Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-11-23
NO. 80

Your going around with Bapster's
I Bine with flaps at the edges, under your
arm, does not qualify you for the work OF
IN evangelist. In this day of profuse CAB,
remember that 1t is not merely capacity
to talk, but the fact that you have some
thing to say, that Is going to it Won for
the struggle into which you are to go with
smile on your face and illumination on
your brow, but out of which you will not
come until all your physical and mental
and moral and religious energies have
been taxed to the utmost and you have
not nerve left, or a thought unexpended
or prayer unsaid, or a sympathy un-
wept. In this struggle between Right and
Wrong accept no challenge on platform or
In newspaper unless you are prepared. Do
not misapply the story CT Goliath the
Great. and David the Little. David had
been practising with a sling on dogs and
wolves and bandits, aud thousand times
had he swiried a stone around his head
before he aimed at the forehead of the
giant and tumbled him backward. other
wise the h;S foot Of Goliath would almost
have covered up the crushed form OF the
son of jesse.
Notice also that the success OF a wrestler
depended on his having his feet well
planted before he grappled his opponent.
Much depends upon the way the wrestler
stands. Standing on an uncertain piece OF
ground, or bearing all his weight on right
foot or all his weight on left foot, he Is not
ready. A slight cuff of his antagonist
will capsize him. stroke of the heel OF
the other wrestler will trip him. And in
this struggle for God and righteousness,
as we'll for our own souls, we want our
feet firmly planted in the GOSPEL both
feet on the Rock OF Ages. 1t will not do
to believe the Bible in spots, or tdink
some of it true and some OF it untrue.
You Just make up your mind that the story
of the Garden Of Eden il an aliegory,
and the Epistle of James an Interpolation,
and that the miracles OF Christ can be
accounted for on natural grounds, without
any belief in the supernatural, and the
first time you are interlocked in wrestle
with sin and Satan you will go under and
your feet will be higher than your head. 1t
will not do to have one foot on a rock aud
the other on the sand. The old Book would
long ago have gone to pieces Ii it had
been vulnerable. But of the millions OF
Bibles that have been printed within the
las twenty-five wears, not one chapter has
been omitted. and the omission of one
chapter would have been the cause of the
rejection of the whole edition. Alasi for
those vino while trying to prove that Jonah
was never swallo wed of a whale, themselves
get swallowed of the whale of unbelief,
which digests but never elects its victims.
The inspiration of the Bible is not more
certain than the preservation of the Bible
in its present condition. After so many GEN.
turies of assault on the Book, would it not
be a matter of economy, to say the least
economy of brain and economy OF station
cry, and economy OF printers ink-if the
batteries now assailing the Book would
change their aim and be trained against
some other books, and the world shown that
Walter Scott did not write ''The Lady Of
the Lake." nor Homer The IIiai." nor
Virgil 1.-The Georges" nor Thomas
Moore 'Lalla Rookh," or that Washing
tons Farewell Address was written by
Thomas Paine, and that the War of the
American Revolution never occurred. That
attempt would be quite as successful as
this long-timed attack anti-Biblical, and
then it would be new. Oh, keep'out Of this
wrestling bout with the Ignorance and the
wretchedness Of the world unless you feel
that both feet are planted In the eternal
veracities OF the Book of Almighty Godi
Notice also that in this science OF wrest-
ling, to which Paul refers In my text, it
was the third throw which decided the
contest. wrestler might be thrown once
and thrown twice, but the third time he
might recover himself, and, by an unex-
pected twist OF arm or curve Ct foot, gain
the day. We'll. that is broad, smiling, un-
mistakable Gospel. Some whom 1 address
through ear or eye, by voice or printed
page, have been thrown in their wrestle
with evil habit.
Ayel YOU have been thrown twice; but
that does not mean OH worsted soul, that
you are thrown forever. 1 have no author
ity for saying how many times man may
sin and be forgiven, or how many times he
may fall and yet rise again; but l have
authority for saying that he may fall four
hundred and ninety times, and four hum
dred and ninety times get up. The Bible
declares that God will forgive seventy
times seven, and IL you will employ the
rule Of multiplication you will find that
seventy times seven is four hundred and
ninety. Blessed be GOD for such Gospel
Of high hope and thrilling encouragement
and magnificent rescued Gospel OF lost
sheep brought home on Shepherds shoul-
der, and the prodigais who got into the low
work of putting husks into swines' troughs
brought home to jewelry and banqueting
and hilarity that made the rafters ring
But notice that my text suggests that the
wrestlers on the other side in the great
struggle for the worlds redemption have
all the forces of demonology to help them:
"We wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities. agains: powers,
against the rulers of the darkness OF this
world, against spiritual wickedness In high
places"
Then can well believe that righteous
ness will accept the challenge, and the two
mighty wr stlers will grappIe, while all
the galleries Of earth and heaven look
down from one side, and all the fiery
chasms of perdition look up from tho
other side. The prize is worth strug-
gle, for it is not n chaplet of laurel or
palm, but the rescue of a world, and a
wreath put on the brow by Him who prom
:Sad, BE thou faithful unto death and I
will give thee crown" Three worlds
earth, heaven and hell-hold their breath
while waiting Tor the result OF this strug-
gle, when, with one mighty swing OF an
arm muscled with Omnipotence righteous
ness hurls the last evil, first on its knees
and then on its face, and then rolling of
and down, with a crash wilder than that
with which Sampson hurled the temple OF
Dugon when he got hold OF It's two chief
pillars.
Ayel That suggests a cheering thought,
that IL all the realms of Demonology are
on the other side, all the realms OF angel
ology are on our side, among them the
Angel of the New Covenant, and they are
now talking over the present awful struggle
and final glorious triumph; talking amid
the alabaster pillars and in the ivory pal
aces, and along the broadways and grand
avenues of the great Capital of the Uni
verse, and amid the spray of fountains
with rainbows like the RAINBOW round
the throne" Yes, ali heaven is on our side,
and the thigh places OF wickedness"
spoken Of in my text are not so high as
the high places of heaven, where there
are enough reserve forces, II our earthly
forces should be oyerpowered, or in cow
ardice fall back, to sweep down some morn
ing at daybreak and take all this earth for
God before the city clocks strike twelve
most august Cabinet in the universe, made
up of three-God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Ghost-are now in ses-
sion in the Kings Palace, and they are with
us, and they are going to see US through,
and they invite US, as soon as we have done
our share Of the work, to go up and see
them, and celebrate the final victory, that
Is more sure to come than to-morrow's SUM-
rise.
Life without liberty is joyless; but
life without joy may be great. The
greatness of life is sacrifice.
Method is the very hinge of bust
ness; and there is no method without
punctuality.
The man without a purpose Is like 8
ship without a rudder-a waif, a moth.
ing, a no man. Have purpose ir
life, and. having 1t, throw such
strength of mind and muscle into you
work as God has given you.
Some men are like bass drum-the,