Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-03-15


lineaments. Though tossed and driven
by the storms Of 6,000 years, she sails
bravely yet, and as at her launching in
the beginning the morning stars sang
together and al the sons CT God shouted
fer Joy, SO at last, yyhen coming into
the calm barber of Gcd's mercy, she
shall he greeted by the huzzas of glori-
fed kingdoms It is rot the world
against which we contend, but it's
transgressio.s. Whatever is obstinate in
the WILL DEGRADING in passion, harmful
in custom, Use in friendship, hypocrit-
ical i'll ofession-against ali this
Christ makes onset. From false profes-
sion he would tear the mask. From OPP
preston be would tear the rod From
pride he would rend off the plumes
From revenge he would exercise the
devil. While Christ loved the world SO
much he died to save it, he hates sin SO
well that to eradicate the last trace of
its pollution he viii utterly consume
the continents and the oceans. At the
gate Of Eden the declaration of perpet-
ual 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 fire was only ere of God S
flaming bulletins announcing hostility.
Nineveh and Tyre and Jerusalem in
awful ruin mark the track CT Jehovah's
advancement. They show that God was
terribly IN earnest when he announced
himself abhcrrent Of all iniquity. They
make us believe that, though nations
belligerent and revengeful may sign ar
ticles of peace and come to an amicable
adjustment, 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
temporary defeats, shrinking from no
exposure, every man to his position,
while from the tops of cur schoolhouses
and churches ard seninaries and asy-
lums Tin 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 ar
mics to lift an ensign on the top Of some
high hill, SO that all who saw it would
more modern times the same plan has
been employed for the gathering of an
army. Thus it is that the church of
Christ lifts its flag for recruits. The
cross of Jesus is our standard, planted
on the hill of Calvary. Other armies
demand that persons desiring to enter
the lists Of war shall be between such
and such All age, lest the folly of ex-
IRENE youth or the infrmity of advanced
age be clog rather than an advantage
But none is too young for Christ's reg
iment; none can be too DID, The hand
that is strong enough to bound ball or
trundle a hcop is skilled enough to fight
for Christ, while many hand trem-
bling with old age has grasped the ar
row Of truth, and with q 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 serv-
ice well, although you now bear tho
scars Of multitudinous conflicts and can
recount many q long march and tell Of |
siege guns opened Oh you that you
thought never would be spiked But |
there may be some who have not yet en-
listed. Your being here implies that |
you are seriously thinking about it, and |
your attention makes me hope you are |
)nly looking for the standard to be |
nolsted. Will you not, 100 of you, with |
Ill the aroused enthusiasm of your ma |
5ure, come boending into the ranks,
while '1in the name of God we set up
our banners?''
Through natural modesty do you hold
pack and say, II will be of no advan-
age to Christ. I am too awkward to
earn the step of the host CT to be of
my service in the shock of battle?'' To I
Tou I make the reply. Try it, One hour
lnder Christ's drill, and you would SO
veil understand his rules that the first
tep Of your march heavenWard would |
make the gates Of hell tremble on their
hinges. We may not be as polished and
rim as many Christians we have
-nown, and we may not as well under
tand sharpshooting, but there is rough
work. which we can all accomplish We
nay be axmen and hew a pathway
trough the forests We may be spades
men and dig the trenches or throw up
he Notifications. We do not care where,
We do not care what, if we can only
lelp in the cause of our King and shout
IS loudly as any of them at the compile
ion of the conquest.
There are nonprofessors who have a
cry correct idea of what Christians
ught to be. You have seen members of
he church who were as proud as Ahab
nd lied as badly as Ananias and who
we're as foul hypocrites as Judas You
bhor all that. You say followers Of
)hrist ought to be honorable, humble
nd self denying and charitable and pa
lent and forgiving. Amen. So they
ught. Come into the kingdom of
,hriSt NV hnarnr and no irct that