The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-01-05
Ten Minute Sermons to Children
GODS WORD A SWORD.

GODS WORD a SWORD.
Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God. "-Eph. vi: II.
How is the Bible like sword =? l hold
in my hand little sword or dagger from
Athens, which, | have reason to believe,
was used by the Greeks in fighting against
the wicked Turks. In Greece they write
notices on the blades of their daggers,
and on this one are words which mean,
Every Saturday night report is sent to
That shows that the brave Greek who
used this dagger in fighting to defend his
liberty, his family, and his country, re-
membered that God, out of sight helps
all who fight for right, just as he helped
David to conquer the giant. When
General Washington was fighting for
our country, hundred years ago, you
know how in the snow of Valley Forge
and in other places he used to kneel and
pray to God to help his sword and his
army in fighting for right and liberty.
And God did help him to victory.
I'VE don't have that kind of battles to
fight, but there are bad things all around
us to conquer-drunkenness, swearing,
vulgarity, dishonesty. and other kinds
of wickedness. We don't fight against
those things with real daggers, but with
the Bible for sword to drive away bad
ness.
When the minister pounds the pulpit
it is because he is fighting against some
evil, like selfshness or envy, that he can
not see, but is warning against it with
his Bible words.
l heard of place in this city where
there used to be a great many rum shops
and brothels, and very much, swearing
and fighting and other kinds of wicked
ness all the time on the streets. A min
lister came along with his Bible as a
sword to conquer these evils. He built
a church and pounded the pulpit with his
hand, while he was pounding wickedness
with his Bible words, until he drove
most of the wickedness out of those
streets; and all about the church it be-
came quiet and orderly.
Men went with the Bible as a sword to
the Feejee Islands, where wild savages
were killing and eating each other, and
doing other barbarous and cruel deeds,
and the Bible sword drove all these wick
ed habits away; and now they have pleas
ant homes and villages like ours, where
they do good and worship God. So all
over the world, wherever men carry the
Bible for sword, evil ways are more and
more driven off.
But God tells us that the Bible is also
" sharper than two edged sword" to
kill alfthe wicked wishes and evil desires
in our own hearts.
What armies of bad thoughts some
times get into our souls, like those in
Joseph's brethren when they sold their
brother into slavery; envy, hate, deceit,
cruelty and covetousness. God tells us
to take Bible words for swords, and kill
such wrong feelings The verse to use
as sword to kill envy and haired is,
" Little children, love one another" The
sword words to kill deceit are "Speak
the truth in love" The sword words to
kill cruelty are, Be .ye kind one to an
other" And the sword words to de-
stroy covetousness are, "God loveth
cheerful giver"
Do you remember when Jesus was
tempted by Satan to do wrong, how he
defended himself with Bible words for
sword ? Every time the devil made him
think about doing something wrong, as
if he would lift a sword of defense he re-
peated some Bible verse that he had
committed to memory when he was q