A Rab-shakeh had
been largely paid
TO stop the siege, he kept the money
and continued the siege-the military
miscreant! Rab-shakeh derides the
capacity of the city to defend itself, and
practically says, you have not two
thousand men who can manage horses.
Produce two thousand cavalrymen, and
will give you present of two thou
sand cavalry horses. You have not in
all your besieged city of Jerusalem two
thousand men who can mount them,
and by bit and bride control horse"
Rab-shakeh realized that it is easier to
find horses than skilful riders, and
hence he makes the challenge of the
text, II will deliver thee two thousand
horses, if thou be able to set riders
upon them"
Rab-shakeh, like many another bad
man, said very suggestive thing. The
world is full of great energies and great
opportunities, but few know how to
bride them and mount them and man-
age them. More spirited horses than
competent riders! The fact Is ina. In
the church of God we have plenty of
fortresses we'll manned, and plenty Of
heavy artillery, and plenty Of solid
columns of brave, Christian soldiery,
but what we most need is cavalry
mounted troops of God - for sudden
charge that seems almost desperate.
If Washington, if New York, If Lon
don are ever taken for God, it will not
be by slow bombardment of argu-
mentation, or by regular Numbering
of great theological guns from the port
holes of the churches. but by gallop of
sudden assault and rush of holy energy
that will astound and throw into panic
the long lines of drilled opposition,
armed TO the teeth. Nothing so scares
the forces of sin as revival that
comes, they know not whence, to do
that which they cannot tell, to work
In way that they cannot understand.
They will be overcome by flank move
ment. The church of God must double
up their right or left wing. If they
expect us from the north, we will take
them from the south. If they expect
us at twelve o'clock at noon, we will
come upon them at twelve o'clock at
night. The opportunities for this as
sault are great and numerous, but
where are the men?" Il will deliver
thee two thousand horses, if thou be
able to set riders upon them"
The opportunities of saving America
and saving the entire planet were never
so many, never so urgent, never so tre-
mendous as now Have you not noticed
the Willingness of the printing press
of the country to give the subject of
evangelism full swing in column after
column? Such work was formerly con-
fined to tract distribution and religious
Journalism Now the morning and
evening newspapers, by hundreds and
thousands of copies, print all religious
Intelligence and print most awakening
discourses. Never since the world has
stood has such force been offered to
all engaged in the worlds evangelical
ton. OF the more than fifteen thou
sand newspapers on this continent,
do not know one that is not alert to
catch and distribute all matters of re-
ligious information. Oh, now | see
mighty suggestiveness in the fact that
the first book of any Importance that
was ever published, after Johann Gut
enberg invented the art of printing,
was the Bible. Well might that poor
man toll on, polishing stones and man
ufacturing looking glasses, and max
ing experiments that brought upon him
the charge or insanity, and borrowing
money, now from Martin Brother and
now from Johann Faust, until he set
on foot the mightiest power for the
evangeiiZation of the world. The statue
in bronze which Thorwaldsen erected
for Gutenberg in 1897, and the statue
concentrating him by David DAN
gers in 1910, and unveiled amid all the
pomp that military professions and
German bands of best music could
give the occasion, were Insignificant
compared with the fact, to be demon
strated before all earth and all heaven,
that Johann Gutenberg, under God, in
augurated forces which will yet accom-
plish the worlds redemption. The
newspaper press will yet announce ma
tions born in a day The newspaper
press will report Christ's sermons yet
to be delivered, and describe his per-
sonal appearance, if, as some think, he
shall come again to reign on earth. The
newspaper press may yet publish
Christ's proclamation of the worlds
emancipation from sin and sorrow and
death. Tens of thousands of good men
In this and other lands have been or
dained by the laying on of hands to
preach the Gospel, but it seems to me
that just now, by the laying on of the
hands OF the Lord God Almighty, the
newspaper presses are being ordained
for preaching the Gospel with wider
sweep and mightier resound than we
have ever yet imagined The iron
horses of the printing press are all
ready for the battle, but where are the
men good enough and strong enough to
mount and guide them? Il will deliver
thee two thousand horses, il thou be
able to set riders upon them"
Go out to the Soldiers Home and
talk with the men who have been in
The wars. and they will give You right