the use and need of the life of carrie a. nation-第37节
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sound of this loving deed will stir conscience and hearts and while I
can not finish the smashing; the voter of this nation will use their ballots
that will; and this impulse will Carry A。 Nation。
God sent an angel from heaven to tell Gideon to smash up the altar
and image of Baal。 By divine command Achan and family were smashed。
God would not give Joshua victory until this was done。 Saul was commanded
by God (through his prophet Samuel;) to utterly destroy the
Amalekite's nation; and all their substance。 He was disobedient and saved
the king。 Samuel hacked or smashed up Agag; although Saul was the
regularly appointed one。 This is a case directly in point。 The officers
in Kansas were oath…bound to do what Carry A。 Nation did。
Our Savior's mission on earth was to 〃break (smash) every yoke
and set the captive free。〃 Upon two occasions he made a scourge; of
small cords and laid it on the backs of wicked men who were doing unlawful
things。 He came into this world 〃to destroy the works of the devil〃;
to 〃bruise〃 or crush the 〃head of the serpent〃。 We are told to 〃Abhor
that which is evil〃; to 〃resist (or fight) the devil and he will flee〃'。 We
are not to be 〃overcome with evil but to overcome evil with。 good〃。
How? Resist the devil。 God blessed the church at Ephesus; because
they 〃hated the evil workers; tried them and found them liars〃。 The
hatred of sin is one mark of a Christian。 Just in proportion to your love
for God will be your hatred of evil。 I will here give you a Bible reading
on the subject。 These are some instances of smashing。 The ten plagues
of Egypt and the overthrow of Pharaoh; were smashing。 The death of
of the first born also。
Gen。 19:24 30:15…19 6:25 9:5;6
Josh。 7:25; 26 7:20 4:7…11 7:10;11 15:15
Lev。 19:17 10:24…26 9:53
Num。 33:55;56 23:7
1 Sam。 15:33
Deut。 7:2…5 7:10…13
2 Chron。 34:4;5 21:1…9 19:20
Neh。 13:8…25 21:18…21
Judg。 2:3
Isa。 28:21 13:12…18 3:10 54:16 17:5…7 3:31
Matt。 21:12 19:13…20 4:21
John 2:13…23 25:17…19 5:7
Acts 13:8…11。
If I could I would turn the key on every church in the land; so as
to teach some preachers to go out; and not stay in; and compel poor sinners
to stay out。 I yield no territory to the devil。 Let us take every
saloon; every house of prostitution of men and women for God。 〃There
shall not a hoof be left behind。〃 〃The kingdom of heaven suffereth
violence; and the VIOLENT take it by force;〃 which means that where the
evil is aggressive; we must be more so; and take; compelling surrender
by the determination never to yield。
I feel that I have been peculiarly favored to go into these places; to
〃cry aloud and spare not and show my people their sins。〃 I find this
class so hungry for something better。 These poor actresses; who dress
in tights and sing indecent songs; are a weary; tired; heart…sick lot of
slaves。 I mingle with them as a sister。 When I can say a warning word
I say it。 I call them affectionate names and mean it。 God will judge
both of us。 He knows who loved much; he can forgive much。 Christ
said to a lot of men who took the amen pews: 〃The publicans and harlots
will go into heaven before you。〃 Why? They 〃repented when they
heard〃。 〃How are they to bear without a preacher?〃 I never see a man
or woman so low but as a sculptor said of the marble: 〃There is an
angel there。〃 Oh; God; help me to bring it out!
Jesus received sinners and ate with them。 He left a command that
Christians should invite these to feasts in their homes。 Oh! what a
revival of religion there would be if the homes of Christians were opened
to the lost and sinful; who are dying for some demonstration of love。
If the Son of God; the lovely; the pure; the blessed ate with sinners;
ought it not to be a privilege to follow Him。 We are commanded to
〃warn; rebuke; and reprove with all long suffering and doctrine。〃 People
will work in a revival to get sinners saved; and will pass them day
after day on the street and not a word of Scripture; do they use to
remind them of God's judgements。 Jesus said: 〃The world hateth me
because I testify that the works thereof are evil。〃 I have had men to
swear at me; call me names and threaten to knock me down。 At first
this caused me to feel mortified but that passed off。 These very men
have afterward told me I was right and they were wrong。 The devil
〃threw some on the ground and they foamed at the mouth〃 before he
was cast out。 I have often taken cigars and cigarettes out of men's and
boy's mouths。 I wished to show them the wrong and that I was a friend。
Would you let one you love take a knife to open a vein or cut himself?
Oh! the sweetness and force of that promise: 〃Your LABOR is never in
vain in the Lord。〃 This covers all cases; if you; for the love of God; do
anything。 I often say to myself; after rebuking for sin: 〃You made a
mistake in the way you did this or that; and are you sure it was done
for the love of God and your neighbor?〃 〃Yes。〃 Then 〃your labor is
never in vain in the Lord〃。 It is not WHAT we do that prospers; but what
God blesses。。 〃He that planteth is nothing and he that watereth is
nothing; but it is God that giveth the increase。〃 And it matters not how
awkward the work; if it be done from love of God; it will prosper。 Like
other things; the more you do; the better you can do。
All the Christian work I ever did seemed to meet with severe opposition
from church members。 This is a great stumbling…block to some。
The church crucified our blessed Christ; that is; it was the hypocrites;
for the church is the light and salt; the body of Christ。 〃If I yet please
men; I should not be the servant of Christ。〃 There is no other organization
but the church of Christ that persecutes its own followers。 The
hierarchy in the church told Christ 〃He had a devil;〃 but they could not
meet the argument when He said: 〃A kingdom divided against itself
will not stand。〃 If I; by the spirit of Beelzebub; cast out devils; by what
kind of a spirit do your children cast them out。〃 The devil never destroys
his own work。 If the saloon is of the devil; the power that destroys it
is the opposite。 If a mother should see a gun pointed at her son would
she break the law to snatch the gun and smash it? The gun was not
hers。 It may have been worth a thousand dollars。 The saloon is worse
than the gun which could only destroy the body。
It is a great blessing to know your mission in life。 I know why
Christians are waiting with folded hands; not being able to see their
mission。 They are not willing to pay the great price for their commission。
The rich young man could have been a follower of Jesus; the greatest
honor in earth or heaven; and could have had eternal treasure in heaven
for the transient gain of earth。 He would not pay the price。 You must
give all; to get all。 The effect of smashing has always been to cause
the people to arouse themselves。 The Levite that severed his dead concubine
and sent parts of her body to the different tribes of Israel was
to cause the people to 〃consider; take advice and speak。〃 Then they
acted and four hundred thousand men presented themselves to redress
this wrong。
The smashing in Kansas was to arouse the people。 If some ordinary
means had been used; people would have heard and forgotten; but the
〃strange act〃 demanded an explanation and the people wanted that;
and they never will stop talking about this until the question is settled。
Let us consider the character of Moses。 It is said this man disobeyed
God but once; and he was the 〃meekest of all men〃。 We are first attracted
to him peculiarly because he 〃refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter; rather suffering afflictions with the people of God than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season。〃 Rather be counted with the poor
despised; afflicted slaves under the taskmaster's lash than be a king or
an absolute monarch。 This brought out his characteristic prohibition of
sin;the renouncing of every worldly ambition; He here made the choice;
at the time when the temptations were greatest; for all that the world
could offer was his。 He gave all and paid the price it requires to get all。
On the banks of the Nile he sees one man oppressing another。 That
spirit of prohibition of this great wrong caused him to strike (smash)
the oppressor。
Here is a lovable trait of this great man。 Moses; could not look on
and see the helpless suffer at the hands of another; even though it brought
death to himself。 Forgetful of his own safety; defying the absolute power
and authority of this despot; so far as it lay in his power; against all
these odds he redressed the wrong of a fellow creature。 God saw in
Moses a man whom He could use。 From the golden throne he sought
a retreat; and for forty years was an humble shepherd; learning the lesson
of caring for the flocks of Jethro; before be should be called to take the
oversight of the flock of God。 〃He that is faithful in that which is least
is faithful also in that which is much。〃 God called this man out of the
wilderness to go to the greatest court on earth as His ambassador。 Not
one compromise would he make; still true to his prohibition principle