Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-04-22
A Sc r M ON,
PREACHED IN
Christ Church, Dover, DEL,
APRIL 13, 1862,
BY REV. JOHN CRoCKAR WHITE.

"For the battle is the Lords. ii Sam. IL, Al.
All existence is a battle. Whatever is, carries
on continual contest with that n0thingness out
os whchit sprang, and with that further devel
Cpement which it is striving to attain. Life
nights with death aud darkness wars with day.
Spring struggles with the dreary Winter, and,
unlikely rs it seems nj first, always,-lke u
brave young David going forth against the icy
Goath-always wins the day at last. Sunshine
strives with cuid, and even though overcome
sometimes of the terrible frost renews the fight,
aud sets free the frozen nature Did you never
see in the laboratory, what war is waged by
hostile substances, that cannot touch, that some
times oannOt even be ia the same room together,
without smoke and flame, and the roar of their
fierce explosions? Aud did you ever think how
the great world was but one vast laboratory,
wherein these very substances were gathered,
and where, moreover, they were 50 closely
packed, that even il they were the frmest
trionds, instead OF implReable foes, they could
scarcely live in peaGel Why, the very soil Is
full of warlike elements, that march and cOun-
lermarch, that make incursions upOn each
others dOminona, that conquer and unnex, TINT
unite and dissolve, that keep up such continual
struggle that if you could only by some miracle
see il, verify you would wonder at what mighty
activities were busy, where now, to your I'M
opened eyes. all seems to sleep 30 silently And
what grows out Of the soil is also full Of WAR;
Every tree is battle Only see what entrench-
ing is dOne by the acorn and what sapping and
mining by the early roots Only notice what
majestic march the vast trunk makes into the
upper air; what deploying into line there is by
the wide spread branches what skirmishing
goes on between the outer leaves and the light
2ephyrs what long encounter of the gnarled
oaklimhs with the winter storms what bring
ing up of supplies from that first encampment
in the soil; what repair Of continual loss in
vessel and fibre ;-oh, if you could only see
what sharp contest was going on under all that
seeming sweet repose, that wraps alike the
forest tree and the tiniest flower, you would
surely think there was no such thing in all the
world as peace. Nor would you think far wrong.
For the winds sweep terribly on to battle always
If they dU not move very fast just here, to-day,
Ills only because the battle field is yet long
distance Of, and they go gently now, that in the
black tempest to morrow, they may have
ferGer fury and Il more fearful strength. And
the waves too, have war always uppermOst in
their minds Even the little ones that dance
most hegrlly out oil the oamest sens in the
softest sunlight seem practising for the wild
strife OF storms. Aud those fierccr hillOws be-
low the eLrths thin crust,-billOWs Of fire DASH
ing up from the centre of the sphere till their
spray strikes the rock-ribbed arch, aud bursts
through into volcanic terrors,-what war must
be dOwn there beneath the rocks. And all those
opposing, those fighting forces, that sweep
rivers from their sprng-heads to the sea, REIN
forcements ever rushing to that mighty battle
field, d,-tbat hurl the clouds together and pour
down the rain, and hurry round the world the
swelling tidal wave, and tend the world itself
crcling round the sun, and the sun, immovable
as it seems, round some mightier centre still,
and the stars in their bright courses; what war
those forces wage So that between gravitatioH
and somewhat which resists il, a great battle
has been fought ever since creation was begun,
aud shall cease while matter still exists, and
is so universal, that what men call rest is after
all the firmest proof we want Of the fact of ever
warning motions.
And the fact is not otherwise IN regard to
human society. From the beginning it is bat
tie. Birth is a struggle into being and every
breath thereafter is another blow right bravely
struck against the ever assaulting Death Ever
more the body is fighting with disease, and the
mind with ignorance. Our hopes, our fears,
our loves, our hates our selfish doings from
interest, aud our nobler deeds from conscience;
-itis all action, struggle, fight. What is 30
ciety but great battle field, where each soldier
is general, in the confused encounter striving
to win somewhat for his own advantage What
is all history but record of battleG Often,
but not always with the sword q; always with
some weapon Of strength or skill which promises
to win the day.
Nay, even in that spiritual kingdom which
Christ came to establish, do but notice how the
law is war; and not peace. " Think not" says
its founder, " that am come to send peace on
earth; l came not to send peace, but a sword.
For am come to set q man at variance against
his father. and the daughter against her mother,
and tue daughter-in-law against her mother-in-
law. And mans foes shall be they Of his own
household" And not to dwell upon the fact
that the whole outward development of the
christian chnrch has been a furious contest
against the evil in the world a contest in which
IT has been met by sword, and flame, and BIAS
phemy, and the orueleHt prosecutions; contest
in which it has overcome them all with faith,
and love, aud noble courage that swelled up
into victor shout and martyr song even in the
cell or at the stake not l say, to dwell upon
that outward aspect Of the prOphecys iuhlment
only see how the prediction is realized In every
private christian soul. The very first beginning
Of the spirits influence upon the sinners heart
is war, and the rumor Of yet wilder war
The sinners conversion to God is terrible
struggle, in which nothing short of Divine pow
er could overcome.
And when the rebel is won back to his allie
gance tell you, it is no neutral place God calls
/ on him to take. BY no means does Jehovah
say "Now the work is done. Now rest in Sc
curity and sloth." Rather d oas he command
him us a soldier who has swoni into the spiritu-
al SERVICE and of whom trem endous efforts are
required Put on the VIII ,le armor of God,
that ye may be able to stand against the wiles
Of the devil. Gird about yoi IT loins with truth
and put On the breast plate of righteousness, and
take the shield of faith, and the helmet OF sal
vaton, and the sword of the spirit, sharp and
powerful" And why all this arming, but thai
the christian is to go forth to fight? "To wres
tlo against principalities, gainstpowers, agains
the rulers Of the darkness Of this world Z" And
so Paul writes, al have fought good fight )
! aud rings out like q clarion tone 20 Timothy