Milford chronicle., 1904-02-05
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Ptesby.
tsri0n Church chieAgo


ing lesson. showing how even a small
company Of Christians. acting as a har.
monlous unit. may win great spiritual
victories. The text Is Judges vii, 6.
And the number OF them that lapped
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 no
solved by the war department is NOT
how can we reject our volunteersf"
but How can we persuade or even
compel men to enlist in the ranksg"
During Americas great civil war all
healthy men in the south between tba
ages OF eighteen and sixty were forced
10 shoulder musket if unwilling to go
as volunteers. while in the north. after
the volunteers had ceased to respond to
Lincolns repeated calls for tPoops. the |
oraft officers went everywhere.
Ihe story Of Gideon's campaign is
unique in history. Here was a general
about 10 march against a powerful in.
vader. well armed and equipped. whom
he must meet with a raw and undis.
eipiined force actually reducing by a
capncious test the number of his fol.
lowers. Under Gods command he dis
pensed with nine-tenths of his men
men General Gideon raised his stand
ard TO repel the invasion Of the Mid
ianites and Amalekites $1,000 voIpn-
teers answered the call to arms Rut
God said to Gideon, better quality than
quantity. Better a few loval and do
voted men TO repel the invasion than
great host made up Of disgruntled and :
rault finding, indifferent recruits. Gid. =
con- as directed by God. cut down tbo
numbers Of that Israelitish army Hp /
cut them down and down and down
ana down until there were left only =
three hundred men-only three small .
companies To follow their intreDid load. Il
r. BUT they won the victory. So II u
may be in the great conflict between ."
good and evil in this world Co,sa. u'
rated. loyal. earnest men are need.d u
Il tue struggle for righteousness The
alilng away Of the half hearted. the
luaTelsome. need occasion no alarm III
ue nSht IS the Lords. and he can ac. uI
ohpllsh more with few brave souls III
Inspired with the Holy Spirit and de. III
oted to him. than with a host of noni. ia
1i CHRISTIANS dislOyal to him and An. hl'
igonistic to one another. of
The Church Army. III
Ahe church should be a harmonious. on
organized army. The loyalty with ne
nich one soldier holds to another in WI
Ie national army decides TO a great nc
''ent the aggregate strrI yth of that '''N
my. When going into battle II ~ "a"
ST as important for a soldier 10 know nis
NJ ne is standing shoulder TO shonI. u
r with friends MS to realize that no is MS
IhulhS race TO face with ATTACKING
is' CiVli war veterans have told me ~.
II the affection which bound the ,Tli -
"a OF each company together was like ~
mas OF unbreakable steel n a sol. MAJ
II out foraging found food hiddon -
ay IN barn or if Ee found desert. po"
PIE OF blankets or an extra pile Of va "a9
wood to be cut into kindlinc tbn ieu
L persons he thought of were those ""'
MS company. There the mem. VI g
shared each others joys. They r,tn
lpathized with each other in their W.. "i'u
'oWs, If one Of their number did ,'ie
ng or got into trouble. the different e'liil
hDers Of his company would always 4r .Ls
e 10 his assistance. So, my friends. sha.'l sl1e
members of each separate Chris.
chufch ought TO be linked together -.
gospel love. They should trv IN
ID each other and pray for each P',,1e
L and care fOr. an oh 9TH. - L AAo
other 1bor sho'-,v ST. o'ner ana neip ment
world expose each others weak. III :,
es any more than wife should be ~ -
ng to publish before a cynical -,
lborhood the weaknesses and 80 $50
Of her husband Church .4'
bers. in other words, should "be - "a
y affectioned to one another. with ~.
ierly love, in honor preferring one haaor' toos
ler." oecoA
Not True Christians. N tho
le church a harmonious gospel the 81
any? Oh, no." says one. THAT Concor
IS not always a possibility. midwo
1t is not possible for me to live whelm
mpathy and love with all the 7 smell
'crs Of my church Some of then the NJ,
been too mean and have done me In tho
' i"Jus'iees. l can truly say pei COZ
not want TO harm them. but | month
NY desire that they should leave ed tho
tirely alone certainly intend the ott
'e them entirely alone. | do not suits W
o keep them out OF heaven. but ueople
OF wish some OF them to sit be- ped an,
e in a celestial mansion or by midwee
'mmon earthly freside made or with y
md stone" My friend by such spiritua
wer you are proving the Holy with an
power ineticacious. You are a spirit,
itraung that .ou are unwilling pewsi
me one or Gideon's Dand and Of ever,
faithful harmony with the whether
three hundred. God is willing assembl,
you grace enough to love all upper cl
'llow church members il You together
y ask Tor ibat grace Has not the man
testimony been given. Il can Holy Oh
things through Christ which Con,