The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-10-15

1,ar OF the cross. As i'll other organized
armies. there are III t'lc gospel forces
different regiments. which are call
ed demon iaation-. There is the Epis-
copa,ian rcgimc11. the Eaprist regi-
ment, The Presbyterian regiment. the
Lutheran regiment, the Congregation
al regiment and the Methodist regi-
ment Every regiment has it's own de-
nominational flag carried alongside Of
the flag of the cross. Is it not a glo-
rious thought that as the years go on
there is an increasing tendency TO
throw away our sectarian flags ana
lift higher and higher the blood red
flag of the atoning cross of Jesus
Christ?
An Advancing Army.
But there is another fact about this
gospel army that l wish to emphasize,
It is an advancing army, conquering
army. an army upon the offensive.
But 1t is also an army that IS more
and more becoming possessed of purer
and holier ideals. The nearer the time
approaches when the church, as
bride, is to place her hand in that of
the Divine bridegroom the more care
fully she arrays herself In the pure
white robes that are to be her we'd
ding garments How different Is mans
Idea of purity from the divine stand
ard
DR.. F. B. Meyer, the great English
preacher, taught this truth in sim
pie way. He was making pastoral
call upon one of his church members
who was washerwoman. She was
one Of the most devoted Christians
and one of the saintliest characters III
his church. Like all good Christian
washerwomcn. she did her work rs
conscientiously at the tub as at the
prayer meeting. Her clean linen was
hanging upon the lines and lying
around drying when the preacher
called. What beautiful clean linen
you have!' said her pastor. Yes an
swered the woman, eff God wants me
to be washerwoman | must make
pray well for his glory But during
DR. Meyers visit the snoWflakes began
to fall. When lie came to the door to
say "Goodby" the white mantle OF
winter was everywhere. But the snow
was so white now that it made the
linen clothes grimy in comparison.
Then DR.. Meyer said, ooh, madam,
your clothes do not look as clean now
as they did" "Of course not" replied
the woman. Remember Gods white
Is always purer than mans white" So
the nearer the church comes to union
with Christ the nearer the time for the
wedding nuptials. the more the church
| Is being cleansed and the higher and
| purer become it's ideals, then the
| more it's wedding garments take upon
| themselves the purity and spotlessness
| Of Gods whiteness and Gods love.
Pessimistic Talk.
| To hear some pessimists talk one
would suppose that not only numerical
| ", but also in purity and ideals, the
church is rapidly deteriorating. con-
| tend that not only is the church grow
ing better, but it is influencing the
whole world and elevating its ideals.
| Social conditions which would not now
be tolerated for day were formerly
ordinary commonplaces. We talk about
the curse of tainted money" in these
| days. We say that the American PEG
| pie are lost to all sense Of honor and
decency when corporation funds are
accepted by political parties. We say
that the jugglery of stocks in Wall
street is an outrage We say that the
state legislatures are only puppets OF
the monopolies and that the municipal
councils are owned. body and mind
and soul, by the railroad corporations
But stop! Did you ever consider the
fact that the reason we hear so much
about the financial dishonesties of life
is because the public conscience is be
ing aroused and higher standard OF
morals has been established? Further
more, did you ever stop to consider
that criminal financial dealings which
two centuries ago were looked upon as
the ordinary and usual ways of doing
things would not be tolerated now fol
one moment? Did you ever hear thai
one Of the first buildings which were
erected upon the campus of Princeton
college, the headquarters Of Presbyte
rians, was erected by the money raised
In a public lottery? Don't talk to me
about the world growing worse! Why
II some Of our great-grandfather and
grandmothers should rise up from theil
graves and start to live as they used tt
do they would be ostracized from re
spectacle society. and we would have
nothing to do with them.
But there is another fact which
want to emphasize about this conquer
ing army of the gospel church-that is
1t may win its final conquest any hour
The time may be at hand this century
this decade, this year, this month
when Christ is going to come and es
tablish his universal kingdom upon
the earth. For long years ami genera
tons the prophets of old foretold hi'
birth in Bethlehem of Judaea. But th'
people had waited for Jesus so lon2
that they became Indifferent. and wher