Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-10-27
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE eYTHE NOTED
DIVINE.

subject: Enemies Overthrown"-In the
Church OF God nnd in All Styles OF
Keformatory Work What is Needed
Most is Battle Cry.
TEXT: "Let God arise, let His enemies
le scattered. .'-Psalms xviii, /.
procession wes formed to carry the
irk, or sacred box, which, though only
hree feet nine inches in height and depth,
vas the symbol of Gods presence. As the
leaders Of the procession lifed this orna-
poles run through four golden rings, and
.tarted for Mount Zion, all the people
shanted the battle hymn of my text, "Let
God ariae, let His enemies be scattered"
The Cameronians Of Scotland, outraged
py James l., who forced upon them relig-
lous forms that were offensive, and by the
serrible persecution of Drummond, Dalziel
IND Turner, and by the oppressive laws OF
Charles l. and Charles H., were driven to
proclaim war against tyrants, and went
forth to fight for religious liberty; and the
mountain heather became red with car
mage, and at Boutwell, Bridge and Aird s
Moss and Drumclog the battle hymn and
the battle shout OF those glorious old
Scotchmen was the text / have chosen:
LET God arise, let His enemies be scat
tered.'
What whirlwind OF power was Oliver
>,
named the 'Ironsides," he went from VIC
tory to victory! Opposing enemies melted
rs he looked at them. He dismissed Parlia-
ment as easily as schoolmaster school,
He pointed his finger at Berkeley Castle,
and it was taken. He ordered Sir Ralph
Hopton, the general, to dismount, and he
dismounted. See Cromwell marching on
with his army, and hear the battle-cry of
"Ironsides,' loud as storm and solemn as
death-knell, standards reeling before 1t,
and cavalry horses going back on their
launches, and armies flying at Marston
Moor, at Winceby Field, at Naseby, at
Bridgewater and Dartmouth--"Let God
arise, let His enemies be scatteredp'
So you see my text Is not like a compli-
mentary and tasselled sword that you
sometimes see hung up in parlor, a
sword that was never in battle, and only
to be used on general training day, but
more like some weapon carefully hung up
in your home, telling its story of battles,
for my text hangs in the Scripture armory,
telling Of the holy wars of three thousand
years in which it has been carried, but
still as keen and mighty as when David
first unsheathed it. 1t seems to me that in
the Church OF God, and in all styles Of re-
formatory work, what we most need is
now Il battle-cry. We raise our little stan
dard, and put on it the name of some man
who only few years ago began to live
and in few years will cease to live. We
iniquity, depending too much on human
agencies. We use for battle-cry the name
of some brave Christian reformer, but after
awhile that reformer dies, or gets old, or
loses his courage, and then we take an
other battle-cry, and this time perhaps we
put the name of someone who betrays the
cause and sells out to the enemy. What
we want for q battle-cry is the name of
come leader who will never betray us, and
will never surrender. and will never die.
All respect have I for brave men and
women, but If we are to get the victory all
nlong the line we must take the hint Of the
Gideonites, who wiped out the Bedouin
Arabs, commonly called Midianites. These
Gideonites had Il glorious leader in Gideon,
but what was the battle-cry with which
they flung their enemies into the worst de-
fent into which any army was ever tumb bled?
1t was 1.-THE sword of the Lord and of
Gideon" Put God first, whoever you put
second. If the army of the American revo-
luton is to free America, it must be "The
sword OF the Lord and of Washington" If
the Germans want to win the day at Sedan,
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"
The Methodists have gone in triumph
across nation after nation with the cry,
1.-The sword Of the Lord and of Wesley"
The PresbyteIians have gone from victory
Lord and of John Knox" The Baptists have
conquered millions after millions for
Christ with the cry 1.-The sword of the
Lord and of Judson." The American
Episcopalians have won their mighty way
with the cry, "The sword of the Lord and
OF Bishop MIlvaine." The victory Is to
those who put God first. But as we want
a battle-cry suited to all sects Of religion
lists, and to all lands / nominate as the
battle-cry of Christendom in the approach
ing Armageddon the words Of my text,
sounded before the ark as it was carried to
Mount Zion; "Let God arise, let His
enemies be scattered
As far as our finite mind can Judge, 1t
seems about time for God to rise. Does it
not seem to you that the denominations Of
this earth have gone far enough2 Was
there ever time when sin was so defiant?
Was there ever before SO many fists lifted
toward God telling Him to come on II He
dare? Look at the blasphemy abroad!
What towering profanity! Would 1t be
possible for anyone to calculate the num-
bers of times that the name Of the Almighty
God and of Jesus Christ are every day
taken irreverently on the lips? Profane
swearing is as much forbidden by the law
as theft, or arson, or murder, yet who
executes itP Profanityi is worse than theft,
or arson, or murder, for these crimes are
attacks on humanity-that is an attack on
God.
This country is pre- eminent for bias
phemy. man travelling in Russia was sup
posedto be clergyman. "Why doyou take
me to be clergyman?" said the man. "Ob,"
said the Russian, "all other Americans
swear" The crime is multiplying in inten-
sity. God very often shows what He thinks
of 1t, but for the most part the fatality is
hushed up. Among the Adirondacks met
the funeral procession of man who two
days before had fallen under fash of
lightning, while boasting, after Sunday
OF work in the fields, that he had cheated
God out of one day anyhow, and the man
who worked with him on the same Sabbath
Is still living, but helpless invalid, under
the same flash.
Years ago, in Pittsburg prison, two men
were talking about the Bible and Christi
anity, and one Of them, Thompson by name,
applied to Jesus Christ very low and vii |
lainous epithet, and, as he was uttering it,
he fell. A physian was called, but no help
could be given. After day lying with |
distended pupils and palsied tongue, he
passed out of this world. In cemetery in |
Sullivan' County in New York State are
eight headstones in line and all alike, and
these are the facts: In 1851 diphtheria ragged
In the village and DhvsiciaD Was remark. |