The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1900-04-14
NJ. 80 m, nhrrIcnlnte eontInues

me and ny physical life continues,
will stay here until the moss grows
on my eyebrows rather than give up
my faith" the days of retreat for the
church were days Of victory.
The pilgrim fathers iea back from
the other side Of the sea 10 Plymouth
Rock. but now are maThahng a con
tinent for the Christiani1ation of the
world. The church Of Christ falling
back from Piedmont falling back from
Rue St. Jacques, falling back from St.
Denis. falling back from Nurt,emberg
castles, falling back from the Brussels
market place, vet all the time triumph
ing. Notwithstanding all the shocking
reverse which the Church Of Christ
suffers. what do we see to-day? Twelve
thousand missionaries Of the cross on
heather grounds; 5000 ministers of
Jesus Christ in this land; at least 40o,-
100000 Of Christians on the earth. Fall
ing back, yet advancing until the old
Wesleyan hymn will prove true:
The Lion Of Judah shall break the chain
And give US the victory again and again!
But there is a more marked illustra-
ton Of victorious retreat in the life Of
our Joshua, the Jesus of the ages.
First falling back from an appalling
height to au appalling depth, falling
from celestial hills to terrestrial val
leys, rom throne TO manager; yet that
did not seem TO suffice him IS a re-
treat. Falling back still farther from
Bethlehem TO Nazareth, from Nazareth
to Jerusalem, back from Jerusalem to
Golgotha, back from Golgotha to the
mausolcum in the rock, back down
over the precipiees of perdition until
he walked amid the caverns of eternal
captives and drank of the wine of the
wrath OF Almighty God, amid the
Ahabs, and the J~ezekels, and the Bel
shazzars. Oh, men of the pulpit and
men of the pew, Christ's descent from
Heaven 10 earth does not measure half
the distance! II was from glory 70 per-
dition. He descended into hell. AL the
records Of earthly retreat are as moth
ing compared with this falling back.
Santa Anna, with the fragments Of his
army flying over the plateaus Of Mex
leo and Napoleon and his army retreat
ing from Moscow into the awful SHOWS
Of Russia are not worthy to be men
toned with this retreat. when all the
powers Of darkness seem TO be pursu-
ing Christ as he fell back, until the
body Of Him who came to do such
wonderful things lay pulseless and
stripped. Methinks that the city Of
Al was not so eInptied Of its inhabit-
ants when they went to pursue Joshua
as perdition was emptied OF devils
when they started fer the pursuit Of
Christ, and he fell back and back,
down lower, down lower, chasm below
chasm, pit below pit, until he seemed
TO strike the bottom Of o%biurgation
and scorn and torture, Oh, the long,
loud, jubilant shout OF hell at the de
feat Of the Lord God Almighty!
But let not the powers OF darkness
rejoice quite so soon. Do you hear
that disturbance in the tomb OF
Arimathea? hear the sheet rending!
What means that stone hurled down
the side Of the hill? Who is this com
ing out? Push him back! The dead
must not stalk in this open sunlight.
Oh, il is our Joshua. Let him come out.
lie comes forth and starts for the city.
He takes the spear of the Roman guard
and points that way. Church militant
marches up on one side, and the church
triumphant marches down on the
other side. And the powers Of dark.
ness being caught between these ranks
OF celestial and terrestrial yalor moth
ing is left Of them save just enough 10
Illustrate the direful overthrow Of hell
and our Joshua's eternal victory. On
his head be all the crowns. In his
hands be all the scepters. At his feet
be all the human hearts; and here,
Lord, is one Of them.
Lesson the nnd: The triumph OF