The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-09-27
The FOES We FACE.
The SINS THAT BESET THE END
OF THE CENTURY.
God Comes Before Men. Says DIR. Tai
mage-The Prevalence Of BlasPhemy.
The Sins Of City Life-And the Final
Judgment

Copyright, 1898, by American Press
Association.)
This arousing discourse by DR.. Tai
mage will excite interest by the man
ner in which il assails some Of the
great evils now abroad. The subject is
Enemies Overthrown," and the text
Psalms xviii. !, Let God arise, let
his enemies be scattered"
A procession was formed TO carry the
ark, or sacred box, which, though only
3 feet 9 inches in length and 4 feet 3
inches in height and depth, was the
symbol OF Gods presence. AS the lead
ers OF the procession lifted this orna-
mented and brilliant box by two gol-
den poles run through four golden
rings and started for Mount Zion all
the people chanted the battle hymn of
my text, Let God arise, let his enc
mics be scattered"
The Cameronians Of Scotland, out
ragged by James I, who forced upon
them religious forms that were often
Sive, and by the terrible persecution
of Drummond, Dalziel and Turner, and
by the oppressive laws of Charles l
and Charles II, were driven to proclaim
war against tyrants and went forth to
fight for their religious liberty. and the
mountain heather became red with
carnage, and at Bothell bridge and
Ards Moss and Drumclog the battle
hymn and the battle shout of those
glorious old Scotchmen was the text 1
nave chosen, Let roc arise, let his en-
emieS be scattered"
What a whirlwind of power was Oil
yer Cromwell, and how with his sol
diers, named the "~Ironsides,'' he went
from victory to victory. Opposing en-
emieS melted as he looked at them.
He dismissed parliament as easily as
a schoolmaster a school. He pointed
his finger at Berkeley castle, and it
was taken. He ordered Sir Ralph Hop
ton, the general, to dismount, and he
d~ismounted. See Cromwell marching
on with his army and hear the battle
cry of the "Ironsides," lou as a storm
and solemn as a d~eathknell, standards
Keeling before it and cavalry horses
going back on their launches, and ar
mics flying at Marston Moor, at Vince
by Field, at Naseby, at Bridgewater
and DartmOuth-"Let God arise, let
his enemies be scattered"
WHAT BATTLECRY?
So you see my text is not like a COM
plimentary and taSSeled sword that
you some times see hung up in a par
lOr, a sword that was never in battle
and only to be used in general tram
ing day, but more like some weapon
carefully hung up in your home, tell
Ing it's story of battles, for my text
hangs in the Scripture armOry telling
of the holy wars of 8, 900 years IT which
it has been carried, but still as keen
and mighty as when David first I'M
sheathed it. 1t seems to me that in
the church of God, and in all styles of
reformatory work, what we most need
now is a, battlecry. We raise our lit
tie standard and put on it the name of
some nan who only q few years 6
began to live and in a few years will
cease to live. We go into contest
against the armies of iniquity, depend
ing too much on human agencies. We
use for a battery the name of some
brave Christian reformer, but after
awhile that reformer dies or gets old
or loses his courage, and then we take
another battlecry, and this time per-
haps we put the name of some one who
betrays the cause and sells out to the
enemy. What we want Or a battlecry
is the name of some leaden who will
never betray us and will never sur
render, and will never die.
All respect have I for brave men and
women, but if we are to get the victo-
ry all along the line we must take the
I'LL VI lC WIN "lpCN ouS
the Bedouin Arabs, commonly called
Midianites. These Gideonites had a
glorious leader in Gideon, but what
was the battlecry with which they
flung their enemies into the worst de-
eat into which any army was ever
tumbled? It was 1.-The sword Of the
Lord and of Gideon" Put God first,
whoever you put second. If the army
of the American Revolution is to free
America, it must be, "The sword Of
the Lord and Of Washington" If the
Germans want to win the day at Sc
dan, it must be, THE sword Of the
Lord and Won Moltke." Waterloo was
won for the English because not only
the armed men at the front, but the
worshipers in the cathedrals at the
rear, were crying, "The sword of the
Lord and of wellington"
GOD FIRST.
The Methodists have gone in triumph
across nation after nation with the
cry: THE sword Of the Lord and of
Wesley The Presbyterians have gone
from victory to victory with the cry
THE sword of the Lord and of John
Knox The Baptists have conquered
millions after millions for Christ with
the cry, The sword of the Lord and
of Judson." The American Episco-
palians have Won their mighty way
with the cry, The sword Of the Lord
and of Bishop M'Ilvaine." The victory
is to those who put God first. But, as
we want a battlecry suited to all sects
of r~eligionists and to all lands. l nomi-
nate as the battlecry OF Christendom
in the approaching ArmageddOn the
words Of my text, sounded before the
ark as it was carried to Hount Zion.
Let God arise; let his enemies be
scattered"
AS far as our finite mind car judge,
it seems about time for God to rise.
Does it not seem to you that the abom-
nations of this earth have gone far
enough? Was there ever a time when
sin was so defiant? Were there ever
before so nan fists lifted toward Tod
telling Him to come on if He dare?
Look at the blasphemy abroad, What
towering profanity! Would it be pos
sible for any one to calculate the num-
bers of times that the name of the AL
mighty God and of Jesus Christ are
every day aiken irreverently on the
lips? Profane swearing is as much for