Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-02-07
RICHMOND WHIG.
VICTORY THROUGH PRAYER +:

Delivered in the Frat Baptist Church, Richmond Va,
on Sunday Jan, 2s!h 1869.
BI J. l.. BURROWS d. D.-rAsroR.
fTIr. Lnd IL eans to pas, skss Koiss hsid up h''
hand hrssl prevailed, and ehsn 10 M losn his hand
AmaIsk prsvaiIsd-ExoDUs XVII, IL
IrHK TEXT INVITES Us TO LOT UPON A BATTLE TELD.
The hose Of Israel, migrating nation, passing
from Egyp. TO Canaan To avoid inviting hostles No.
ses prudenty turned aside from the territories Of hose
Kings, who refused his peoples peaceful passage -
Without proTecstoD, Il gathered warriors Of Anal k,
called by BalAam "the frat OF the nations fell upon the
Of the moving camps Of the Israetss and .mots
the hipdnost Of them the feeble the faint and the
wesry"t 1t was a couardy and trsaohsrous assault,
prompted by svAries or malice.
joshua the military leader Of the Israstsh army,
depued to collect and lead the chosen warriors Of
the nation repel them. The battle joined in the
vale Of Rephidm. Noses with Aaron and Hur the High
Priests stationed themselves upon neghborng hill top
overlooking the 6sd Of strife. From this postou they
Witnessed the charges Of the consendug hosts they
rushed together in those hsrc. hand hand
udered necessary BY the primitive weapons they used
and which by the discovery Of gunpowdsr have become
,uos, obsolete. Long the battle ragged with varying
OF success WIN NnAt lntecse boIcituCe
the venerable Prophet Lave watched the seeming
ly doubtful strife Now Israel by furious charge,
drives back the advancing columns Of Amalsk. Now
Amalek rallies s waveriog forces, makes firm stand,
for an instant pe and drives back the broken ranks
o! I.rseL At different periods Of the day Israel pre-
vailed" and "Amalek prevailed" Aud through all the
anxious and perouI hours Moses watched and prayed
Courage aud endurance and faith are all severely tested
BY the delay Of victory. Depressing donbs to tho &
nal issue awakened by the temporary success of
the Zoe. 0nly heroic heart ohershiDg 6rm faith
and Vslsrous perseverance, can maintain camnsss and
confidence during . doubtful battle.
II. IL THIS coNrKsT, rHE RIGHT WAS wIrE IsIAEL.
No Just cause for war had Israel given to Amsek.-
Moses leading bis people away from their territory.
He conducted no raid into their domnions They could
make charge Of tresp.ss Of any interference with
sheir rights intetsts The IHa,isss we're peacefully
marching BY their borders and away from them over
soil TO which thty aad rghtful claim withou, pro-
yocaiion and without warning the violent and
reacherOus attack made. To rsp sush an assault was
right and necessary. All the Arguments against the
.-ulness OF var uttered by closst philosophers study
g 10 frame purer oods Of ethics than the Bible rt.
yesls cannot convince the conscience nor the common
sense Of man, that would not have been dlshonor.bs
aud mpious in the I,letes to have suffered themselves
and their wives and children TO be slaughtered or drag
sed into captivity If desperate battle could ward or the
calamity. War is an EVIL, but outrage oppression ard
tyranny are greater evils than Ths.e It is not
,nly hs right It is the duty Of nations to resist at
all hazards Of blOodshsd rud temporary disaster.
Oi.en rebsllous against God and wrong In their col
lsons with neghboring nations lsas in this contest
"a, clearly in the right They we're oonpsIed to ssht
or Eufsr direr and more proiraoIed woes than battle
could bring. The assault upon them was unjust ard un.
provoked But . malignant enemy, bent upon accoH-
pshing lis unrghteous purposes never wants prseIt
fIr violence. A uItidable may be waiting, bu,
plausible occasion may always b, found or Invented
ILL., JEHOVAH HAD PkEDETTsHIsED TRIUMPH or ISRAEL
The promise OF the lord often repeated had been r.
veasd to the Isrsstes that they should bs led safely
through the wilderness to the Canaan they we're TO In
habit These vSnAnt, pledged the Lord to defend and
n p,oeet them Toe 0mnipoten, engaged HIS shield spd
sord 20 secure their victory And now under iniprs.
ton from God Noses had sent forth Joshua at the head
o, His warriors warriors to rosist and rspel Amak
IA thus evden, that God had deereed the victory TO Is.
, In the might ard under the guidsnos Of the Lord,
tsey we're sure 10 eorqusr Thus, upon their side we're
the right and the purpose OF the Almighty tha, the is
sic shoad bo in their favor Such strcng 9Th.
sls the arm to strike and nerves the heart to
courage, faith and hope. Olly let people feel
that their cause just and that they may confidently
and concisntou-y invoks the interpretation Of the God
of battles In their aid and they become inyincibe
Wha dangers will they not bravey meet what sacrifices
vii they not chesruly endure. what abors will they
sot hopefully perform persuaded that through these
the end Is ,art' Suchs faith this no disasters can
dsmay, no pers discourage, no threatening superiority
OF numbers spp.l When Elshs, at D,than, alone WAS
surrounded nv ths "horsemen aud Sharios and great
host" sent by the King Of Israel to take him, he com.
fo-,ed hs afightsd servant by the Assuranc., they
th.t bs with u, are than they that be with them
But the young saw 10 forces mrshsled for the de-
fame Of IA, prophet until the prayer Of Elisha hIs
syes were opsptd aud then, delighted he discovered
chat "hs mountain full of horses and chariots Of
fire around sbou; EishsTt So, there influences
and agences, invisible to mortal vision surrounding
those whem Jehovah purposes to defend.
Yet, though fighting with right on their side, and
though God had purpossd their triumph, THERE WE'RE
r,y,s DURING THE BATTLE wHrS TIE ARNIss Oh IsRAEL
sxxuKp pITKArIp. "4mahk prsVaiisd" Though In
the vroag aud destined by the decree of God to be
.rthrovn, yet at times Anal prevailed and the battle
s.ened to be goiog sg,inst Israel. We readily i'm
,pire the CONSERVATION which shock those hoss uh:n
Lmal,k gained temporary advantage. They con-
tending for all that was valuable to them in life Be-
hind them we're their wves, their children their forks
nd herds all their worldly possessions, and Anslek
prs.nx their wsvsrng ranks to overhrowhem aud cap
tute all they held dear. So there tmes during even
inst var, when a weak faith .aVerI and earthly hope
yrovs dim when transient Of enemy ava.
ken despond4ncy aud fear. Through such hour We
are passing, through such may often pass 10
tIoBsl history. mourufu revere, disaster, has weak
snsd perhaps she conhdenes aud hops Of soms among
US. Rysn the right is not uniformly successfu -
Even the favored Of the Lord sometimes oauitiss
T. IA .ouetnss said, but il is not truly said that the