The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-04-14

puI JUST wall uHJll UHc uOOT VI bucli
hearts is set ajar, or they are off their
guard, or their severe caution is away
from home, and then drop in on them
from a Christian ambuscade. There
has been many a man up to his chin in
scientific portfolios which proved
revelation, his pen a scimiter flung
into the heart OF theological OPP
ponents, who nevertheless has been
discounted and captured for God by
some little three-year-old child who
has got up and put her snowy arms
around his sinewy neck and asked
some simple question about God.
Oh, make a flank movement SteaG a
march on the devil! Cheat that m~n
into Heaven! A fve-dollar treatise
that will stand all the laws of homilet-
les may fail to do that which a penhy
tract of Christian entreaty may ac-
complish. Oh, for more Christians in
ambuscade-not lying in idleness, but
waiting for quick spring, waiting I'M
til just the right time comes! Do not
talk to a man about the vanity of this
world on the day when he has bought
something at "12" and is going to sell
it at "15." But talk to him about the
vanity of the world on the day when he
has bought something at 49, and is
compelled to sell it at "12!" Do not
rub mans disposition the wrang
way; do not take the imperative mAod
when the subjunctive mood will do
just as well; do not talk in perfe'vid
style to phlegmatic nor try to tickle
a torrid temperament with an icicie.
Lesson the fourth: The Importance
of taking good aim. There is Joshua,
but how are those people in ambush up
yonder to know when they are to drop
on the city, and how are these men
around Joshua to know when they are
tostop their flight and advance? There
must be some signal-a signal to stop
the one division and to start the other.
Joshua, with spear on which were
ordinarily hung the colors of battle,
points toward the city. He stands in
such conspicuous position, and there
is so much of the morning light drip
ping from that spear tip, that ell
around the horizon they see it. 1t was
as much as to say: "There is the city.
Take it'll"
God knows and we know that great
deal of Christian attack amounts TO
nothing simply because we do not take
good aim. Nobody knows and we do
not know ourselves which point we
want to take when we ought to make
up our minds what God will have us to
do and point our spear in that direc-
ton and then hurl our body, mind, soul,
time, eternity at that one target. In
our pulpits and pews and Sunday
School and prayer meetings we want
to get reputation for saying pretty
things, and so we point our spear to-
ward the flowers, or we want reputa-
ton for saying sublime things, and
we point our spear toward the stars. or
we went to get reputation for his
torical knowledge, and we point our
spear toward the past, or we want to
get a reputation for great liberalty,
so we swing our spear all around, while
there is the old world, proud rebellious
and armed against all righteousness,
and instead of running any farther
away from it's pursuit we ought to
turn around, plant our foot in the
strength of the eternal God, lift the old
cross and point it in the direction of
the worlds conquest till, the redeemed |
of earth, marching up from one side !
and the glorified of Heaven marching |
down from the other side, the last bat |
Element of sin is compelled to swing |
out the streamers of Emanuel. U
church of God, take aim and conquer!
l have heard it said: Look out for |
man who has only one idea; he is ire
sistible." l say look out for the man
who has one idea, and that determina-
ton for soul-saving. l believe God
would strike me dead if l dared to
point the spear in any other direction.
oh, for some of the courage and en-
thusiasm of Joshua! He flung two
armies from the tip of that spear. 1t
is sinful for us to rest unless it is to get
stronger muscle and fresher brain and
purer heart for Gods work. feel on
nv head the hands of Christ in new
ordination. Do you not feel the same
omnipotent pressure? There is a work
for all of us. Oh, that we might stand
lp side by side and point the spear to-
ward the city! 1t ought to be taken.
1t will be taken. Our cities are drifting
off toward loose religion or what is
called liberal Christianity" which is
so liberal that it gives up all the cardi-
nal doctrines of the Bible; so liberal
that it surrenders the rectitude of the
throne of the Almighty. That is liber-
llity with vengeance. Let us decide
upon the work which we as Christian
men have to do and in the strength of
God go to work and do it.
1 believe that the next year will be
he most stupendous year that Heaven
aver saw. The nations are quaking
now with the coming of God. 1t will be
4 wear of successes for the men OF
Joshua, but of doom for the men of All.
You put your ear to the rail track, and
you can hear the train coming miles
away. So put my ear to the ground,
ind 1 hear the laundering on of the
lightning train of Gods mercies and
judgments. The mercy of God is first
o be tried upon this nation. 1t will
,e preached in the pulpits, in theaters,
IN the streets-everywhere. People
will be invited to accept the mercy of
he Gospel, and the story and the song
md the prayer will be mercy" But
oppose they do not accept the offer
# mercy-what then? Then God will
.ome with His judgments, and the
will eat the crops, and the
reshets will devastate the valleys, and
he solicitations will swallow the