The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-03-15
Ing ON Mars hill and in crowded thor.

OuSu quoted tnelE poetry anu
grasped their logic and welded their
eloquence and employed their mythol-
ogy until Dionysius the Areopagite.
learned in the schools of Athens and
Heliopolis, went down under his tre-
mendous powers.
That was what gave Thomas Chal-
mers his power in his day. He con-
quered the worlds astronomy and
compelled it 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 shout
ed for JOY. That was what gave to
Jonathan Edwards his influence in his
day. He conquered the worlds meta
physics and forced it into the service
of God, until not only the old meeting
house at Northampton, Mass, but all
Christendom, felt thrilled by his Chris
tion power. VIII, 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 goad that cannot start the.
lazy team. Let us get the very best
| grindstones we can find, though they be
in possession of the Philistines, COM
pelling them to turn the crank while
we bear down with all our might on the
swift revolving wheel, until all our
energies and faculties shall be brought
up to bright, keen, sharp, gltttering
edge.
l learn from this subject what sad
thing it is when the church of God
loses its metal! These Philistines saw
that if they could only get all the
metallic weapons out of the hands OF
the Israelites, all would be well, and
therefore they took the swords and
the spears. They did not want them
to have 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 surrendering its courage.
u It has not enough metal. How seldom
it is that you see a man taking his po-
sition in pew or in pulpit or in re-
j ligious society and holding that posi-
4 ton against all oppression, and all
!, trial, and all persecution, and all criti-
cism. The church of God to-day wants
more backbone, more defiance, more
consecrated bravery, more metal.
. How often you see man start out
in some good enterprise, and at the
first blast of opposition he has col
lapsed, and all his courage gone, for
getting the fact that if man be right
I ali the opposition of the earth pound
ing away at him cannot do him any
permanent damage. 1t is only when a
man is wrong that he can be damaged
J Why, God is going to yindicate His
: truth, and He is going to stand by you
: my friends, in every effort you make
l | for Christ's cause and the salvation o1
I men.
II Go forth in the service of Christ and
! do your whole duty. You have ont
sphere. l have another sphere. "Tht
Lord of Hosts is with us, and the Goo
5 OF Jacob is our refuge. Selah.' W.
: want more of the determination O
r Jonathan. do not suppose he was {
very wonderful man. but he got on hi
! knees and clambered up the rock. ant
n with the help of his armor bearer h
d hewed down the Philistines, and I
o man of very ordinary intellect attain
e ments on his knees can storm any
y thing for God and for the truth. w
: want something of the determination
/ of the general who went into the wa
s and as he entered his first battle hi
e knees knocked together, his physica
II courage not quite up to his mora
k courage, and he looked down at hi
s knees and said: "Ah, if you kne,
e where am going to take you yo
II would shake worse than that!"
o There is only one question for yo
is to ask and for me to ask: What doe
o God went me to do? Where is tn
n field? Where is the work? Where
the anvil? Where is the prayer meet
It ing? Where is the pulpit? And fint
,e ing out what God wants us to do, &
s. ahead and do it, all the energies of on
30 body, mind and soul enlisted in til
,e undertaking. Oh, my brethren. "
ir have but little time in which to figf
le for God! You will be dead soon. Pt
1t in the Christian cause every energ
le that God gives you. ''What thy han
n findeth to do do it with all thy nigh
is for there is neither wisdom nor devit
N in the grave whittier we are all ha
Sc tening. Opportunities of nsefulne
OF gone forever souls that might ha,
Is been benefited three months ago nev,
be again coming under our Christian il
ne fuence. Oh, is it not high time tn
it we awake out of sleep?
nj Church Of God, lift up your head
rk the coming victory! The Philistin
nd will go down, and the Israelites W
20 up. We are on the winning side.
ng think just now the Kings horses a
rp being hooked up to the chariot, al
eir when He does ride down the sky the
Use will be such hosanna among I
TT. | friends and such a wailing among T
enemies as will make the earth tire,
he hle AMI the heavens sing. l see NJ
to the plumes of the Lords cayalrym
cir tossing in the air. The archangel