The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-05-17
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE eY THe NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject; Christian NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ers For the Lord Who Are Religious
Blunderers-iIowi To- Pe Skiliful in spir-
nual irchery-More Backbone Needed.

Dr. Ia.mage urges an Christian workers
% increased fidelity and shows how much
effort al doing good fails through lack OF
adroltness. text. Genesis \. Q. He Was
mighty hunter before the Lord
In our day hunting D. a sport, but in the
!anus ana the times infested of wild beasts
II was matter OF life or death with the
people. IL was very different from going
out on sunshiny afternoon with a patent
hreechioader 10 shoot reed birds on the
flats when PolluX and Achilles and Do
mcdes went out 10 clear the land OF hons
and panthers and bears. Nenophon grew
eloquent IN regard 10 the art of hunting.
In the Far East people, elephant mounted.
chased the tiger. Francis l. was called the
father OF hunting. And Moses. IN my text,
sets forth Nlmrod As a hero when IL pre-
sents hlm with broad shoulders and shaggy
apparel and sun-browned face and arm
punched with muscle mighty hunter
before the Lord" | think he used the
bow and the arrows with great success
pracHclns archery.
| have thought II il is such a grand
thing and such a brave thing TO clear wild
beasts out of a country II u = -. a bet
ter and hrayer thing 90 hunt down and de.
stroy those great evils OF society that are
stalking the land with fierce eye and
bloody paw and sharp tusk and quick
spring. / have wondered II there is not
those who have been flying from the truth
may be captured for God and heaven. The
Lord Jesus Christ IN His sermon used the
art OF angling for an illustration when He
said, Il will make you fishers of men"
And so | think | have authority for using
hunting as an illustration of gospel truth
and | pray God that there may be many a
man enlisted in the work who shall begin
to study gospel archery, of whom It may,
after awhile be said, He was a mighty
hunter before the Lord
How much awkward Christian work
there Is done in the world! How many
good PEOPLE there are who drive souls
away from Christ instead OF bringing
them to Him All their fingers are thumbs
religious blunderers who upset more
than they right Their gun has crooked
barrel, and kicks as II goes off. They are
like a clumsy comrade who goes along with
sklllful hunters. At the very moment he
ought TO be most quiet he is cracking an
alder or falling over a log aud frightening
away the game. How few Christian people
have ever learned how the Lord Jesus
Christ at the well went from talking about
a cup Of water to the most practical relig.
ious truths, which won the womans soul
for Godi Jesus in the wilderness was
breaking bread To the people. | think II
was very good bread. lt was very light
bread, and the yeast had done It's work
thoroughly. Christ. after lie had broken
the bread said 10 the people, Beware Of
the yeast or of the lcavcn of the Phari-
sees So natural a transition II was and
how easily they all understood Him, Eat
how few Christian people there are who
understand how TO iasten the truths OF
God and religion 10 the souls Of mem
The archers OF oldcn time studied their
art They were very precise IN the mat
ter. The Old books gave special directions
to b., h.y -, az f.,
what an archer should do. He must stand
erect and firm. his left foot a little IN at-
vance of the right foot. With ms lctt hand
he must take hold of the bow IN the mid
die, and then with the three fingers and
the thumb oi his right hand he should lay
hold the arrow and atiiX II TO the string,
so precise was the direction given. But
how clumsy we are about religious worS!
How little skill and care we exercise! How
often our arrows miss the mark ! am
glad that there are institutions cstab-
lshod IN many of the cities of our land
where men may learn the AIT OF doing
good-studyng spiritual archery and be
come known as mighty hunters before
the Lord"
In the first place If You want to be ef
fectlal IN doing good YOU must be very
sure OF your weapon. There was some
thing very fascinating about the archery Of
oidcn times. Perhaps you do not know
what they could do with the bow and ar
row. Why, the chief battles fought by the
English PlantagCucts were with the long
bow They would take the arrow OF pol
lshed wood and feather IL with the plume
Of a bird and chen 10 would hy from the
howstring Of plated six. The bloody
fields of AgUCaUTt and SOlWay Moss and
Neville's Cross heard the loud thrum OF
the archcr's bowstrIng Now. my Chris
tan friends. we have mghter weapon
than that II ls the arrow o' the gospel.
1t Is a sharp arrow; u rs fca'hcred from
the wing OF the dove OF God. Spirit; IT
flies from a bow made out OF the wood of
the cross. As far as ] can estimate or ca
CulatC. 10 has brought down 400 600 900 Of
souls. Paul knew how go lsing the notch
of that arrow on TO the bowstglng, and It's
wnr was heard through the CorInthian
theatres and through the courtroom until
the knees of Felix Knocked together.
1t was that arrow that stuck IN Luther's
heart when he cried out. "Oh, my sins,
Oh, my sIns!' II IL strike a man in the
head u kills his skeptiClsm: II II strike
him IN the heel it will turn his step; If II
strike him IN the heart he throws up his
hands as did one OF old when wounded IN
IN the tattle. crying 20 GdlIean, Thou
hast conquered
In the armory Of the Earl Of Pembroke
there are old cOT-elets which show that
the arrow Of the English used 10 90
through the brcastp,ate, through the body
OF the warrior and out through the back
plate What a symbol OF that gospel irnIch
is sharper than r. two.edgol rwOId. picrc-
ing TO the dividing asuudcr ol soul and
body and of the joints and marrow, Would
10 God we had more faith m that gospel.
The Eumb,cst man in the world. II he
had enough iaitb IN u, could BRING hun
drei souls 90 Chust-perhaps 800. just IN
...r. Nf.|tF tF4a.Fs
less and less in 10 ! believe more and more
IN IT, What arc men about that they will
not accept their own deilveraucct There
II nothing proposed by men that can DO
ANYTHING like this gos' 81.
The religion Of Ralph Waldo Emerson
was the philosophy Oi Icc.e-. the religion
oi Theodore Parker was q srOeco Of the
desert, covering up the soil with dry sand
the religion Of Reuan was the romance Of
believing almost nothing; the religion oi
the HuXlcys and the SpenCcrs b. merely a
pedestal on which human phI,Ssophy Tts
shiyeTaz IN tho night o.; The soul, looking
up 90 the stars. Offering no help % the ma
tons that crouch and groan az the base.
Tel me where there is one man who has
rejected that gospel for another who Is
thoroughly satisfied and helped and CON
tented BOO his FEcptclf.,.. a-' ] VIII take
the car tomorrow and ride tOJ mile to see
him
The full power of the gospel has not yet
been touched A. a sportsman throws up
he hand and catches the bad flying
through the air. just 80 easily viii this gJ-.
pei after awhile catch this round word
fyng from .ts orbit. and bring D; back 90
the heart of CHRIST. Give it flli swing.
and ~ VIII pardon every sin, heal every
wound. cure every trouble. 'Dancipate
every Save and ransom every nation.
Again u you want 90 be skiNiIl N Frir-
ituaf archery. you must hunt Iu unire-