Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-04-14

got TO stop our Indignation aHalhs1 tue
Hittites and the Jebusites and the Cir
gashites and let those poor wretches go
and apply our Indignation to the mod
ern transgressions which need to be
dragged out and slain. Ahabs here
Herods here, Jezebels here, the mas
sacre Of the infants here Strike for God
so hard that while you slay the sin the
sword will adhere to your own hand.
tell you, my friends we want few
John Knoxes and John Wesleys in the
Christian church today The whole
tendency is to refine on Christian work
We keep on refining on it until we
send apologetic word to iniquty we are
about to capture it And we must go
with sword silver chased and presented
by the ladies, and we must ride on
white palfrey under embroidered hons
ing. putting the spurs in only just
enough to make the charger dance
gracefully. and then we must send a
missive. delicate as a wedding card, TO
ask the old black giant Of sin if he will
not surrender Women saved by the
grace Of God and on glorious mission
sent. detained from Sabbath classes be-
cause their new hat is not done
Churches that shook our cities with
great revivals sending around to ask
some demonstrative worsbiper if he
will not please to say "amen" and
"halleluiah little softer 1t seems as
if in our churches we wanted a baptism
Of cologne and balm Of a thousand flow
ers when we actually need a baptism
of fire from the Lord God Of Pentecost
But we are so afraid somebody will
criticise our sermons or criticise our
prayers or criticise our religious work
that our anxiety for the world ) re-
demption is lost in the fear we will get
our hand hurt. while Eleazar went into
the conflict, "and his hand clave unto
the sword.
strong to the End.
But | see in the next place what
hard thing it was for Eleazar to gel his
hand and his sword parted. The mus
cles and the sinews had been SO long
grasped around the sword he could not
drop it when he proposed to drop it,
and his three comrades. suppose, came
MP and tried to help him, and they
bathed the back part Of the hand, hop
ing the sinews and muscles wouid re-
lax. But no. "His hand claye unto the
sword " Then thQy tried to phil open
the fingers and to pull back the thumb,
but no sooner were 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 the curve in the palm
of the hand corresponded exactly with
the curve Of the hilt His hand clave
unto the sword. -
You and | have seen it many a time.
There are in the United States today
many aged ministers CT the gospel
They are 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 heroic race. They
had small salaries and but few books,
and they swan spring freshets 70 meet
their appointments but they did IN
their day a mighty work for God. They
took off more Of the heads Of Philistine
iniquity than you could count from
noon to sundown You put that old
minister Of the gospel now into prayer
meeting or occasional pulpit or a sick
room where there is some one to be com
forted. and it is the same old ring to his
voice and the same old story Of pardon
and peace and Christ and heaven. His
hand has so long clutched the sword IN
Christian conflict he cannot drop 1t
His hand claye unto the sword
| had in my parish in Philadelphia
very aged man who in his early life had
been the companion and adviser Of the
early presidents, Madison and Monroe
He had welded vast influence. but !
only knew him as "A very aged man
The most remarkable thing about him
was his ardor for Christ When be
could not stand up in the meetings
without propping. he would throw his
arm around a 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 ad-
miration and were moved when he
smoke. was called to see him die. |
entered the room, and he said, Mr..
Talmage. | cannot speak to you now.
lie was in very pleasant delirium, as
he imagined he had an audience before
him He said, Il must tell these people
to come to Christ and prepare for heav-
en-. " And then in this pleasant deliri-
um. both arms lifted. this octogenarian
preached Christ and told of the glories
of the world to come There, lying on
his dying pillow, his dying hand clave
to his sword
No Retiring From the Conflict
Oh. if there ever was any one who
had a right to retire from the conflict,
il was old Joshua. Soldiers come back
from battle have the names Of the bat
ties on their flags. showing where they
distinguished themselves. and II Is a
very appropriate inscription. Look al
that flag of old General Joshua. On It
Jericho. Gibeon. Hazar, city Of Al, and,
instead of the stars sprinkled on the
flag. the sun and the moon which stood
still. There he is. 1l0 years old. lie Is
living fat on his back. but he is preach
ing. His dying words are a battle
charge against idolatry and a rallying
cry for the Lord Of Hosts as be says,
"Behold. this day | go the way OF all
the earth, and God hath not failed TO
fulfill his promise concerning Israel
His diving hand clave unto the sword.
There is the headIess body OF Paul on
the road 10 Ostea. His great brain and
his great heart have been severed. The
elmwood rods had stung him fearfully.
When the cornship broke mp, he swan
ashore. coming up drenched with the
brine. Every day since that day when
the horse reared under him in the sub
urbs Of Damascus, as the supernatural
LIGHT fell. down TO this day. when he Ii
6S years Of age and i'll from the prison
, cell of the Mamaftine, he has been out
rageously treated. and be is waiting tc
5;o How docs he snend his last hours