Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1899-08-03


not be conquered by rosewater and soft
/, speeches. 1t must be sharp stroke and
straight thrust There is iRtemper-
ance. and there is fraud, and there is
gambling, and there is lust and there
. are 10000 battalions of iniquity,
armed Philistine iniquity. How are
they TO be captured and overthrown2
Soft sermons in morocco cases laid
down in front of an exquisite audience
will not do il. You have got TO call
things by their right name. You have
got TO expel from our churches Chris
tians who eat the sacrament on Sunday
and devour widows houses all the week.
We have got 10 stop our indignation
against the Hittites and the Jebusites
and the Girgashites and let those poor
wretches go and apply our indignation
TO the modern transgressions which
need TO 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. | tell you, my friends, we want
a few John KnoXes and John Wesleys
in the Christian church to-day.
The whole tendency is to refine on
! Christian work We keep on refining
on it until we send apologize word 10
/ iniquity 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 housing, putting the
spurs in only just enough To make the
charger dance gracefully, and then we
must send a missive, delicate as a wed
ding card. 10 ask the old black giant
OF sin if he will not surrender. Women 1
saved by the grace Of God and on glori 1
Gus mission sent, detained from the /
Sabbath classes because their new hat /
is not done. Churches that shook our /
cities with great reviyals sending /
around 10 ask some demonstratiye wor
shipper if he will not please 20 say
samen" and "halleiuiah" little softer
IL seems as IL in our churches we want
ed a baptism OF cologne and balm of
thousand flowers 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 critieise our
religious work that our anxiety for the
worlds redemption is lost in the fear
we will get our hand hurt while Flea
gar went into the conflict, "and his hand
claye unto the sword.
But | see in the next place what
hard thing it was for Eleazar 20 get his
hand and his sword parted. The mus
cles and the sinews had been so long /
grasped around the sword he could not
drop II, and his three comrades, sup
pose, came up and tried 70 help him.
and they bathed the back part OF the
hand, hoping the sinews and muscles
would relax. But no. His hand claye
unto the sword" Then they tried 10
pun 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
md then they noticed that the curve $
N the palm of the hand Corresponds
,xactly with the curse Of the hilt. "His t
iand clave unto the sword" .
You and have seen IL many a time i
There are in the United States to-daN
many aged ministers OF the Gospel 6
They are too feeble now TO preach II
he church records the word standipr S
opposite their name is emeritus" or
he words are, "a minister without
barge" They were heroic race
hey had small salaries and but fev
ooks, and they swan spring freshet'
o meet their appointments. But the
id in their day a mighty work for God
hey took Oft more Of the heads o.
'hilistine iniquity than you could
cunt from noon TO shutdown. You put
hat old minister of the Gospel now int.
prayer meeting or occasional pulp /
r sickroom where there is some on |
} be comforted, and il is the same oil
ing TO his voice, and the same old stor
pardon and peace and Christ an,
Ieaven. His hand has so long clutchet
he sword in Christian conflict he can
OF drop il. His hand clave unto III,
word"
L had in, my parish in Philadel
Aia a very aged man who in his earl,
fe had been the companion and ad
ser Of the early presidents, Madison st
nd Monroe. He had welded vast in yt
uence, but / only knew him rs a yer,
ged man. The most remarkable thing Al
bout him was his ardor for Christ -
hen he could not stand up in the
ceilings without propping. he would
ROW his arm around pillar of tn
lureh. and, though his mind was par.
ally gone, his love for Christ was So
-eat that all were in deep respect and
admiration. and were moved
hen he spoke. | was called to see
I'M die. | entered the room. and hc 7
id: mfr. Talmage, | cannot speal r,
you now" He was in a very pleas. -
II delirium, as he imagined he had an =
ldienee before him. He said: linus, -.
II these people to come 70 Christ and
'epare for Heaven" And then in this
easant delirium, both arms lifted. this
'togenarian preached Christ and told ov
the glories of the world to come