The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1907-10-18

there are some mistaken men ana wO-
men who think the gospel church IL
not an army nt an They suppose Il Is
% mere aggregation OF few corporal
guards" whereas il IS numerically
greater than an the combined armies
.f England and Germany and France
and Italy and Austria ana Russia and
Japan aud China put together. II we
could only get AN Christians 10 form
into iue and march side 10y side and
becu step the pounding OF their united
loct would make THIS old earth trem
h'r Great, Great. Infinitely great is
thr gospel army.
That thc host IS mighty one IS dem
Dn-irltcd hy the marvellous statistics
of missions both home ana foreign. II
was only q fcw years ago comparative
y Chat William Carey died. lie died I'm
1880 Yet mp 90 mis- time but little was be-
m. done for the salvation Of the outside
world. 10 was only I'm the beginning OF
ha Inst century that five humble stu
dents met behind a haystack in VIII
Jamestown. Mass. 10 form the Ameri-
.m Foreign Missionary society. Yet
There are today 2S.3N6 mission stations
m hatheu lands There are organized
thousands of churches among the ma
lions cropping about in idol worship
And there is mot a strategic point IN
uy ISLAND or upon amy continent which
today has not gospel missionary
preaching there.
Study today your muster rolls Of the
Christian Eudeavor societies and your
brotherhood of Andrew and Philip
and your Epworth league Study To-
day your enrolment of denominatlonal
churches. How the number swells.
Larger and larger it grows. Like St
john BOB his vision OF the other world
Ne cam cry as we see this gospel army
marching. After this | beheld, and,
io. great multitude that no man
could number. Of an nations and kin
drcds and peoples ana tongues. stood
before the throne and before the Lamb,
clothed with white robes and palms IN
their hands, and cried with a loud
voice. saying Salvation 10 our Lord
which sitteth upon the throne and unto
the Lamb" The first great fact which
ought 10 impress us as TO the church
army Of Jesus Christ Is the Infinite
numbers Of IT'S marching soldiers.
Next 20 the vasmess OF this army OF
the church OF God / nm impressed
with the banners which are futterlng
over IT, You know that what the mill
tary uniform IS 90 the soldier as an In
diyldual the hag or banner is to the
army ms a whole. 1t Is the sign by
which the soldiers Of one nation are
DISTINGUISHED from the soldiers OF an
other nation Because our own be
lowed American flag represents So
much you always find 1t the most hon
Ypl emblem in the camp OF I'm the
feH was never more impressed
with this fact than some time ago
when / went to the Preside, or army
quarter of Sau Francisco. went there
with very important message 20 the
c.mmanlaut of the post Colonel Lun-
deem. from the commanding general Of
the coast. Lieutenant General MacAr-
dur Suddenly. while l was talking
20 the colonel. the sunset gun was fired |
and the post flag began 10 dutter down
At once Colonel Lundcen stopped talk |
ing tO me aud faced about aud stood |
500 attention before those falling colors. |
Not one word would he speak until the
CEREMONY of lowering the dag was
ended
The flag. the American flag. means |
So much II Is the protecting emblem
vi our national government. In time
of battle 1t is the great rallylng point |
for our soldiers Where the flag goes
aur soldiers always follow. When tie /
lag goes down confusion relgns: hence |
one of the most dangerous yet most /
h0norod posts I'm the army is that Of n
color guardsmau SO precious are the
geglmeutal colors that they are always
surounded boy the best and the bravest
o.dier- when the regiment Is In the
fed
Vow. it Is appropriate for the gospel
army 10 have a flag like any other ar
my What kind Of a banner Is floating
over this great army Of the church?
There Is only one flag. aud that is the
banner of the cross. Whatever you do.
wherever you go. there IN the gospel
army you can always find the one han
per of the cross. AS I'm other organized
rmies. there are IN the gospel forces
different regiments. which are call
id denominations. There is the Epls-
,0paiiau regiment. the Baptist regl.
ucnt the Presbyterian regiment the
Lutheran regiment. the Congregation
I'D regiment and the Methodist regl-
ucut Every regiment has its own de
som.uational flag carried alongside Of
hp flag of the cross. Is II not q glO-
''0us thought that as the years go on
there is an increasing tendency 10
throw away our sectarian flags and
ft higher aud higher the blood red
Dang of the atoning cross Of Jesus
'hrstf
but there is another fact about this
gospel army that wish TO emphasize.
70 is am advancing army, conquerlng
army an army upon the offensive ,
But 70 is also an army that Is more
Ind more becoming possessed Of purer
ma ho'icr ideals The nearer the time
approaches when the church, as a ,
ir.de. IS TO place her hand in that Of (.
he Divine Bridegroom the more care
uy She arrays herself in the pure
Nlife robes that are to be her we'd
.us garments. How different is mans
loa of purity from the divine stand d
rI (
Dr T. b. Meyer the great English
Preacher taught this truth in n sim :
i.e way. lie was making a pastoral F,
900 upon one of his church members I
fho was Washcrwomau. She WAS J
Hr of tle most devoted Christians \