The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-09-23

RImHlVN1 AzbhllW hea Their became red
REV. TALMAGE' with carnage, and
at Boutwell, bridge and Ards 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
scattered"
What a whirlwind of power was
Oliver Cromwell and how with his
soldiers, named the "Ironsides," he
went from victory to victory! Oppos-
ing enemies melted as he looked at
them. He dismissed parliament as
easily as a schoolmaster school. lie
pointed his finger at Berkeley castle,
and it was taken. He ordered Sir
Ralph Hopton, the general, to dis
mount, and he dismounted. See Crom-
we'll marching on with his army, and
hear the battle cry of the "Ironsides,"
loud as a storm aud solemn as death
knell, standards Keeling before it, and
cavalry horses going back on their
launches and armies flying at Mars
ton Moor, at Winceby Field, at Naseby,
at Bridgewater and Dartmouth-"Le
God arise, let His enemies be seat
teredw
SO you see my text is not like COM
plimentary and tasseled sword that
you sometimes see hung up in par
dor, a sword that was never in battle,
and only to be used on general train
Ding day, but more like some weapon
carefully hung up in your home, tell
ing its story of battles, for my text
hangs in the Scripture armory, telling
of the holy wars of 1900 years in
which ii has been carried, but still as
keen and mighty as when David first
unsheathed II. II seems to me that in
the church of God, and in all styles of
reformatory work, what we most need
now is a battle cry. We raise our little
o. standard, and put on it the name of
some man who only a few years ago
began to live and in few years will
cease to live We go into contest
against the armies OF inquiry, depend
ing too much on human agencies. We
nse 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
another battle cry, and this time per-
haps we put the name of some one who
betrays the cause and sells ont TO the
enemy. What we want for battle
cry is the name of some leader who
will never betray us, and will never
surrender, and will never die.
Dali respect have for brave men and
women. but if we are to get the vic
tory all along the line we must take
the hint of the Gideonites, who wiped
out the Bedouiu Arabs, commonly
had glorious leader in Gideon, but
what was the battle cry with which
they flung their enemies into the
worst defeat into which any army was
ever tumbled? II was "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 il must be THE sword of
the Lord and of Washington" If the
Germans want to win the day at
Sedan, it must be 1.-THE sword of the
Lord and Won Moltl1e." 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"
IS, 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 con-
quered millions after millions for
Christ with the cry, "the sword of
the Lord and of Judson." The Amer
lean Episcopalians have won their
mighty way with the cry, 1.-The sword
of the Lord and of Bishop McIlvane."
The victory is to those who put God
first But as we want battle cry
suited to all sects OF religionists, 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 il was car
ried to Mount Zion, LED God arise,
let His enemies be scattered"
AS far as our finite mind can Judge,
II 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? We're there ever
before so many fists lifted toward God
telling Him TO come on II He dare?
Look at the blasphemy abroad What