St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-04-17

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one Of Gods flaming bulletins aanounc-
ing hostility. Ninevah and Tyre and
Jerusalem in awful ruin mark tie track
Of Jehovah's advancement. They show
that God was terribly in earnest. when
He announced Himself abhoFrent Of ell
iniquity. They make Us believe that
though nations belligrent and revenge
full may sign articles Of peace and come
to an amicable adjustment. there shall
be ND 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 top of
schools and churches and eeminaries
and asylums, In the name OF God We
will set up our banners"
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 impelled 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 His 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 an age, lest the folly OF ex-
treme youth or the infirmity OF ad-
vanced age be = clog rather than an
advantage. But none are too young
for Christ's regiment; none can be
too. old. The hand that is strong
enough to bound q ball or trun-
die . hoop is skilled enough to
fight for Christ, while many : hand
trembling with old age has grasped
the arrow 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 ofyou 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 con-
flicts 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 being here
implies that you are seriously thinking
about it, and your attention makes me
hope you are only looking for the
standard to be hoisted. Will you not,
. hundred of you, with all the aroused
enthusiasm of your nature, come bound
ing into the ranks, while I'm the name
of God we set up our banners?"
Through natural modesty do you hold
back and say: II will be of no advsn-
tage to Christ; l am too awkward to
learn the step of the host, or to be Of
any service in the shock of battle?" To
you make the reply: Try it. One hour
under Christ's drill, and you would 50
well understand His rules that the first
step of your march Heavenward would
make the gates of hell tremble on their
hinges. We may not be rs polished and
trim rs many Christians we have
known, and we may not as well under
stand sharp shooting, but there is rough
work which we can all accomplish. We
may be axmen and hew . pathway
through the forests. We may be
spadesmen and dig the trenches or
throw mp the Notifications. We do not
care where, we do not care what-if we
can only help in the cause Of our King
and shout as loudly as any of them 1t
the completion of the contest
There are non-professors who have .
very correct idea of what Christians
ought to be. You have seen members
of the church who were as proud rs
Ahab and lied as badly as Ananias. and
who were IS foul hyp9crites Is Judas
You abhor all that You say followers
of Christ ought tp:be honorable. hum
BILE and self-denying, and charitable,
and patient and forgiving. Amen! So
they ought. Come into the kingdom
Of Christ, my nearer, and Be just that
glorious Christian that you have de-
scribed. Every Sh9rch has enough
stingy men ins # to arrest its
charities, and enough proud men
in it to grieve awdNsthe Holy Ghost,
and enough lazy men in it to hang on
behind till its wReels, like Pharaoh's
chariots, drag. sheavily, and enough
worldly, men to exhaust the patience of
the very elect, and enough snarly men
to mak6raRpa0priate the Bible warn
ing: s'Beware Of dogs" II any of you
men on the outside of the kingdom ex-
pect to make such Christians rs that,
we do not want to come, for the church
has already million members too
many Of just that kind. We do not
want our ranks crowded with serfs
when we can have them filled with
xOuaves.
time, possessed of seven devils. In
some instances it seems rs though 1t
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 Inst, or the devil of pride.
Men OF. the world, If you would be
transformed and elevated by the power
of the Gospel, now is the time to come.
It is NO mean ensign lift this hour. 1t
is . time-honored nag. It has been in
terrific battle. Draggled in the dust
OF . Saviour's humiliation from Bethle-
hem to Calvary. Rent by hell's onset.
the spears of . maddened soldiery, and
the hands of the men who said: ''Let
Him be crucified." With this ensign in
His bleeding hand the Saviour scaled the
heights Of our sin. With this He
mounted the walls of perdition, and
amid it, very smoke, and flame, and
blasphemy He waved His triumph, while
demons howled with defeat, and Heaven
Thronged His chariot wheels
And bore Him 70 His throne;
Then swept their golden haxps and sung.
The glorious work Is done.
Again, when . grand victory has been
won, it is customary to announce it by
nags floating from public buildings and
from the masts Of ships. They are the
signal for eulogy and rejoicing and
festivity. So the ensign which the
church hoists is . banner Of victory.
There was = time when the religion Of
Christ was not considered respectable.
Men Of learning and position frowned
upon It. Governments anathemAti1ed
| its supporters To be . Christian VA
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