Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-10-18
Calm1aoe
sermon
By Rev.
Frank ne Witt Talmace, D. D.

cline of Christian civilization and
shows that the conquering forces of
the faith Were never SO strong as now
The text is Solomon's Song vi, TO-
Terrible as an army with banners"
One of the easiest characteristics to
develop Is a genius for looking upon
the dark side of life. If the human
soul will persist in dwelling In the
dark cavernS by day it will not be very
long before ii will go forth to seek its
food by night. Then it will think that
all human beings have the depraved
nature of the bat and the coyote. Then
ii Will get the awful habit of looking
for the imperfections in the lives of
men ratheT than for their virtues and
their eXcellencies.
People who rejoice In the weak
neSses of their neighbors are apt to
glory in the imperfections of any nota-
BILE movement of the day. They love
TO magnify social troubles. They love
10 detect the dark clouds in the polit-
zeal, moral and financial horizons.
They love to be eulogists of the past
and depreciators of the present They
contend that all the great men are
dead and that the living men are a
feeble, puny, worthless race. They
seem to be blinded to the self evident
facts of the worlds progress on every
side. They are like the foolish man
who stands upon the Seashore and
watches the incoming tide. A wave
rears and breaks and filings itself upon
the beach and then recedes into the
ocean. '"Therel Therel" be cries.
''See, the tide Is goingr' Then another
wave rears and plunges and comes up
a little higher upon the beach and
then recedes. ''Therel Therev he
cries again. ''The tide is going out"
The pessimists seem to be blinded to
the fact that each wave comes I'D a
little higher and little higher until
after awhile full tide is reached and
the whole seashore is flooded with the
heaving waters. Now, this is lust
what some pessimists do when they
watch the incoming tides of the
worlds prosperity and progress. They
see here and there n wave break and
go back. They see here and there a
man or an institution fail. Then they
cry: Look Looki See how the world
is going to the dogsr But though here
and there we may see a receding wave
the general trend is higher and better.
Critics of the Church.
Pessimists hurl their structures In all
directions, but their favorite target is
the church. "Ahar' they laugh. did
you ever see an institution crumble in
to pieces like the old church? The
children of this day are not being
sent to the Sunday schools as they
once We're. Just look how empty are
Its pews-here and there an old wo-
man or sickly, effeminate man at
tending the church service, but for the
most part sensible people look upon
Sunday as holiday instead of holy
day. Once the Bible was the most
conspicuous book upon the parlor ta-
bic; now the stock quotations of the
daily newspapers have taken it's place.
once the minister was looked upon as
the most important parsonage in a
community; now the actor is the idol
OF the young people. Once the school,
house was n coadjutor of the church;
now II has broken its shackles of bond
age, and the public authorities refuse
to allow Bible chapter to be read in
the public school. Everywhere we see
the church as public institution re-
ceding and crumbling and disappear
ing" So say the pessimlsts, who are
hurting their anathemas at the church.
Now, 1 would not have you think
that the church which Christ estab-
lished is dying church. 1 shall show
you that the church Of God Is by its
nature a conquering church; that the
gospel Is growing stronger and purer
and more powerful every day; that the
prohetic vision which King Solomon
saw 5000 years ago is being fulfilled
now. The church today. like bride, is
preparing for the advent OF the Divine
Bridegroom. She is going forth to per-
form the work which God has given
her to do, fair as the moon, clear as
the sun and terrible as an army with
banners"
The prophetic vision OF my text Tx
ened the conquering church to a great
army in numbers. 1t likened it 10 a
mighty multitude which marched by,
company after company, regiment aft.
er regiment, brigade after brigade, di-
vision after division. host after host.
There the army went marching, tramp
ing. And as they marched and kept
step the very earth trembled and
shook with the uniform tread OF the
myriads OF feet.
Will Not Break Step.
You know that when soldiers come
to a bridge they are ordered to break
step lest the rhythmic pulsation Of the
marching bring down the bridge. But
In the scene of my text the conuuerinc
church will never have to break sten,
its myriads OF Christian soldiers will
march until the poundings of their
many feet will make the earth shake
with the step of the advancing hosts.
The figure in this metaphor is not that
OF ''corporaPs guard" 1t is NOT the
ngure OF small company. But it is
the figure of a great warlike host upon
the march. who is she that looketb
forth as the morning, fair as the
moon, clear as the sun and terrible rs
an army with banners%
Oh. the immensity OF the army of
the gospel ehnrehr Some OF you aged
men anu women were in Washington
iuring the grand parade OF the Union
troops just before they disbanded after
me civil war. Hour after hour the re-
turning soldiers filed past that review
ing stand. But the Christian army Is
greater In numbers than any that ever
followed Grant, a Sherman or a Lee.
You may have read about the great
host which XerxeS orpanfzad For he