The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-02-08

want addresses made until life becomes a
burden to beer. 1t Is not hard study that
makes ministers look pale. II ia the In
Unity OF interruptions and deliberations to
which they are subjected. Numerically too
SMALL Ii Is no more the work Of the pulpit
to convert and save the world than IL is
the work OF the pew. II men go 10 ruin,
there will bo as much blood on your skirts
as on mine.
Let us quit this grand farce OF trying
to save the world by few clergymen en-,
and let all hands lay hold OF the work.
Give us In all our churches two or
three aroused and qualified men and
women to help. In most churches to-
day nve or ten men are compelled to do
all the work. A vast majority Of churches
are at their wits end how to carry on a
prayer meeting 10 the minister is not there,
when there ought to be enough pent up
energy and religious force to make meet.
ing 20 on with such power that the minis
ter would never be missed. Tho church
stands working the pumps OF n few
ministerial clsterns until tho buckets
are dry and choked, while there are
thousands OF fountains from which
might be dipped up tho waters OF eter.
nal life. Before You and l have the
sed pressing our eyolids wo will under
God decide whether our children shall grow
up amid the occursed surroundings OF vice
nnd shame or come TO an Inheritance OF
righteousness. Long, loud, bitter will be
the curse that ocorchee our grave II, hold
ing within the church to-day enough men
and women to save tho city, We act the
coward or the drone, l wish l could put
enough moral explosives under tho con-
ventionalitles and mnjestio stupidities OF
the day to blow them to atoms and that
then, with so 900 men and women from all
the churches knowing nothing but Christ
and desire to bring all the world to Him,
we might move upon the enemy's works.
For little while heaven would not havc
trumpets enough to celebrate the vlet ories,
Again, learn from this subject that we
sometimes do well to take advantage OF the
worlds grindstones. These Israelites were
reduced to a file, and so they went over to
the garrison of the Philstlnes to get their
axes and their goads and their plows
sharpened. The Bible distinctly states 1t -
the text which read at the beginning OF
the sorvce--that they hud no other instru-
ments now with which to do this work, and
the Isrnelltes did right when they went over
TO the Philistines to use their grindstones.
My friends, is II not right for US to employ
the worlds grlndstones2 II there be art,
II there be logic, II there be business facul-
~ on the other side, let us 90 over and ON
ploy ii for Chrst's sake. The fact Is we
hynt with too dull Instruments. We hack
and we maui when we ought to make u
clean stroke. Let US 20 over among sharp
business men and among sharp literary
men and find out what their tact Is and
transfer II to the cause OF Christ. II they
have science and art 1t will do US good to
rub against it,
In other words, let us employ the wor IDS
grindstones. We will listen to their music,
and We viii watch their acumen, and we
will use their grlndstones, and will borrow
their philosophical apparatus to make our
experiments, and we will borrow their
printing presses to publish our Bibles, and
hnrrnw hair nj mi 20,
our Christian literature, and we will borrow
their ships to transport our missionaries.
That was what made Paul such master in
his day. He not only got all tue learning
he could get OF DR.. Gamaliol, but after
ward, standing ON Mars hill and In crowd
cd thoroughfnre, quoted their poetry, aud
grasped their logic, and welded their elo-
quence, and employed their mythology un-
til Dionysius, the Areopagite, learned In
the schools OF Athens and Heliopolis, went
down under his tremendous powers.
b That was what gave Thomas Chalmers
his power in his day. He conquered the
worlds astronomy and compelled 1t to ring
out the wisdom and greatness OF the Lord
until, for the second time, the morning
stars sang together and all the sons OF God
shouted tor Joy. That was what gave to
Jonathan Edwards his influence In his day.
He conquered the worlds metaphysics and
forced 1t into the service OF God until not
only the old meeting house at Northamp-
ton, Mass, but all Christendom, felt thrilled
by his Christian power. Well, now, my
friends, we all have tools of Christian
power. Do not let them lose their edges.
We want no rusty blades In this fight. We
want no coulter that cannot rip up the
glebe. We want no axe that cannot fell
the trees. We want no goad that cannot
start the lazy team. Let us got the very
best grlndstones we can find, though they
be In possession OF the Philstines, compel
ling them to turn the crank while we bear
down with oil our might on the swift re-
volving wheel until all our energies and
faculties shall be brought up to q bright,
keen, sharp, glittsrng edge.
Again. my subject teaches US on what
small allowance Philistine iniquity puts
q man. Yos. these Philistines shut up the
mines, and then they took tho spears and
the swords: then they took the blacksmiths;
then they took the grindstones, and they
took everything but Il file. Oh, that Is tho
way sin works! 1t grabs everything. 1t
begins with robbery and ends with rob-
berry. 1t despoils this faculty and that
faculty and keeps on until the whole nature
is gone. Was the man eloquent before. 1t
generally thickens his tongue, Was he fine
In personal appearance, 1t mnrs his vlsage.
Was ho affiuent, IL sends tho sheriff to sell
him out. Was he influential, 1t destroys
his popularity. Was he placid and genial
and loving, 1t makes him splenetic and
cross, and so utterly is he changed that
you can see lie Is sarcastic and rasplng and
that the Philistines have left him nothing
but q file.
learn from this subject Vat n sad thing
1t Is when the church OF God loses It's
metall These Philistines saw that II they
could only get all the metallic weapons
out of tho hands OF the Israolites all would
be well, and therefore they took the swords
and the spears. They did not want them
to have a single metallic weapon. When
the metal OF the Israelites was gone, their
strength was gone. This Is the trouble
with the church OF God to-day. 1t Is sur
rendering its courage. 1t has not enough
metal.
oh, ia It not high time that we awake
out OF sleep? Church of God, llft up your
head at the coming vlctoryi Tho Phlllst Ines
We nre on the winning side. think Just
now the Kings horses are being hooked up
to the chariot, and when lie does ride down
the sky there will be such n hosanna
among His friends and such wailing
nnony HIS enemies ms will make tho earth
tremble and the heaven sing. see now
the plumes OF the Lords cavalrymen
tossing In the air. The Rrchungel be-
fore the throne EAs already FURNISHED
his trumpet, and then he will put Its gold
on. lips to his own, and he will blow the
long. loud blnst that will make all the ma
tions free. Clap your hands, all ye peo-
plel Harkl l hear the falling thrones and
the dashing down OF demolished lnlqulties.
"HallelulAh, the Lord God omnlpotent
regnethl Hallelulah, tho Kingdoms OF
this world are become the kingdoms OF our
Lord Jesus Ohristl'