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

unity OI interruptions ana DOtneratfons TO
which they are subjected. Numerically too
SMALL Ii Is no more the work OF the pu pit
to convert and save the world than II Is
the work OF the pew. II men go 10 ruin,
there will be as much blood ou your skirts
as ON mine.
Let us quit this grand farce Of trying
to save the world by few clergym 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 fve 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 II 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 few
ministerial elsterss Wntll the 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 | have the
sod pressing our cyalids wo will under
God decide whether our children shall grow
up amid the accarsed surroundings OF vice
nnd shame or come TO an inheritance OF
righteousness. Long. loud, bitter will be
the curse that Bcorchee our grave H. hold.
ing within the church to-day enough men
and women to save tho city, we act the
coward or the drone. l wish 1 could put
enough moral explosives under the con-
ventioualitles and mnjestlo stupidities OF
the day to blow them to atoms and that
then, With 10000 men and womcn 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 hnyc
trumpets enough to celebrate the letorles.
Again, learn from this subject that we
sometimes do well to take advantage OF the
worlds grindstones. These Israelites were
reduced to file. and 80 they went over to
the garrison of the Phillstines to get their
axes and their goads and their plows
sbarpened. The Bible distinctly states It -
the text which read at the beginning OF
the sorvlce--that they hud no other instru-
ments now with which to do this work, and
the Isrnelites did right when they went over
to the Philistines to use their grindstones.
My friends, is 1t not right for us to employ
the worlds grindstones2 II there be art,
II there be logic, II there be business facul-
ty on the other side, let us 20 over and om-
pioy 1t for Christ's sake. The fact Is we
iiynt with too dull instruments. We hack
and we maui when we ought to make q
clean stroke. Lot US 90 over among sharp
business men and among sharp literary
men and fnd out what their tact Is and
transfer 1t 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 will 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
we will borrow their rail- trains To carry
our Christian literature and We will borrow
their ships to transport our missionaries.
nj yl.nN a a.
his day. He not only got all tue learning
he could get OF DR.. Gamaliel, but after
ward, standing ON Mars hill and In crowd
cd thoroughfare, quoted their poetry, aud
grasped their logic, and welded their elo-
quence, and employed their mythology un-
I'll Dionysius, the Areopaglte, learned In
{ he schools OF Athens and Heliopolis, went
down under bis 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 for Joy. That was what gave to
Jonathan J Edwards his influence In his day.
He conquered the worlds metaphysics and
forced 1t into the service OF God until not
only tho old meeting house at Northamp-
ton, Mass, but all Christendom, felt thrilled
by his Christian power. Well, now, my
'AiDhuoI WO an hufc tOOiS OI
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 grindstones we can fnd, though they
be In possession OF the Phillstines compel
ling them to turn the crank while we bear
down with all our might on the swift re-
volving wheel until all our energies and
faculties shall be brought up to bright,
keen, sharp, glitterlng edge.
Again. my subject teaches us on what
n small allowance Philstine iniquity puts
n man. Yes. these Phillstlnes shut up the
mines, and then they took tho spears and
he swords; then they took the blacksmiths;
then they took the grindstones, and they
took everything but u tile. 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 no affiuent, 1t sends the sheriff to sell
him out. Was he influential, Ii 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 he is sarcastic and rasplng and
! bat the Phllistines have left him nothing
but file.
learn from this subject Nant sad thing
It Is when the church OF God loses It's
metall These Phiistines saw that IL they
could only get all tho metallic weapons
out OF tho hands OF the Israolites all would
be well and therefore they took theswords
ind the spears. They did not want them
10 have a single metallic weapon. When
The metal of the Israelites was goue, 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 1t not high time that we awake
out OF sleep? Church of God, lift up your
head ut the coming Vlctory Tho Phlist ines
will go down, and the Israelltes will go up.
We are on the winning side. think lust
now the Kings horses are being hooked up
to the chariot, and when IIe does ride down
the sky there will DO such a. hosanna
among His friends and such wailing
among His enemies MS will make tho earth
tremble and the heaven sing. 1 see now
the plume5 OF the Lords cavalrymen
( o ssiug In the air. The RrchuDgeI be-
fore the throne Lhs alrendy FURNISHED
his trumpet, and then he will put its gold
en- lips to his own, and he will blow tho
long, loud blast that will make all the ma
tions free. Clap your hands, all ye peo-
pei Harkl l hear the falling thrones and
the dashing down OF demolished inlquitles.
"HalleluiAh, the Lord God omnlpotent
reigneth Haleluiah, the Kingdoms OF
this world are become the kingdoms Of our
Lord Jesus Ohristl'