The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-04-15

The whole tendency Is to refine Of
Christian work. We keep on refining
on it until We send aPOlOgetie word TO
iniquity we are about 10 capture H.
And we must 90 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 = we'd
ding card. TO ask the old black giant
OF sin IL he viii not surrender. Women
saved by the grace of God aud on glori-
ous mission sent, detained from the
Sabbath classes because their new hat
is not done. Churches that shook our
cities with great r~eyivals sending
around to ask some demonstrauye wor-
SHIPPER II he will not please TO say
"amen" and "hallelulah" a little softer.
II seems as IL In our churches we want
ed q baptism OF cologne and balm OF
a thousand fowerl 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
worlds redemption Is lost In the fear
we will get our hand hurt while Flea
Ear went into the conflict, land his hand
clave unto the sword"
But l see in the next place what q
hard thing 1t was for Eleazar to get his
hand and his sword parted. The mus
eles and the sinews had been &C long
graSped around the sword he could not
drop it. and his three comrades, / sup
pose, came up and tried to help him,
and they bathed the back part Of the
hand, hoping the sinews and muscles
would relax. But no. His hand clave
unto the sword" Then they tried to
pull open the fingers and to pull back
the thumb, but no sooner were they
pulled back than they closed again,
"and his hand elave unto the sword"
But after awhile they were successful,
and then they noticed that the curve
In the palm Of the hand eorresponded
exactly with the curve of the hilt. "His
hand elave unto the sword"
You and ! have seen 1t many q time.
There r in the United States to-day
many aged ministers Of 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 q heroic q
They had small salaries and but few
books, and they swan spring freshets
to meet their appointments. But they
did in their day a mighty work for God.
They took of more of the heads Of
Philistine iniqulty than you could
count from noon 10 shutdown. You put
that old minister Of the Gospel now into
q prayer meeting OF occasional pulpit
or q sickrooin where there IL some u
to be comforted. and II 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 IAN
not drop Il. "His hand clave unto the
sword"
L had In my parish In Philadel-
phia a very aged man who In his early
life had been the companion and ad-
wiser Of the early presidents, Madison
and Monroe. He had welded vast in
fuence. but | only knew him as q 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 q pillar Of the
church, and, though his mind was par
TALLY gone, his love for Christ was so
great that all were In deep respect and
profound admiration, and were moved
when he spoke, was called to see
him die. I entered the room. and he
said: "Mr. Talmage, l cannot speak
to you now" He wal in a very pleas
ant delirium, as he imagined he had an
audience before him. He said: 81 must
tell these people 70 come to Christ and
prepare for Heaven" And then In this
pleasant delirium, both arms lifted, this
o~ctogenarian preached Christ and told
Of the gloriez OF the world to come,
There, lying on his dying pillow, his
dying hand clave TO his sword.
oh, II there ever YES anyone who had
q right to retire from the conflict, II wus
old Joshua. Soldiers come back from
battle have the names Of the battles on
their flags, showing where they distin-
guished themselves. and It is a very APP
propriate inscription. Look at that
flag Of old Gen. Joshua. On IL, Jericho,
Gideon. Hazar, city Of Al, and instead Of
the stars sprinkled 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 be Is preaching. His dying
words are q battle charge againstidol-
airy, and q rallying cry for the Lord Of
Hosts as he says: Behold, this day l
go the way Of all the earth, and God
hath not failed TO fulHll his promise
concerning Israel" His dying hand
I -n---