Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-04-13


sword. "
But sec in the next place what hard
thing it was for Elcazar to get his hand
and his sword parted. The muscles and
the sinows had been so long graspcd
around the sword he could not drop it
when he proposed to drop it, and his three
comrades, | suppose, came up and tried to
help him, and they bathod the back part
of the hand, hoping the shows and mus
Giles would relax. But, no. His hand
clavc unto the sword Then they tried
to pull open the fingers and to pull back
the thumb, but no sooner We're they pulled
back than they closed again, and his
hand clave unto the sword. But after
awhile they were successful, and then they
noticed that 30 curve in the palm of tho
hand correspondent exactly with the curve
of the hilt. His hand clave unto the
sword"
You and have seen it many time.
There are in the United States today many
aged ministers of the gospel They arc
too feeble now to preach. In the church
records the word standing opposite their
name is emeritus" or the words are,
"a minister without charge" They were
"a heroic race. They had small salaries
and but few books and they swan spring
frcshcts to meet their appointments. But
they did in their day n mighty work for
God. They took off more of the heads Of
Phllistine iniquity than you could count
from noon to shutdown. You put that old
minister of the gospel now into prayer
meeting or occasional pulpit ora sickroom
where there is some one to be comfortcd,
and it is the same old ring to his voice,
and the same old story Of pardoH and
peace and Christ and heaven. His hand
has SO long clutched the sword in Chris
tian conflict he cannot drop it. His hand
lave unto the sword.
Ardor For Christ.
/ had in my parish in Philadelphia n
very aged man who in his early life had
been tho companion and adviser of tho
early presidents, Madison and Monroe
He had welded vast influence, but only
knew him as very aged man. The most
remarkable thing about him was his ardor
for Christ. When he could not stand up
in the meetings without propping, he
would throw his arm around Il pillar of
the church, and, though his mind was
partially gone his love for Christ was so
great that all were in deep respect and
profound admiration, and were moved
when he spoke. l was called to see him
die / entered the room, and he said
Mr.. Talmage l cannot speak to you
now" He was in very pleasant de
lirium, as he imagined he had an audience
before him. He said, Il must tell these
people to come TO Christ and prepare for
heaven" And then in this pleasant de-
lirium, both arms lifted, this octogenarian
preached Christ and told of the glorics Of
the world to come There, lying on his
dying pillow, his dying hand clavo to his
sword.
Oh, II there ever was any one who had
right to retire from the conflict, it was
old Joshua. Soldiers come back from bat
tie have the names of the battles on theiI
flags, showing where they distinguished
themselves, and it is a very appropriate
inscription. Look at that flag Of old Gen
eral Joshua On it, Jericho, Gideon, Ha-
Ear, city of Al, and instead of the stars
sprlnkled on the flag the sun and the moon
which stood still There he is, 10 years
old. He is lying fat on his back, but he is
preaching, His dying words are battle
charge against idolatry and a rallying cry
for the Lord Of Hosts as he says, Behold,
this day go the way of all the earth, and
God hath not failed to fulfill his promise
concerning Israel" His dying hand clave
unto the sword
There is the headless body Of Paul on
the road to Ostea. His great brain and
his great heart have been severed The
elmwood rods had stung him fearfully.
When the corn ship broke up, he swan
ashore, coming up drenchGd with the
brine. Every day since that day when the
horse reared under him in the suburbs OF
Damascus as tho supernatural light fell
70 tic Hau hn,, h.. &c ft
age and i'll from the prison cell of the
Mamertine, he has been outrageously
treated, and he is waiting to die. How
does he spend his last hours? Telling The
world how badly he feels and describing
the rheumatism that he got in prison tn,
rheumatism affecting his limbs, or tn,
| neuralgia piercing his temples, or tn,
/ thirst that levers his tongueY Oh, mol His
last words arc the battle shout for Chris
tendon: Il am now ready to be offered
and the time of my departure is at hand
! have fought the good fight And so hi!
/ dying hand clavc unto the sword.
II was in the front room on the secont
floor that my father lay a-dying. 1t wa
Saturday morning, O'Clock. just tire,
years before shat day my mother had lief
him for the skies, and he had been home
sick TO join her company. He was 81
years of age. Ministers of the gospel came
in to comfort him, but he comforted them
How wonderfully the words sounded on
from his dying pillow, 81 have been young
and now am old, yet have l never seer
the righteous forsaken or his seed Begging
bread. They bathed his brow, and the,
bathed his hands, and they bathcd his feet
and they succeeded in strengthening GU
the feet, but they did not succeed in bath
ing open the hand so it would stay open
They bathed the hand OPEN but it cam
shut. They bathed it open again, but i
came shut. What was the iuS utter with tn
thumb and the fingers Of Flat old hand
All, it had SO long touched the sword o
Christian conflict that Ibis hand CLAW
unto the sword. "
The Sermon as Tonic.
l intend this sermon as a tonic. / wan
you to hold the truth with incradicabl
grip, and l want you to strike so hard 70
God that it will react and while you tax
the sword the sword will take you. Yo,
notice that the officers of the northern
army every year assemble, and you motto
that the officers of the southern army ever
year assemble Soldiers coming togethe
are very apt to recount their experience
and to show their scars. Here is "A soldie
} who pulls up his sleeve and says, There
was wounded in that arm" and show
the scar. And another soldier pulls dow
' his collar and says, "Therc, l was wound
ed In the neck" And another soldier say.
II have had no use Of that limb since tn
. gunshot fracture" Oh, my friends whe
The battle Of life is over, and the resurree
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