The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-04-07

We want all the laymen enlisted. Minis
tiers are numerically too small. They DO
worked class on earth. Many OF them die
OF dyspepsia because they cannot get the
right kind Of food to eat or, getting the
right kind are so worried that they take IL
down In chunks. They die from consunp-
tion coming from early and late exposures
II novelist or historian pupIisnes
one book Il year, he Is considered indus
trious. But every faithful pastor must
originate enough thought for three or four
volumes year. Ministers receive enough |
calls In a year from men who have maps
and medicines and lightning rods and pic
lures to sell to exhaust their vitality.
They are bored with agents OF all sorts.
They are set in drafts at funerals and |
pois oned by the unventilated rooms OF in- |
yalids and waited upon by committees VINO |
want addresses made until life becomes |
burden to bepr. 1t Is not hard study that |
makes ministers look pale. 1t Is the IN
Unity OF interruptions and botherations 10
smalll Il is no more the work OF the pulpit
TO convert and save the world thansit Is
the work OF the pew. II men go 10 ruin,
there will be as much blood on your skirts
as on mine.
Let tis duit this grand farce OF trying
to save the world by few clergymens
and let all hands lay hold OF the WORK.
Give US in all our churches TWO os
three aroused and qualified men and
women to help. In most churches to-
day five or ten men are compelled TO 90
all the work. vast majority OF churches
are at their wits end how to carry on u
prayer meeting IL the minister Is not there,
when there ought to be enough pens up
energy and religious forceto make meet
ing 20 on with such power that the minis
ter would never be missed. The caurcn
stands working the pumps OF lew
ministerial cisterns until the buckets
are dry and choked, while there are
thousands of fountains from wnicn
might be dipped up the waters OF eter-
nal life. Before you and ! have the
| sod pressing our eyelids We Will under
| God decide whether our children shall grow
| ND amid the accursed surroundings oil vice
| and shame or come to an Inheritance OF
| righteousness. Long, loud, bitter Will %
| the curse that scorches our grave II, hold
| ing within the church to-day enough men
and women to save the city, we act the
coward or the drone. wish I could put
enough moral explosives under tho con.
venrionalities and majestic stupidities OF
| the day to blow them to atoms and tnat
| then, with SO, 900 men and women from all
the churches knowing nothing but Christ
and a desire to bring all the world to Him,
| we might move upon the enemy's WORKS.
For a little while heaven would not nave
trumpets enough to celebrate the victories.
Again. learn from this subject that we
| sometimes do we'll to take advantage OF the
worlds erindstones. These Israelites were
reduced to file, and so they went over 10
the garrison OF the Phiiistines to get tnelr
axes and their gouds and their plows
sbarpened, The Bible distinctly states 1t :
the text which I read at the beginning OF
the service-that they had no other instrn.
ments now with which to do this work, ana
the Isruelites did right when they went over
to the Phiistines to use their grindstones.
Nv friends, is ii not right for US to employ
the worlds grindstones? II there be art
II there be logic, il there be business facui'
ty on the other side, let us 90 over and en-
oloy it for Christ's sake. The fact IS W.
fight with too dull instruments. we hacs
and we maui when we ought to make
clean stroke. Let US 20 over among sharI
business men ana among snaLp nse,",
men and find out what their tact IS AM
r transfer it to the cause OF Christ. II thel
) have science and art 1t will do US good T.
rub against 1t.
> In other words, let US employ The wor id'
grindstones We will listen to their music
= and we will watch their acumen, ana w
: will use their grindstones, and will borrow
their philosophical apparatus to make GU
: | experiments, and we will borrow thei
= printing presses to publish our Bibles, ant
. we will borrow their rail trains to carr
. our Christian literature. and We will borro'
!, their ships to transport our missionaries
y That was what made Paul such master Il
his day. He not only got all the learning
;. he could get OF DR.. Gamaliei, put aIteI
. ward, standing on Mars hill and In crowd
!, ed thoroughfare, quoted their poetry, ant
- grasped their logic, and welded their clio
!, quepce, and employed their mythology un
= Ill Dionysius, the Areopaglte, learned i
= the schools OF Athens and Heliopolls, wen
down under his tremendous powers.
q 4 That was what gave Thomas ChaiMer
y his power in his day. He conquered IN
= worlds astronomy and compelled 1t to rim
, out the wisdom and greatness OK the Lor
a until, for the second time, the mornln
~ stars sang together and all the sons OF u o
q shouted for Joy. That was what gave
= Jonathan Edwards his influence In bis da'
- He conquered the worlds metaphysics an
J, forced it into the service Of God until nc
~ only the old meeting house at NorthamI
:. ton. Mass. but all Christendom. lelt thrille
bv his Christian power. Well, now, 10
:, friends. we all have tools OF Christia
- power. Do not let them lose their edge
,a I'VE want no rusty blades In this ilgDt. "
~ want no coulter that cannot rip up u
- glebe. We want no axe that cannot Ie
~ the trees. We want no goad that cann'
10 start the law team Let US get the vel
% hest grindstones we can find, though the
ne be in possession OF the PhilIstines. compe
= ling them to turn the crank while we De-
~ down with all our might on the swift 7
:, yolying wheel until all our energies ~
=, faculties shall be brought up TO prlga
he keen, sharp, glittering edge.
10 Again. nv subject teaches us on WI
70 n small allowance Philistine iniquity pu
~ man, Yes, these Philistines shut up q
~, mines, and then they took the spears ~
ny the swords; then they took the blacksmith
ho then they took the grindstones, ana IN
AZ took everything but file. Oh, that IS
az way sin worksl 1t grabs everything.
~ begins with robbery and ends with &c
" berry. 1t despoiis this faculty and ~
ulo facr1lty and keeps on until the whole natu
,es ia gone. Was the man eloquent before.
ion generally thckens his tongue. Was he Il
ny in personal appearance, 1t mars his visal
Was he aff1uent, 1t sends the sneriI 70
- him out. Was be influential, II destre
~ ~ his popularity. Was he placid ana gen
~ and loving, it makes him spienetic y
r. cross. aud so utterly Is he changed q
,ha you en- see he Is Sarcastic ana rasplna,
tue Tint the Philistines have left him noth
~ but q file.
~ ~ learn from this subject what sad th
Gu, II Is when the church OF God loses
~ ~ metau These Philistines saw that II II
~ could only get all the metallic weap
70 out OF the hands OF the Israelitas all wo
~. ~ he well. and therefore they took the swo
nse and the spears. They did not want q
l,s to have "a single metallic weapon. W
Isl, the metal of the Israelites was gone, Il
io.o strength was gene. This Is the trou
- with the church OF God to-day. II Is
y y;a ~ rendering its courage. 1t has not emo
,ryy metal.
role Oh. ia It not high time that wa NV
,der out al sleep? Church OF God, lfr up J
hols head ut the coming victoryl The Phiiist