Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-04-22

by night and by day rising up and lying down
eVermpre, through all this mortal life even till
through the opposing hosts Of hell he has wor
his way to the shining gates of glory. that then
unfold and let him in amid the armed seraphn
- victor nay, I" more than u oonqueror through
him that loved him." And the angels, as they
clasp about his enstrenglhened limbs some nda-
mantina mail. and pur within his band some
sword Of celestial temper, will tell him that there
waa war even in heaven once when God fought
with Satan, and hnrling him headlOng into the
hoitomless abyss crushed out the first rebellion.
So that this text Of ours to day is declara
tion of Gods providence in the world. /" For
the hattie is tho Lords" 1t might seem to u
careless or Goddess OhsorSer, as though the
struggle were led and determined by chance 80
various are the fortunes Of the field. As the
armed lines sway back and forth, now sweeping
on TO victory and now pressed hnck By hard
defeat. and the wild charge OF some daring
squadron carries death and terror to the hearts
OF the opposing legons, and tho battle shout
swels in the air like the roar of some dark
thunder storm, and the gr0ana Of the stricken
down in the great fight come up TO the appalled,
hearing, and the smoke of the conflict gathers
above the field, preventing sight nnd resting like
a pail upon the struggling ranks and there Is
from wing TO wing and IRON reserve to vanguard,
seemingly hut confusion worse GOnfounded it
is hardly to be wondered at that one watching
from the outside the progress of the fight should
sometimes doubt whether there were any direc-
tor on tho field and even less, perhaps, should
we wonder that some weary and worn soldier,
sinking down through fatigue and lOss of lnod,
and shut out from sight OF even his fellow light
ers. should be tempted TO think that the COIN
mander, whom he h,5 IL -ten Tor 81 many
hours, must surely be wounded or slain. Even
honestly these men might doubt; aud then still
more, when in the great army of the world there
are, MS there are in all companies Of men, trai-
tors, who arc anxiOusly watching the first occa-
sion to spread distrust and panic in the lines ;
aud saying to their fellows, " Behold how our
rank is pressed back can there be God, who
watches and defends 2" "What proof of Prov
ideuce is there in these ghastly wounds and this
terrible death !" "Can anything but the gov
ernmeut Of chance, or some remorseless Fate,
explain the overthrow of the righteous and the
triumph of the wicked which we both behold ?"
" Is it possible that any leader can oversee such
vast operations as these, stretching across no
narrow neck Of land. but the whole world nay,
the whole universe ~
And this text is as though the chief comman-
der, sitting there above the stars, and seeing
through all the smoke and dust each smallest
action. and hearing in spite OF all the shout and
battle roar each lightest word, had caught the
rising doubt that was beginning to darken the
immortal light in some dying hero's eye, and
would no longer be so msrepresented, and would
kinde up again the fire of faith in the believers
soul, and would give assurance donby sure that
He was the planner, and the guider, and the
oonqueror in the war, and so had seized his
sword, and put his armor on and strobe to the
midst of the wild conflict, and shouted his bat
tie cry loud above all the dealening clangor of
tue field. 1.-THE battle is the Lords." 1.-THE
battle is the Lords" "There IS Providence
working as il will its own good pleasure in the
world; holy, wise, and powerful Providence,
that preserves its creatures, and governs every
action. whether it he great or small, whether it
soem right or wrong to man, whatever il be in
deed, however mysterious and dark" 4" All
existence issues NJ last according to Gods conf
mand."
But then, however much these words Of the
youthful and almost unRrmed David 10 that
Phlistine giant may comprehend the general
contest which goes on through the whole uni
verse, including all that men call peace as well
as what they name war, Hiill, the whole crcum-
stances under which they were spoken show
that their atrictest application must be to lite
raj battle.
Asat many time before, the fierce and haugh-
iy fhilisiines had gathered together their armies
iusolent camp in he Hebrew territory, and de-
fying from day to day the forces of Israel. by
the valley Of Elah the two opposing hosts en-
camped, and each one holding mountain for
stronghold, glared at each other across the n-
teryening space. And as Saul doubted, un-
knowing whether to begin the war or wait the
enemy's attack, behold n champion marched
forth from the Philistlne camp, huge with such
gigantic size, and strong with such colossal
a. l.1 raf f.1t
before. His Weighty Armor though light to him,
would have borne tho strongest Hebrew to the
ground. His worda Of blasphemous def
ance struck terror Ia every Hebrew heart
such fear, TINT not only no single man
was found to go out and strive with his
superior strength, but the whole army, with
King Saul at its head, was dismayed. And so
day after day, Goliath came out into the valley
and, alone, brandshed his sword and shook his
terrible spear in the face of the assembled heroes
of Israel, who were forced to endue the slights
upon their own courage, and the blasphemies Of
the heather giant ng inst their God, without
daring to defend their honor or yindicate Jeho-
yah's majesty. And behold, there came to the
camp one day, bringing supplies to his brethren.
fair slight shepherd boy, unused to arms, and
ignorant Of war whom one would have thought
so timorous, that he should have scarcely waited
to fulfil his errand, before making the best of
his way back to that quiet valley, where he
watched by day the peaceful flock and went
home at nightfall for his sisters smile and his
mothers kiss And yet (hOw strange it must
have seemed to those grim and bearded war
riors,) this youthful shepherd, with slender limbs
and almost girlish fairness almost too tender to
be trusted Of his father on a message to war
like camp, and indeed, only trusted in the last
extremity, when all his brothers were in the
field, and there was no choice of messengers
This shepherd boy seems to have been the only
one out Of the whole host who was not frightened
at the approach of the giant. As he stands
talking with his brethren, sudden noise and
hum, causes him to look up, and be sees in
amazement the mailed men of Israel panic
stricken and flying from the presence of the
terrible champion who has come out according
to his custom, and is driving the army, as lion
drives a frightened flock Of sheep, and when
they come near he hears them telling each
other, with quick breath and pale lips, the fear
full strength and herceness of the foe and how
the King, giant himself in Israel, head and
shoulders higher than any of the people" was
so cowed in the presence of Goliath, that he had
offered even to the commonest soldier in the
camp, who would 60 forth in fight against the man
of Gath, and kill him, great treasures and his own
daughter in marriage and freedom from taxes
for his family in Israel forever. And David is
astonished that there is so little faith in God in
all that Hebrew host and SO little of that cour-
age which always come out of faith in Godi and
almost wondering at his own presumption, he
modestly presents himself before the King, and
SAYS: - Let no mans heart fail because Of him (;
thy servant will go forth and fight this Phils-
tine" And when Saul replied with that thor
oughly infidel reply, Thou art not able, for
thou art but youth, and he man of war;
David wonders yet more, that here, amid the
scenes of war, and the assembled thousands Of
the nation, and in the presence of the King, and
the priests, and the prophets, there should be