Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-07-29

BY REV. MERRILL RICHARDSON.
"THE RACE is NOT TO THE SWIFT, NOR THE BAT
TIE TO THE STRONG; BUT TINE AND CHANCE HAP.
PENETH TO THEM ALL.n-Ecelesiastss, ell
This text is often quoted as meaning, that
success in battle does not fall within the line
OF cause and effect; but is owing to a special
or miraculous iIterposition of God and such
an nteTposition, as to exclude human calcula-
tions- Alexander H. Stephens. the vice presi
dent of rebellion, recently made speech, in
which he quoted it, to encourage the south,
that though inferior in men and resources
they might be confident of success, because
God did not always give victory to the strong
est torces--assuming, of course, that God was
on their side, and would help the weaker par
ty. And this is the idea usually gathered
from this passage~-to wit, that God specially
helps the weaker, substituting God for "time
and chance" and giving the exact opposite
Idea to the ore Solomon had in mind Il
As11snrrzS wsSjsGG, .l0w That success IN
battle, as in other things, does tall strictly
within the line of cause and effect; and that
victory will perch upon the strongest side
that which includes all the elements of
strength. Look first at the text. Alter the
exhortation, "Do with thy might whatever
thy hand findeth 10 dol e., bring your
says, as if TO check all presumption, and re-
mind men of their dependence upon God, and
give him the glory Il have observed that the
race is not 10 the swift nor the battle to the
strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to
men OF understanding, nor favor to the skilful,
but that time and chance happeneth to them
ALL" Meaning exactly this-viz., while the
great plan of God is that success in every en-.
terprise shall correspond to the effort made
yet time and chance are to be considered
Not that God would iuterpose to favor the
weak, the slow, the foolish the bungling-not
mite Of it, His favors are bestowed by no
such rule. Not that God would alter his plan
or change cause and effect, SO that success
should not follow effort; that diligence should
not make him rich; that wisdom should not
be better than folly; that weakness and not
strength should give victory or that the slow
| of foot should outstrp the swift. There is no
such idea. But this, viz man, with all his
means, might mistake the time of action or fail
OF using the best opportunities or in running
he might stumble, or be overconfdent and
rash in battle, and thus lose the victory. This
is what Solomon means by chance He uses
the word chance in the popular sense, as men
now use it. Not to exclude cause; not i'm.
plying that any thing takes place without it's
| cause only that we do not understand, or
might operate.
We speak of accidents, casualties, of things
happening, of "fortuitous events" of "lucky,''
and "unlucky events" as we do of s'chance p
not stopping 10 find the cause but we never
| mean-and the bible never means, that any.
thing takes place without cause. That every
| effect must have an adequate cause, is an in
tuitive truth. 1t is necessary conviction of
| the mind. And Gods agency, in blessing in
dividuals and nations, harmonizes with his es
tablished laws. In enact speech, there is nc
such thing as chance in the universe of God
Not in the moral-not in the physical. In
mans ciu, aud out Of it. there is a cause fol
everything.
Take, now, the examples Solomon gives,
One, the race is not always to the swift
Would any one say there is no use in thorough
preparation, and most energetic effort, in the
competitors for the prize? That when the
day came for the race, those who have had no
training, or who made no effort were as likely
to win, because one who had practiced, and
who did put forth his energy, might stumble,
or have the cramps, or break a blood vessel,
or meet with some unforeseen incident? i. e.
what the text calls "chance?" something not
taken in consideration. Everybody knows
that in ninety.nne hundredths of cases, sue
cess depends upon effort; and that in the lex
CeptiOudi Chccy tilcIc Was Il CuuSe Ol as
in the others there was cause of success. The
stumbling, or whatever impeachment prevent
ed victory, had cause, though not toreseen.
No rule, or law OF force is broken or set aside.
Paul applies the rule to the christian race
and as the competitors for the prize in the
Grecian games, practiced long, and on the
day of the trial, laid aside every weight, and
run to the utmost of their strength so the
christians expect the rewards of christian
character, and win the heavy prize by the same
laws of effort The christian prize was for all
who should run; but not for one who did not.
There could be no prize without effort, and
effort corresponding to the result There was
no chance about it no arbitrary interposition.
While the victory was of God, he only work
ed with those WHO worked themselves. The
egort on mans part, and the aciU to make the
euort were cause, as absolute, and as iDvari-
able, IN the one case, as in the other.
Another example given is wedlh; Solomon
! says he had seen that riches were not always