The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-03-19

ID VI ntdlNellutdI Il Sla-
lions. They have scarcely yet begun to
accomplish what they propose. 1t takes
some time to dig the trenches and elevate
From what I hear 1 think they are about
ready now. Let but the great Captain
wave the sigma and the ringing OF celes-
tian weaponry shall quake every dungeon
of hell and sound up among the thrones of
heaven. Pagodas and temples shall tum-
BILE under the shock. and besotted nations
flying from their idies and superstitions
shouting like the COMPOUNDED worshippers
of Baal: The Lord. he is the God: The
Lord. ne is the God"
We go not alone to the field. We have
invincible allies in the dumb elements OF
nature. AS Job said. we are In league
with the very stones OF the field. The sun
by day and tie moon by night. directly or
indirectly. shall favor Christianity. The
stars in their courses are marshaled for
US. as they fought against Sisera- The
ing in favor Of Christ as in reformation
times the invincible armada in its pride
approached the coast Of England. As
against the friends OF Christ and religious
liberty God said unto his winds. Seize
hold Of them and to the sea, .swallow
dashed their hulks together and srlinter-
ed them or the rocks until the flower of
among the waves $ Of the seabeach. All
are ours. Aye. God the Father. God the
Son and God the Holy Ghost are our
allies,
The Mohammedans, in their struggles
to subjugate the world. had passages
from the Koran Inscribed on the blades
to fear if. approaching the infdelity and
malice that oppose the kingdom Of Christ.
We shall have elittering on our swords
the words of David to the giant. ~ come
to thee in the name of the Lord Of Hosts.
the God of the armies of Israel. whom
thou hast defied."
Now the church goes forth bearing pre-
cious seed. but after awhile it will be the
sheaf binding. and reaper angels shall
shout the harvest home. Now il is tents
and marching and exposure. but then. in
the ranks of PROSTATE iniQuity and on
the very walls of heaven. lin the name of
God we will set up our banners.
The earth sends up its long, deep groan
Of pain and clanks the great chains of its
bondage ard cries by the voice Of sea and
land and sky, How long. @ Lord. how
long?' There was a tradition on the
other side of the water that the daughter
of Lir was transformed into a bird Of the
air. and that she wandered for hundreds
of years over river and lake until the ar
rival of Christianity. and that at the
stroke of the first cathedral hell her spirit
was freed. UncOunted millions OF our
race, by the power Of sin and satan. have
been transformed into n state of wretch
edness. and they wander like the moor
daughter Of Lir, but they shall after
awhile be released. When the great
church of Christ shall in those darkened
lands from its tower. ring out the glad
tidings of the gospel. then millions of
wandering souls shall find rest in a
Saviour's love, transported from the king
dom of satan into the kingdom Of Gods
dear Son.
Rv and by you would hardly know the
earth if you saw it. The world as a
whole shall be as greatly improved rs the
Individual heart by conversion. Fraud.
leaving its trickery. will go to work for
an honest living. Knavery shall begin to
answer to the control of reason Scoffers
shall he changed into worshippnrs and
skentics into Bible lovers. Christ shall
begin his reign on earth. Whether he
shall descend on TO the earth in person
and establish a government at Jerusalem
cannot say. But it will be an era of
more than AUoustan SplendOr. That is
enou@h. Knowing thus. we can never
desnair. Put as we see the church of
Christ nuttine On her beautiful garments
and arising to shine we will saw. with
the enthusiasm of oliver Cromwell. who.
standing before his sick and famine
! stricken soldiers at Dunbar. saw the sun
ing to it with his sword, uttered a PRAYER
which hurled his men upon the crushed
foe like a sky full of thunderboltS: Arise.
Cod! Let thine enemies be scattered"
| With the ear of faith I catch the sound of
the latter day glory. Church Of Christ.
unsheath thy sword and this moment into
the battle, Tn the name of Christ. march
on, Upon every school and h0snifal. upon
every bankers desk and merchants coun-
ter, mon every chemists laboratory and
astronomers tower. upon shepherd's hut
and w~oodenan's cabin. unon ships deck
and sailors hammock. far out on the sea
and high IN IN the mountain. before the
gaze Of nations. under the applaudits of
heaven. "i0 the name Of God we will set
up our Banners"
ENSIGNS AND COLORS.
My subject has taught you that in this
contest we are not without ensigns and
colors. All we want now is men to carry
them. Before l sit down 1 must propose
to to- each q Gb of you i this h ne great : Il i9nnh,a I , 6
as many have thought it. 1T makes a
man stoop," you say. I know it, but it is
only the, stoop of an heir of royalty. who
on 1JC lnnnc Jc IN naj a roI,, ~
dominion. We want standard bearers in
all pulpits, in all places of business
everywhere. ! do not ask you how old
you are, nor how young how weak OF
how strong, how dull or how sharp. MOI
what your home, nor who your ancestors
Without any condition. without and re.
serve, in the name of the God of Israel,
offer you the honor of carrying the
church's ensigns. Do not be afraid of the
assaults of a world whose ranks you de,
sert, nor of devils who will oppose you
with Internal mieht. 1t were more bless
ed to fall here than stand anywhere else
1t were more of an honor. engaged with
Christ, to be trampled underfoot with this
army of banners. than, opposing Christ
to be buried, like Edward /, in Egyptian
p~orphyry.
You know in ancient times elephants
were trained to fight and that on one oc.
casion, instead of attacking the enemy
they turned upon their owners. and thou.
sands were crushed under the stroke OF
their trunks and the mountain weight OF
their step. These mighty opportunities OF
work for Christ may accomplish great
things in overthrowing the sin Of the
world and beating to pieces it's errors, but
If we do not WELD them Alright these very
advantages will in unguarded moments
turn terribly upon us and under their
heels of vengeance grind us to powder
Rejected blessings are ~sevenfold curses
We cannot compromise this matter. We
. cannot stand aside and look on. Chris
has declared it. "All who are not with Us
are against me-" Lord Jesus, we sur
render.
The prophecies intimate that there shall
before the destruction of the world be ont
great battle between truth and upright
eousness. We shall not probably see it or
l earth. God grant that we may see it
: leaning from the battlements OF heaven
On the side of sin shall be arrayed al
forms OF oppression and cruelty, led on by
l infamous kings and generals: the votarie:
of DaCanisnn. led on by their priests: thu
subjects of Mohammedanism. following
the Of their sheiks. And glut
tony and intemperance and iniquity o.
every rhase shall be largely represented
on the field. All the wealth and sDlendo1
2 and power and glory of wickedness shall
be concentrate on that one decisive s0ot