Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1898-02-17

and not like those persons who spend theft
lives in hugging their Christian graces and

Wnytne 90 not MAKE progress.
How much robustness OF health would a |
have If he hid himself in a dark closet?
A great daal ct the pietv Of to-day IS too
exclusive. It hides itself. 1t needs more
fresh air, moro outdoor exercise. There
are many Christians who are giving their
entire life to self-exalnination.
This style Of self-exanination is q dam.
age instead Of An advantage TO their Chris
tiar charaetet. I remember when I was Il
boy I used TO have n small piece in the
garden that | called M own. and | planted
corn there, and every few days I would
pail it up to see how fast it was growing.
Vow. there are q great many Christian peo"
Pile IN this day whose self-examination mere.
" amounts to the pulling up OF that which
they only yesterday or the day before
planted. On. my friends, il you want to
have a stalwart Christian character, plant
it right out Of doors i'll the great Held 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 it becomes q great tree. in
which the fowls Of heaven may have their
habitation. have DO patience with these
fioWer-pot Christians. They keep them
selves under shelter, and ali their Chris
tan experience in a small, exclusive circle,
when they ought to plant it in the great
garden Of the Lord, 50 hat the whole at
m0sphere 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 qualified.to meet
the duties which this age demands of you,
YOU must, on the one hand, avoid reckless
iconoclasm and, on the other hand, nOf
| stick too much to things because they are
old. The air is full OF new plans, new pro-
jccts. new theories of government, new
t~heologies, and l am amazed to see how SO
many Christians want only novelty in order
to recommend a thing other confidence;
! and 50 they yacllIate 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
q thing merely because it isnev! Try it by
the realities Of the judgment Day. But
OF the other hand, do No: adhere to any
thing merely because it IS Old. There il
not q single enterprise Of the church OF the
world but has sometime sbeen scoffed at.
There was Il time when men derided even
Bible societies. and when q few young mep
met il Massachusetts and organized ting
first missionary society ever organized ip
this country there went laughter n ridi.
culea all around the Christian Church..
All the great enterprises in and out o.
the Church have at times been scofTed at,
and there have been a great multitude
who have thought that the chariot OF Gods
truth would fall to pieces If it once got out
Of the Old rut. And SO there are those who
have no patience with anything like i'm
nrovement 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
stiits. Oh, that the Church of God wonlG
wake u to an adaptibi!ity Of work. We
must admit the simple fact that the
churches Of Jesus Christ in this day do no
reach the great masses. There are fit,
thousand people in Edinburgh who neve
hear the gospel. There are one million
people in London who never hear thu
gospel.
All, my friends, there is work for you t.
do and for me to do in cr1er to this Crane
accomplishment. I have /. pulpit. Ipreacl
in it. YOU pulpit is { > bank. Your pull
pit is the store Your pulpit is the editoria
i chair. Your l'.l, 1t IS the anvil. Yourp pull
pit is the house scaffolding. Your pulpit i
the mechanics shop. I may stand in m,
place and, through cowardiee or through
self-seeking, may keep back the word
ought to utter while you, with sleeve rolle'
up and brow besweated with toll, may ute
the word that will jar the foundations 0
heaven with the shout OF u great victory
Oh. that we might all feel that Lord Al
mighty is putting upon US the hands Of or
dinationl | tell you, every one, go fort
and preach this Gospel. You have as niue
right to preach as / have or any man liv
ing.
I remark again that IN order to b
qualified to meet your duty in this pa1
ticular age you want ~unbounded faith i
tho triumph Of the truth and the over
throw OF wickedness. How dare tn
Christian Church ever get discouraged
Have wo not the Lord Almighty on GU
side? How long did it take God to sia
the hosts OF Sennacherib or burn Soior
or shake down Jericho? how long wi
it take God, when he once arises in hi
| strength. to overthrow all tbs forces c
[ iniqulty2 Between this time and tina
a there may be long seasons Of darkness, an
the chariot wheels OF Gods Gospel ma
seem to drag heavily: but here is IL
promise and yonder is the throne, an
when omniscience has lost its eyesisl
and ~omnipoteuce falls back impoteI
and Jehovah is driven from h
throne. then the Church Of Jesus Chris
i can afford to DO respondent, but neye
until then. Despots may plan and arnie
9 may march and the Congresses OF tn
/ nations may seem to think they are &C
Justlng all the affairs Of the world. but til
9 mighty men Of the earth are only the dus
y Of the chariot wheels OF Cots proyidenc,
! And | think before the sun of the next cel
Jury shatl set the last tyranny will fall. an
Wltn 4 splendor OF demonstration that sha
: sc tae astonishment of the universe &c
Will set forth the brightness and pomp an
e glory and Ierpetuity Of His eternal govern
: 9ne1t. Out Of the starry flags and the en-
u hlazonei insignia Of this world God wi
) make a path for His own triumph, and r.
2 turning rom universal conquest He will 5
i down, the grandest, highest throne Of cart
His fCOtot0ol.
prepare this sermon because I want t
encourage all Christian workers in ever
: possible department. Hosts OF the livin
GOD. march on. march on! His Spirit wi
bless YOU. His Shield will defend 70,
His sword will strike for you. March. o.
march on. The despotiams will fail an
p~aSanism will burn its idols, and Mahom'
: tanism will give up its false prophet, an
the great walls Of superstition will con
down IN thunder and wreck at the Ion
IS loud blast Of the Gospel trumpet. Mare
on. march on The besiesement will SOC
be ended. Only a few more steps {
the long way: only a few mo