Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-21

quest order to
go" This commission has never been
rescinded: the church of Christ is, and
must ever be, an aggressive missionary
church.
But warfare. to be successful must be
intelligently conducted. Guerrilla war
fare may harass the enemy, but its con-
quests are few. Jesus commented Duke,
14:2S-33). on the futility of Implanted eff
fort. We may well ponder His words
The Scriptures given us, while they EN-
phasiZe, in the choicest of thought and
language, the value of wisdom, both in
peace and war. should be supplemented
by other and more appropriate selections.
From the topic we draw three thoughts.
I. The value of Intelligence in Christian
conquest. If the same wisdom. skill and
yea which -chara cterfZed the Christian
church in the first three centuries of its
existence had been maintained the world
would long ago have been kneeling, con-
quered, at the feet Of Christ. But rivalry,
scattering effort and lack of yea, have
SO. from time to time. Slapped the strength
or wasted the resources of the church
that what might and should have long
ago been accomplished is still the Chris
tian's dream
The value of intelligence in Christian
conquest is threefold 1t is necessary,
first to plan: for battles we'll planned are
more than half won. 1t is necessary
to proper execution of our plans; as ii Is
easy to carry out what has been well
planned. And it is necessary in order
that may conserve the results of our
planning and effort, for no matter how
many souls be touched or heather taught
unless they be esta blished i'm the things
of God there can be no permanent re-
suits.
=. Militant Christianity or wOrld-win-
position, as the soldiers of the cross, is
that we shut ourselves up in some fort
or citadel as though we were standing a
siege, instead of taking the field for our
King, and in His name going forth con
quering and to conquer" St. Paul's
valedctory is the keynote Of his whole
ministry. Il have fought a good fight;
have finished my course: l have kept the
faith 1t is only militant Christianity
that will ever win the world from igno-
Him who died to save it. AS we catch
the spirit of ST. Paul. st. Francis. Knox
or Wesley, we realize that they consider
ed the winning of the world for Christ as
and took the field with no other thought
than that His cause could not fail.
3. The certainty of triumph. To the
casual observer of present-day church
enterprise it seems as If the church were
ma rking time. as if plans overlapped and
rivalries defeated worthy efforts. but
such is not the case. Never in all the
history of the church were men and wom-
en- working more intelligently, planning
more largely or giving more literally than
now and the missionary slogan, The
world for Christ in this generation, Is
too definite and optimistic a battle cry
for any but woodworking forces The
trouble with pessimism is that 1T is for
ever reading statistics and watching the
hands on the dial of progress instead of
fighting for victories The hands stand
still on the face Of the dial to the man
who watches the clock. But to him
who turns his thought to purpo seful con
flict time seems to fly and the world
grows better and the coming triumph OF
the King of Kings seems nearer every
day.