Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-02-05

went over to the Ph1ustlnes to use
their grindstcnes. My friends, Is 1t
not right for US to employ the worlds
grindstones? If there be art, if there
be logic, If there be business faculty on
the other side, let us go over and en-
ploy it for Christ's sake. The fact is
we fight with too dull implements.
We hack and we maui when we ought
to make a clean stroke. Let us go
over among sharp business men and
among sharp literary men and find out
what their tact is and then transfer it
to the cause of Christ. If they have
science and art, it will do US good to
rub against it.
Sharpen the Swords.
In other words, let us employ the
worlds grindstones. We will listen to
their music, and we will watch their
acumen, and we will use their grind
stones, and will borrow their philo-
sophical apparatus to make our ex-
periments, 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. That was what made
Paul such a master in his day He
not only got all the learning he could
get of DR.. Gamaliel, but afterward,
standing on Mars hill and in crowded
thoroughfare- quoted their poetry, and
grasped their logic, and welded their
eloquence, and employed their mytholo-
gy until Dionysius, the Areopagite,
learned in the schools of Athens and
Heliopolis, went down under his ire
mendous powers.
That was what gave Thomas Chal-
mers his power in his day. He con-
quered the worlds astronomy and COM
PEELED 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
metaphysics 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
Christian power. Well, now, my
friends, we all have tools of Christian
power. Do not let them lose their
this fight. We want no coulter that
cannot rip up the glebe. We want no
ak that cannot fell the trees. We want
no goad that cannot start the lazy
team. Let us get the very best grind
stones we can find, though they be in
possession of the Philistines, compel
ling them to turn the crank while we
bear down with all our might on the
swift revolving wheel until all our en-
ergies and faculties shall be brought
up to a bright, keen, sharp, glittering
edge.
Again, my subject teaches us on
what a small allowance Philistine in
EQUITY puts a man. Yes, these Philis-
tines shut up the mines, and then they
took the spears and the swords; then
they took the blacksmiths; then they
took the grindstones, and they took
everything but a file. Oh, that is the
way sin works! It grabs everything.
1t begins with robbery and ends with
robbery. 1t despoils this faculty and
that faculty and keeps on until the
whole nature is gone. Was the man
eloquent before, it generally thickens
his tongue. Was he fine in personal
appearance, it mars his visage. Was
he aff1uent, it sends the sheriff to sell
him out. Was he influential, it de-
stroys his popularity. Was he placid
and genial and loving, it makes him
splenetic and cross, and so utterly is
he changed that you can see he is sar-
castle and rasping and that the Philis-
tines have left him nothing but file.
The Cheerful Life
Oh, "the way Of the transgressor is
hardw His cup is bitter. His night
is dark. His pangs are deep. His end
is terrific. Philistine iniquity says to
that man, "Now, surrender to me, and
will give you all you want-music for
the dance, swift steeds for the race,
imperial couch to slumber on, and you
shall be refreshed with the rarest
fruits in baskets of golden f1ligree."
He lies. The music turns out to be a
groan. The fruits burst the rind with
rank poison. The filigree is made
up of twisted reptiles. The couch is a
grave. Small allowance Of rest, small
allowance of peace, small allowance of
comfort. Cold, hard, rough-nothing
but file. So it was with Voltaire, the
most applauded man of his day.
The Scripture his jestbook whence he drew
Bonmots to gall the Christian and the Jew.
An infidel when well, but what when sick?
Oh, then text would touch him to the quicki
Seized with hemorrhage Of the lungs
in Paris, where he had gone to be
crowned as the idol of all France he
sends a messenger to get priest, that
he may be recOnciled to the church be-
fore he dies. A great terror falls upon
him. Philistine iniquity had promised
him all the worlds garlands, but in
the last hour of his life. when he need
ed solacing, sent tearing across his