Connecticut western news., 1903-08-20
TALMAGE SERMON
By Rev. FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,. Pastor of Jefferson Park Presby- tsrlAn Church, Chicago

Chicago, Aug. 16.-In his sermon the preacher points out the key to a sue cessful life and the secret whereby even seeming reverses may be trans formed into triumphs. The text is Joshua i, 5, "As was with Moses, so will be with thee"
 One of the greatest novels ever writ ten, so considered by many of our best critics, is Victor Hugos masterpiece, Les Miserables." Amid all the art gal lery of that treasured book the most wonderful description is the word painting by which the denunciator of Napoleon the Little" pictures the downfall of Napoleon the Great at the battle field of Waterloo. When this great master of literature topples over the French colossus, the earth trem-' bles and the dead centuries come forth out of their musty tombs and look on in perpetual wonderment.
 In that marvellous recital you can hear the booming of the artillery's guns and the crack of the infantry's muskets and the groans of the dying and the cheers of the charging cav airy, and the tramp of the British lines forming themselves into the unbreaka- ble squares against which the Old it you can see the flushed cheeks and the flashing eyes of conquering host and the pale, wan, haggard faces of a flying mob.
 Yet after all in reading the thrilling story I am impressed not so much by what happened as what did not hap pen. For many hours the eagle of vic tory seemed undecided upon which standard to alight., She f1uttered this way and that. as though awaiting some 0ne's expected advent to help her to decide. Napoleon himself was waiting, anxiously waiting, for the same helper. Every little while he would take his fieid glass and scan the surrounding hills and valleys. Every little while he would turn to his staff officers and say: Do you see him? Have you heard any news from Grouchy? We must have re-enforcements or we are lost" In the meantime over the hills march, ed Marshal Butcher with his German re-enforcements. That was the de- cisive event. Victory hesitated no longer. She flew to the standard of Wellington and perched there The Napoleonic star set in gloom to rise no more in this world. It was the lack of re-enfOrcements at critical moment which destroyed the French army. It is the lack of divine re-enforcements which may destroy us in the battle of life
 sT Win He With Thee," Said the Lord.
 The text tells us of another general who also needed re-enforcements. To Joshua was committed the task of con- quering a country held by warlike peo- pie. To him at the supreme moment comes the assurance of the Lord of Hosts, Il will be with thee" Now, my friends, the same kind of divine re-en- he took command of the Israelitish forces may also be given to us. When God gave to him his commission he said. Joshua, If you will be true to me and fight under my standard I will be with thee, as I was with thy predecessor" That divine succor which God gave to Joshua he gave to our Christian fa- thers; that divine help he will give to us If we will trust him and believe on would inspire every Christian to prayerfully go forth and do what God wants him to do. I would inspire all Christians to live and work with a brave heart, because the results of our future conflicts are as sure as Gods promises are sure.
 First, God will be with the Christian workers of this present generation. We fight under his glorious banner. David had proved it by experience when he wrote, Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that 1t may be displayed because of the truth" Under that banner the church of God has won victories in all ages. Solomon saw 1t on its march and pronounced it terri ble as an army with banners" He saw 1t later, triumphant over all evil, enter ing like a bride into the home of a bridegroom and her lord leading her into the banquet hall and placing over her the banner of love.
 Now, banner Is not merely piece of a rag or a haring bit of futtering bunting or a dress parade endaZzle- ment The banner of God Is flag or a standard. 1t is the symbol of supernal authority. Whoever therefore strikes at Gods banners strikes at the divine heart. When, some years ago, an American citizen was arrested by the Spanish authorities in Cuba and sen fenced to die, the American consul at first protested in vain. But on the day set for the execution the Cuban au- thOrities dared not shoot because that consul wrapped an American flag about the condemned man, saying: "He Is an American citizen. Now shoot him through the folds of that flag if you darev' Today, in symbol, God wraps about every Christian worker his ban ner. It is the symbol of protection. 1t is the symbol of omnipotence. 1t is the symbol of the atonement. It Is the symbol of divine forgiveness. It is the iOy MUOi VI a SAOllOuo anu HCNCI CnuAu6 life
 symbols In the Gospel Banner.
 We all can see the beautiful symbols 1n the American flag. Is there none for us in the gospel banner? We say there never was a national flag so poetic as oursi When George Wash 1ngton and Robert Morris and Colonel Ross, the committee appointed by the Second Continental congress, visited Betsy Ross in her Philadelphia home, they accomplished q great work. That flag symboIized thirteen different gov ernments in one, and still that one gov ernment kept It's thirteen distinct in- dividualities. The thirteen bars and the thirteen stars represented the thir- teen colonies which afterward became the thirteen states. Then, after Yer ment and Kentucky, the first of the new states. were added to the Union, the thirteen bars and thirteen stars were ruaanged into fifteen bars and fifteen