Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-02-04
TALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor of Jefferson Park Presby.
terrain Church. CHICAGO

Los Angeles. Cal. JAN 31.--To the
churches and religious communitie.
that have been torn by dsscnsion OF
weakened by dlscord and detection this
sermon conveys Il powerful and inspir
ing lesson, showing how even small
company Of Christians, acting as u har.
nonious unit. may win great spiritual
victories. The text Is Judges vii, g.
And the number of them that Tapped
putting their hand to their mouth, was
three hundred men,"
No sinecurist is the army's recruiting
officer. In most cases, whether in peace
or war. the problem which must be
solved by the war department Is not
"Ilow can we reject our volunteers -
! but How can we persuade or even
compel men to enlist in the ranks"
During Americas great civil war all
healthy men in the south between the
ages Of eighteen and sixty were forced
to shoulder muskct if unwilling to 80
as volunteers, while in the north. after
the volunteers had ceased TO respond to
Lincclns repeated calls for troops, the
draft officers went everywhere.
The story of Gdcon's campaign il
unique in history. Here was general
about 10 march against n powerful in
vader. well armed ana equipped. whom
he must meet with raw and undis-
ciplined force, actually reducing by Il
capricous test the number of his fol-
lowers. Under Gods command he dis.
pensed with nine-tenths of his men.
When General Gideon raised his stand.
ard to repel the invasion Of the Mid
ianites and Alnalekitcs 32MD vo,in-
teers answered the call to arms. But
God said TO Gideon, better quality than
quantity. Better Il few loyal and de-
voted men to repcl the invasion than
great host made up of discounted and
fault finding. Indifferent recruits. Gid
con. as directed by God. cut down the
numbers Of that Israelitish army. He
cut them down and down and down
and down until there were left only
three hundred men only three small
companies to follow their intrepid lead
or. But they won the victory. So il
may be in the great conflict between
good and evil in this world. Consc-
Grated. loyal. earnest men are needed
in the struggle for righteousness. The
falling away Of the half hearted. the
QuarreIsOme, need occasion no alarm.
The fight is the Lords. and hc can nc
compllsh more with ii few brave souls.
inspired with the Holy Spirit and de-
voted to him. than with host of nomi-
nal Christians disloyal to him and an
tagonstic to one another.
The Church Army.
The church should be a harmonious
~ organized army. The loyalty with
which one soldier holds to another in
the national army decides to a great
extent the aggregate strength of that
army. When going into battle it is
just as important for a soldier to know
that he is Standing shoulder TO Shout
der with friends as to realize that he il
standing face to face with attacking
foes. civil war veterans have told me
that tie affection which bound the
nien OF each company together WIS like
bands of unbreakable steel. If n sol
der out forasing found food hidden
away In n barn or if he found a desert
cd Pile OF blankets or an extra pile OF
dry wood to be cut into kindling. the
first persons he thought of worc those
Of his company. There the mem
bcrs shared each others Joys. They
syluputhiZcd with each other IN their
sorrows. II one of their number did
wrong or got into trouble, the different
members of his company would always
come to his assistance So. nv friends.
the members of each separate Chris
tian church ought to be linked together
by gospel love. They should try to
shield each other and pray for each
other and care for each other and help
each other. They should never before
the world expose each others weak
ncsses any more lhan II wife should lie
willing to publish before II cynical
neghborhood the weaknesses and
shortcomings of her husband Church
members, in other words. should "bc
kindly affectioned to one another. with
brorherly love. in honor preferring one
another
Not True Christians.
THE church harmonious gospe,
company! Oh. no." says one. That
ideal is not always Il possibility.
know il Is not possible for me to live
In sympathy and love with all tie
members Of my church. Some of them
have been TOO mean and have done me
too many injustces. ! can truly say
do not want to harm them. but
certainly desire that they should leave
me entirely alone. certainly intend
TO leave them entirely alone. ! do not
wish to keep them out of heaven. but
do not wish some Of them to sit be.
side me in celestial mansion or by
any common earthly freside made of
brick and stone My friend, by sucn
m answer you are proving the Holy
Spirits power ineflicacious. You are
demonstrating that You are unwilling
to become one OF Gideons band and
live In faithful harmony with the
chosen three hundred. God Is willing |
to give you grace enough to love all |
your fellow church members if YOU
will only ask for that grace. Has not
the sure test imOuV been oiVon 81 ..n