Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-02-05

him. DO not talk about your anxieties
lest the church audiences should not
keep up. Do not exaggerate the re-
suits OF your foolish imaginations. Do
not. In other words. give free rein to
your gospel cewardice. II you do you
may unkennel and unleash the coward
~ disposition in us all. IL you ever
wish to be a blessing as churc& mem
Der, only sound forth the inspiring
words OF hope. God knows there are
enough and too many who are always
ready to sit around in the dark church
corners and croak the miserable, whin-
ing, grating words OF despair.
strength In Unity.
Lastly, 1 remark that a church men,
bership should be n united and bar.
monious and compact army. One traitor
In the camp can do infinitely more dam
age than five hundred enemies without.
Benedict Arnold. after he had fed into
the British ranks. was not to be feared.
But had Major Andre. his messenger.
gone safely through to New York city.
and had he. Arnold. been allowed to
command West Point one week longer.
all hopes of American liberty would
have been destroyed. Julius Caesar
could conquer nations. but Julius Cesar
could not defend himself against n
traitors dagger. What! Thou. too.
BrutusT tells the whole story of the
infinite mischief traitor may be able
to do.
1t Is OF vast Importance that the
preservation Of the sacred honor of the
Christian church be Entrusted to those
who are truly her friends. Therefore.
my fellow church members, never try
to placate church enemy by electing
any man TO position OF trust unless
he be prayerful man and unless deep
down In his Christlike heart he fully
realizes the solemnity OF his trust.
Never elect any man to position in a
church unless that man Ia first ready to
put all bitterness out OF his heart and
to get down on hts knees and earnestly
and tenderly say: 20 Lord, my God,
teach me to love my fellow church
members. Teach me to be an under
shepherd to them, as thou art ready TO
guide me- Teach me. o Master, to
say, L forgive as I would have thee
say unto me, Il forgive thee also. my
ted to be a leader of men until he him.
self is first ready to be cleansed Of sin.
Better a smaller churcl; better three
hundred loyal Gideonites than thirty
two thousand men who are not ready to
let Christ lead them as he would
The Loyas Few.
But cannot close my study OF this
mighty theme OF the church as a con.
qdering army without telling yen, my
people. the object have in view,
First. want to kindle to holy zeal the
scores and hundreds and thousands Of
churches all over the land which have
been for years torn and rent asunder
with internal strife. Pastors are dis
couraged, people are discouraged,
Christian communities are discouraged
about them. 'Ob," these people say
I'VE are only little handful. We
have dwindled down and down until
there is hardly any membership left.
What are we to DOR Why, We dis
Outraged churches. by the grace of
God We can do everything. God has
been sitting your membership until the
best are left. You are now Gideon's
band. United and welded together by
trouble you can accomplish wonders.
1t was not by great numbers that Gid
con won. but by the loyalty of few.
My second purpose in this sermon Is
to show you that these conquerors over
the Midianitish hosts were ordinary
men. Who were theyl We don't
know. They were selected at random.
Some came perhaps from wealthy
homes; some came from the homes of
poverty. They were oil selected simply
by the way they Tapped up the water
when they drank or the famous brook.
So God Is going TO jrdge our available
ity TO be among his chosen followers
by the way we are ready to do. in his
name, the little things OF life. He will
Judge whether we are fitted for men,
bership in the Gideonite band by the
way we smile a good morning; by the
way we help upon the car a poor wom-
an with her basket; by our willingness
to sit by humble sickbed: by the way
we lead In prayer in the house of trou-
bic and by the way we forgive
uader Christ's Banner.
The third purppseI would show
that these three hundred immortal
Gideonite conquerors were all volun.
teers. Christie disciples must be volun.
teers, not conscripts. One OF the most
horrible pictures ever painted was that
by NJ. Clairfn, called the "Conscripts."
1t shows an African scene where hun
dreds % young men nre manacled in
chains and are being forcIbly compel
led TO enter the sultan's army. AS con-
victs they are being driven away TO al
most certain death. But Christ's army.
like that OF Gideon. has In II no con-
scripts. The Christian soldier OF the
church must be n volunteer. VIII you
enlist under Christ's banner? Will you
go forth ia the name OF this church, a
united band. TO SRarch against the Sa-
tanic hosts? VIII you 90 forth har.
monious company OF Christians, ready
10 battle In chrisrs name7 VIII you
not realize that oil your past trials,
| whether I'm church or ont OF It, have
been only a mems used to ut you for
ultimate gospels triumph VIII you be-
come q member OF Gideon's band?
Many foe IL q friend In Disguise.
Many sorrow n blessing most true
| Helping your heart 10 be happy and wise.
With faith ever precious and love ever
new.
So stand In the van:
Strive like man;
This is the bravest, the cleverest plan;
.-alw a.. - a.