The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-04-09

mortar. It is the Waterloo, the York
town, the Agri@entum. the SolferinO,
the Chalons. the ThermOpylp, where
all the powers and municipalities Of
darkness shall be forever OVerthroWll
by the principalities and powers of
light, and Christ shall be proclaimed
King of kings and Lord of all
Why is the city to be the great field
whereon the sovereignty of Christ shall
be universally recognized? In the city
there is a commingling of all classes.
Among the throngs who came forth on
Palm Sunday to greet Jesus see the
good and the bad, the autocrat and the
plebeian, the mighty capitalist and the
small shopkeeper, the Pharisee, the
disciple, the curiosity seeker, all COM
mingling, all circling, some cheering
and some cursing under their breath.
We are not to suppose for moment
that all who came forth to see Jesus
threw branches in his way. Oh, no!
The high priests hirelings were in
that crowd, as we'll as Jesus disciples.
l am thankful that you and live In
great city. We live in a city where
our influence for good can tell most
effectively If we only use that inf1u-
ence as Jesus would have US do. If
we capture Paris for Christ we cap
ture France; London for Christ means
England saved; Berlin for Christ means
Germany bowling before the cross. If
we capture New York anG Chicago and
our other great cities for Christ, we
capture America for Christ. Oh, what
a blessed opportunity it is for US to be
able to fight under the standard of the
cross, where the Satanic forces are IN
limhering their heaviest artilleries and
where every blow struck for Jesus can
rebound with the best of all results!
The City and the Country.
But while congratulate you because
you are able to testify for Jesus in
large city also cast my eyes over the
hills and send forth gospel congratula-
ton to the Christian farmhouses that
are helping US in this Christian strug-
gle. A city is a great human reservoir
which collects it's streams Of life from
everywhere. Many Of those streams
trickle down from country hills, where
cattle are lowing and horses neighing
and sheep bleating and harvests wav-
ing. These country streams of human
life are the brooks which clarity the
muddy waters of large metropolis.
The country farmer and his wife are
very apt to fear that their boys and
their girls will be swallowed up in a
large city and never heard from again.
But want to tell you that the major
ity of the mightiest workers for Christ
in the large cities have been born upon
a farm. A short time ago thirty-eight
prominent business men of New York
city sat at a banquet in the Union
League club on Fifth avenue. How
. many of them do you suppose came
from the country? Thirty-six out Of
the thirty-eight- A history Of promi-
nent lawyers. ministers, doctors and
merchants in large city was once
compiled. Eighty per cent were found
to come from the country. Thus, ye
farmers and farmers wives, do not
mourn whenever your stout limbed
boys and beloved girls leave you for
the great cities. Remember that you
are giving them to the service of Jesus
Christ. Remember that your prayers
and Christian training are now to
bring forth their gospel results in the
place where they are most needed.
When my father, then a young coun-
try minister, was called to large city
church. my grandfather. David Tai
mage, protested against his going. He
said: "De Witt, you are doing we'll now
in your little country church. Why do
you 60 into that large city where your
influence will be swallowed up and NO
one ever hear from you again. But
De Witt Talmage answered: Father,
must 60. It is my duty to go. be-
lieve God is calling me to that field
And if go in his name he will bless
me-" God did bless him. And So
farmers and farmers wives. God will
also bless and is blessing the Christian
work of your Christian children In the
same way If he has called them to live
in great city.
Palm Sunday emphasizes the fact
that the easiest way to capture city
for God is to go after the masses. Who
are the masses? They are the most Of
folks. They are the common people
who for the most part fill our churches
And yet they are the common people
who today, if they are only reused with
holy enthusiasm, can conquer this old
world for Christ. They can do it as
easily as the common people who came
out to greet Jesus on Palm Sunday
made the Pharisees and the high
priests hirelings at that time afraid to
lift their threatening fingers or to do
Jesus any harm. Today that religious
organization which is most spiritually
influential for Jesus is the church
which appeals to the employee as well
as to the employer, to the poor mans
hut as we'll as to the rich mans pal
ace, to the artisan and the mechanic
and the laborer as we'll as to the mer'
chant prince. the capitalist or the man
dressed in broadcloth.