The Burke County news. [volume] (Morganton, N.C.) 1899-1901, 1899-04-28

not know his hand Is hurt. his naNu
claye unto the sword"
Az I look at Eleazar's hand I come 20 the
conclusion that be mas done a great deal OF
hard hitting. l an not surprised wnen
see shat these four mec-Eleaza ana MS
three companions drove back the army OF
Philistin es-that Eleazar's sword clave 10
h:s hand. for every time he struck an enemy
with one end Of the sword the other end OK
the sword wounded him. When be took
hold OF the sword. the sword took hold OF
him.
Oh, we have found an enemy who cannot
be conquered by and SOFT
speeches. It must be sharp stroke ana
straight thrust. There is intemperance.
ana there is fraud. and there is gambling,
and there is lust, and there are O.0OO bat
talions OF iniuuity, armed Philistine in
EQUITY. How are they to be captured and
overthrown? Soft ermon il morocco
cases laid down In front OF an exquisite au-
dierce will not do 1t. lou have got to call
things by their right name. You have got
to expel from our churches Christians who
eat the sacrement on Sunday and devour
widows houses all the week. We have
got to stop our indignation against the
Hittites and the Jebusites and the Cir
gashites and let those poor wretches go
and apply our Indignation to she mod
ern transgressions which need u be
dragged out and slain. Ahabs here.
Herods here. Jezebels here. the massacre
Of the infants here. Strike for God SO hard
that while you slay the sin the sword will
adhere to your own hand. I tell you, my
friends, We want a few John KnOXes aud
John Wesleys in the Christian church to-
day. The whole tendency is to refine on
Christian work. We keep ca refining on it
until we send Apologize word to iniGuity
we ARE about to capture ii. And we must
go with sword silver chased and presented
nv the ladies and we mnSt ride en-
white palirey under embroidered hous-
ing, putting the spurs in only just
enough to make the charger dance
gracefully, and then we must send a
missive, delicate as q wedding card, to
ask the old black giant Of sin il 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
WOrShlper II he will not please to say
Amen and 'halleluiah" a little softer. It
seems as if in our churches we wanted a
baptism OF cologne and balm Of q thousand
flowers when we actually need = baptism
OF fire from the Lord God of Pentecost.
Bat we are SO afraid somebody viii criti-
else our ernons CT c~riticise our prayers
or c~riticise our religious work that our
anxiety for the worlds redemption is lost
IN the fear we will get our hand hurt,
while Eleazar went into the conflict, and
ais hand clave unto the sword"
But see in the next place what a hard
thing it was for Eicazar to get his hand and
his sword parted. The muscles anG the
slnews had been so long Srasred around
the sword be could not drop it when he
proposed to drop it. and his three COM
rades. suppose, came ~ anG tried TO help
hin, an. they bathed the back part OF his
hand, hoping the sinews and muscles would
rGl3T Blt no n - t1Dl a a yn ~ - Nc,
sword" Then thy tried TO pull open the
fingers and to pull back tie thumb. hu. 10
sooner were they pulled back than thev
closed again, and bis hand cIaye unto the
sword" But after awhile they were sue
ctSsful. and then they noticed that the
curve IN the palm ofthe hand correspondent
e.cctlv with the curve Of the :lilt. His
hand ciava unto the sword"
You and have seen it many a time.
There are in the United States today
mGEE aged ministers Of the Gospel.
lhey are too feeble now to preach. In
re cAufch records the word standing
opposite their name is "emeritrs.o or
the words are "a minister without
charge. They We're n heroic race. They
had small salaries and but few books.
ana they swan spring reshe.s to meet
tAe.r appointments. bit they did ia thcir
fav 2 mighty WORK for Cod. They
took 90 more Of tho heads Of p1ilislin4a
in.laity than v2u could count from noon
70 sun1o"n. You pat that old minister OF
Tue tospel now into q PRAYER meeting .,
occasional pulpit or a Sick room whara
there Is some one to De comforted, and it i
the same old ring TO his voice a0d me
sane oid story Of pardon and peace and
,E-!ss and heaven. His hand has 50 long
c-t-chec the sword in Christian conflict he
cannot crop it. "IEis hand clave unto the
sword.
ne Ia and Two Enperors to Meet.
lore will be q n aatinc nf L. Gzn. liz