Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-02-16

pull 1t up to see how fast it was growing.
Now, there are great many Christian peo'
pie in this day whose eself-examination mere
ly amounts to the pulling up of that which
they only yesterday or the day before
planted. oh, my friends, IL you want to
have a stalwart Christian character, plant
It right out Of doors in the great field OF
Christian usefulness, and though storms
may come upon it, and though the hot sun
of trial may try to consume 1t, it will
thrive until 1t becomes a great tree in
which the fowls of heaven may have their
habitation. l have no patience with these
hower-pot Christians. They keep them.
selves under shelter, and all their Chris
tian experience in a small, exclusive circle,
when they ought to plant 1t in the great
garden of the Lord SO that the whole at
mosphere could be aromatic with their
Christian usefulness. What we want in
the church of God is more strength of
piety.
Again, If you want to be qualiHedto meet
the duties which this age demands of you,
you must, on the one hand, avoid reckless
iconoclasm and, on the other hand, not
stick too much to things because they are
old. The air is full OF new plans, new pro-
jects, new theories of government, new
theologies, and am amazed to see how SO
many Christians want only novelty in order
to recommend a thing to their confidence;
and so they vacillate and swing to and fro,
and they are useless and they are unhappy.
New plans-secular. ethical philosophical,
religious cis-Atlantic, ,trans-Atlantic-long
enough to make a line reaching from the
German universities to Great Salt Lake
City. All, my brother, do not take hold of
thing merely because it is newt Try it by
the irealities of the Judgment Day. But
on the other hand, do not adhere to any
thing merely because 1t is old. There Is
not single enterprise of the church of the
world but has sometime been scoffed at.
There was time when men derided even
Bible societies, and when few young men
met in Massachusetts and organized the
first missionary society ever organized in
this country there went laughter and ridi-
cule all around the Christian Church.
All the great enterprises in and out OF
the Church have at times been scoffed at,
and there have been great multitude
who have thought that the chariot of Gods
truth would fall to pieces IL it once got out
of the old rut And so there are those who
have no patience with anything like i'm
provement in church architecture, or with
anything like good, hearty, earnest church
singing, and they deride any form of re-
ligious discussion which goes down walk
ing among everyday men, rather than that
which makes an excursion on rhetorical
stills. Oh, that the Church of God would
wake up to an adaptiblity of work. We
must admit the simple fact that the
churches of Jesus Christ in this day do not
reach the great masses. There are fifty
thousand people in Edinburgh who never
hear the gospel. There are one million /
people in London who never hear the !
gospel.
All, my friends, there is work for you to
do and for me to do in order to this grand
accomplishment. have pulpit. preach
in it. Your pulpit is the bank. Your pull
pit is the store. Your pulpit is the editorial
chair. Your pulpit is the anvil. Your pull
pit is the house scaffolding. Your pulpit is
the mechanics shop. 1 may stand in my
place and, through cowardice or through
self-seeking, may keep back the word I
W rtf c laAv "a rall la6
up and brow besweated with toll, may utter
the word that will jar the foundations of
heaven with the shout OF great victory.
Oh, that we might all feel that the Lord Al
mighty is putting upon us the hands Of or
dination! 1 tell you, every one, go forth
and preach this Gospel You have as much
right to preach as 1 ha~ Ism h---~-
ing.
/ remark again that in order to uo
qualified to meet your duty In this par
ticular age you want unbounded faith in
the triumph of the truth and the over
throw Of wickedness. How dare the
Christian Church ever get discouraged?
Have we not the Lord Almighty on our
side? How long did it take God to slay
the hosts OF Sennacherib or burn So 1om
or shake down Jericho? How long will
1t take God, when he once arises in his
strength, to overthrow all the forces of
iniquity? Between this time and that
there may be long seasons of darkness and
the chariot wheels of Gods Gospel may
seem to drag heavily; but here is the
promise and yonder is the throne, and
when omnlseience has lost its eyesight
and omnipotence falls back impotent
and Jehovah is driven from his
throne. then the Church of Jesus Christ
can afford to be despondent but never
until then. Despots may plan and artniSc-
may march and the Congresses of the
nations may seem to think they are ad-
justing all the affairs of the world. but the
mighty men of the earth are only the dust
Of the chariot wheels of Gods providence.
And think before the sun of the next GEN.
tury shall set the last tyranny will fall, and
with splendor of demonstration that shall
be the astonishment of the universe God
will set forth the brightness and pomp and
glory and perpetuity of His eternal govern.
ment. Out OF the starry flags and the en-
blazoned insignia of this world God will
make path for His own triumph, and re-
turning from universal conquest He will sit
down, the grandest, highest throne of earth
prepare this ser nsue .hnrause want =
encourage all Christian wJf2J2ria.S every
possible department. Hosts of the living
God. march onl march on His Spirit viii (
bless you. His shield will defend you,
His sword will strike for you. March oni
march on! The despotisms will fail and
paganism will burn its idols, and Mahome.
:anism will give up its false prophet, and
The great walls Of superstition will come
1own In thunder and wreck at the long.
oud blast of the Gospel trumpet. March
onl march onl The besiegement will soon
be ended. Only a few more steps on
the long way: only few more
sturdy blows; only few more battle
cries, then God will put the laurels upon
your brow, and from the living fountains
of heaven will bathe off the sweat and the
heat and the dust OF the conflict. March
onl march onl For you the time for work
will soon be passed, and amid the outfash-
lngs OF the Judgment throne and the trum.
peting Of resurrection angels and the up
heaving of world Of graves, and the ho-
sanna and the groaning of the saved and
the lost we shall be rewarded for our faith.
fulness or punished for our stupidity.
Blessed be the Lord God OF Israel from
everlasting to everlasting and let the whole
earth be filed with His glory. Amen and