The Penn's Grove record., 1897-03-19
REV. DIR. TAIMAGE
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY TUE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject. "a Mighty Warfare.

SUBJECT; "A mighty warfare.
TEXT, "1n the name OF God we will set up
our banners. Psalms xx., s.
I hate war. In our boyhood we may have
read the biography Of Alexander or OF some
Revolutionary hero tntfl our voting hearts
beat high and we wished We had been born
over 100 years ago just for the glory OF sttik-
ing down d Hessian. For rusty swords hung
up on the rpfters and bullets cut out Of log
houses In which they were lodged during the
great strife We had unbounded admiration,
or on tome public day, clothed In our grand
fathers soldieriy Accoutermeuts, we felt as
brave as GarIbaldl or Miitiaies. We are
wiser now, for we make q vast distinction
btween the poetry and the prose OF war.
The roll OF drums, aud the call OF bugles,
and the champing OF steeds foaming and
paving for the battle, a hundred thousand
muskets glitterlng among the dancing
plumes, God Save tho King" waving up
from clarinets and trumpets and rung back
from deep defles or the arches OF q PROSTATE
city. distant capitals OF kingdoms Illuminated
Mt the tidings, generals returning home I'M
der flaming arches and showerlDg atnar-
anths and the shout OF empires--that Is
poetry.
Chilled and half blanketed, lying on the
wet earth, feet sore with the march and
bleeding at tho slightest touch, hunger pull
lux Ou oNtTy nU6T u ubSu UE ukt6ulUtkuR u
satisfy itself with a scauty n spoiled ra-
ton, thirst licking up the dew or drinking
out of filthy and trampied pool, thoughts of
home and kindred far away while Just on the
eve OF a deadly strife where death may leap
on him from any one Of a hundred bayonets,
the closing in oftwo armies now changed to
n hundred thousand maniacs, the ground
slippery with blood aud shattered flesh. fall
on ones writhing under the hoofs Of I'M
bridled chargers maddened with pain, the
dreadfulness Of night that comes down when
the strife Is over, the struggle Off wounded
ones crawling out over the corpses, the long,
feverish agony OF the crowded barrack and
hospital. from whose mattresses the frag-
ments OF mel send up their groans, the only
music OF carnage aud butchery, desolate
homes from which fathers and husbands and
brothers and sons went of, without giving
any dying message or sending q kiss to the
dear ones at home, tumbled into the soldiers
grave trench, aud houses In which o few
weeks before unbroken family cir,les re-
joiced now plunged In the grent sorrows OF
~widowhood and orphanage-that Is prose.
But there Is now on the earth a kingdom
which has set itself up for conflicts without
number. In It's march It tramples nc grain
no treasures; 1t fills no hospitals; 1t bereaves
no families. The courage and victory OF
Solferlno and Magenta without carnage-the
kingdom OF Christ against the kingdom OF
satan-that is the strife now raging. We will
offer no armistice5. We will make no treaty.
Until all the revolted nations of the earth
shall submit again to King Emmanuel sin
the name Of God we will SET up our ban
ners."
Every army has its ensigns. Long before
the time when David wrote tho text they
werein use. The hosts OF Israel displayed
them. The tribe OF Benjamin carrie l a flag
with the inscription OF q wolf, the tribe OF
nan n REORGANIZATION Of him Judah n
lion wrought into the groundwork OF white,
purple, crimson and blue. Such flags from
their folds shook fire into the hearts OF such
numbers as were in the field when Abijah
fought against Jehoram, and there were
1,200, 900 soldiers, and more b SOC. 900
were left dead on the field. These ensigns
gave heroism to such numbers as were as
sembled when Asa fought against Zerah, and
there were ], $50, 600 troops In the battle. The
Athenians carried an inscription of the owl,
which was their emblem OF wisdom. The
flags OF modern nations arc familiar to you
the character OF the nations they represent
1t would be impolltic to enumernte them.
These ensigns are streamers borne on the
point OF a lance and on the top Of wooden
shafts. They are carried in the front and
rear OF armies. They unroll from the main
topgallant masthead of an admiral's flag
ship to distinguish 1t among other ships Of
the sam squadron. They are the objects OF
national pride. The loss OF them on the field
Is ignominious.
The three banners of the Lords hosts are
the banner of proclamation, the banner Of
recruit and the banuer of victory. When o
nation feels its rights infringei or Its honor
insulted, when its citizens have In foreign
chimes been oppressed and no indemnity has
been offered to the inhabitant OF the republic
or kingdom, n proclamation OF war Is uttered.
On the tops OF batteries and arsenals and
custom houses and revenue offices flags are
Immediately swung out. All who look upon
them realize the fact that uncompromislng
war Is declared. Thus 1t Is that the church
OF Jesus Christ, jealous for the honor Of Its
sovereign and determined to get back those
b have been carried OF captive into the
bondage OF satan and intent upon the de-
struction OF those mighty wrongs which
have 80 long cursed the earth and bent upon
the extension of the Saviour's rcign OF
mercy, in the name OF God sets up Its banner
OF proclamation.
The church makes no assault upon the
world. I do not believe that God ever made
a better world than this. I'll magnificent In
Its ruins. Let us stop talking so much against
tho world. God pronounced 1t very good at
the beginning. Though a wandering child
OF God, l ses In 1t yet the great Fathers
lineaments. Though tossed and driven by
the storms Of 5000 years. she sails bravcly
yet, and rs ut her launching In the beginning
the morning stars sang together and all the
sons OF God shouted for Joy, SO at Last, when
coming into the calm harbor OF Gods mercy,
she shall be greeted by the huzzas OF Rlorifed
Kingdoms. It is not the world against which
we contend, but its transgressions. What
ever is obstinate in the will, degrading In
passion, harmful In custom, false In friend
ship, hypocritical in professlon-against al.
this Christ makes onset From false profess
sion he would tear the mask. From oppres-
sion he 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 diedto save II, no hates
sin so well that to eradicate tho last trace Of
its pollution he will utterly consume
the continents and the oceans. At the gate
OF Eden the declaration OF perpetual enmity
wa made against this serpent. The tumuit
roundabout Mount Sinai was only the roar
and flash OF Cots artillery of wrath against
sin. Sodom on fire WAS only one of Gods
flaming bulletins announcing hostility.
Nineveh and Tyre and Jerusalem In awful
ruin mark the track of Jehovah's advance
ment. They show that God was terribly In
earnest when he announced himself Rbhor-
rent OF ali iniqnity. They make us believe
that. though nations belligerent and revenge
ful may sign articles OF peace and come to an
amicable adjustment, there ahall DO no cessa-
ton OF hostilites between the forces OF light
and the forces OF darkness until tho king
doms Of this world have become the king
doms OF our Lord. Afrighted by no opposi-
ton, discouraged by no temporary defoats,
shrinking from no exposure, every man to
his position. while from the tops OF our
sc~hoolhouses and churches md seminaries
and asylums sin the name OF God we will set
up cur banners."
There are nonprotessors who have a very
correct idea OF what Christians ought TO L.
You have seen members OF thu chu rch who
were rs proud as Abab and lied as badly as
Annnias and who were as foul hypocrites as
Judas, You abhor allthat. You say follow
ers OF Christ ought to be honorable, humble
and self denying and charitable and patient
and forgivlng. Amen So they ought. Como
into the kingdom OF Christ, my bearer, and
be just that glorious Christian thatOpou have
described. Every church has enough stlngy
men In it to arrest its charities, and enough
proud mrn in it TO grieve away The Holy
Ghost. and enough lazy men in It to hang on
behind till It's wheels, like Pharaohis char
lots, dras heavily, and enough worldly men
to exhaust the patience OF the very elect, and
enough snarly men TO make appropriate tho
Bible warning, Beware OF dogs" II any
Of you men on The outside OF the kingdom
expect 10 make such Christians as that, we
do not want You to come, for the church has
already a milton member too many OF Just