The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-10-12

uue NHdo was thS paotlO Sly VII
which they flung their enemies int
the worst defeat into which an
army was ever tumbled? 1t was 9Th
sword of the Lord and of Gideon"
PUT GOD FIRST,
whoever you put second. If tn
army of the American Revolutio,
are to free America, it must be 18th
sword of the Lord and of Washing
ton." If the Germans want to Wi
the day at Sedan, it must be 18th
sword of the Lord and Won Motlke.
Waterloo was won for the English
because not only the armed men a
the front but the worshippers in th
Cathedrals at the rear, were crying
"The sword of the Lord and yelling
ton" The Methodists have gone il
triumph across nation after natiol
with the cry: "The sword of tn
Lord and Wesley" The Presbyte
rians have gone from victory to vic
tory with. the cry: THE sword 0
the Lord and of John Knox" Th
Baptists have conquered millions af
ter millions for Christ with the cry
''The sword of the Lord and Judson.
The American Episcopalians have
won their mighty way with the cry
THE sword of the Lord and ofBish
op McIlvaine." The victory is t.
those who put God first. But as W.
want battle cry suited to all sect'
of religionists, and to all lands,
nominate rs the battle cry of Christ
endom in the approaching Arma
geddon the words of my text, sound
cd before the ark as it was carried
to Mount Zion: LET God arise, lei
His enemies be scattered"
As far as our finite mind car
Judge it seems about time for God
to rise. Does it not seem to you
that the denominations of this earth
have gone far enough? Was there
ever time when sin was so defiant!
Were there ever before so many fists
lifted toward God, telling Him to
come on if He dare? Look at the
blasphemy abroad! What towering
profanity! Would it be possible foi
any one 70 calculate the number OF
times that the name of Almighty
God and of Jesus Christ are every
day taken irrevently on the lips? So
common has blasphemy become that
the public mind and public ear have
got used to it, and a blasphemer
goes up and down this country in
his lectures defying the plain law
against blasphcmy, and there is not
Mayor in America that has back
bone enough to interfere with him
save one, and that, the Mayor of
Toronto. Profane swearing is rs
much forbidden by the law as theft,
or arson, or murder; yet who exc
cutes it? Profanity is worse than
theft, or arson, or murder, for these
crimes are attacks on humanity
that is an attack on God.
THIS COUNTRY Is PRE-EssINENT FOR
BLAsPHEMY.
A man travelling in Russia was sup
posed to be a clergyman. "Why do
you take me to be clergyman"
said the man. "Oh,' said the Rus
sian, "all other Americans swear y
The>crime is multiplying in intensi-
ty. God very often shows what He
thinks of it, but for the most part
the tatality is hushed up. A few
summers ago among the Adiron-
dacks / met the funeral procession
of a man who, two days before. had
fallen under flash of lightning
while boasting after a Sunday of
work in the fields, that he had cheat
ed God out of one day of work any
how; and the man who worked with
him on the same Sabbath is still
living, but helpless invalid under
the same fash. On the road from
Margate to Ramsgate, England, you
may find a rough monument with
the inscription: "A boy was struck
dead here while in the act of swear
ing" Years ago in Pittsburg pris-
on two men were talking about the
Bible and Christianity, and one of
them, Thompson by name, applied
to Jesus Christ very low and vii
lainous epithet, and as he was utter
ing it he fell. A physician was
called, but no help could be given.
After a day lying with distended pu-
pills and palsied tongue, he passed
out of this world. In a cemetery in
Sullivan county, in this state, are
eight headstones in a line and all
alike, and these RE the facts; In
1861 diptheria ragged in the village,
and a physician was remarkably
successful in curing his patients. So
confident did he become, that he
boasted that no case Of diptheria
could stand before him, and finally
defied Almighty God to produce a
case of diptheria that he could not
cure. His Youngest child soon af-
ter took the disease and died, and
one child after another, until all the
eight had died of diptheria. The
blasphemer challenged Almighty
God, and God accepted the challenge.
But come later down and give
you
A FACT THAT is PROVED
by scores of witnesses. This last
August OF 1856 a man got provoked
at the continued drought and the
ruin of his crops, and in the pres
ence of his neighbors he cursed
God, saying that he would cut his
heart out if he would come, calling
Him liar and a coward, and fash
ing knife. And while he was
speaking his lower jaw dropped,
smoke issued from mouth and nos
trils, and the heat of his body was
so intense it drove beck those who
would come near. Scores Of people
have visited the scene and saw the
blasphemer in the awful process OF
expiring.
Do not think that because God
been silent in your case, o. profano
| 4Hof t,o 20 1anI T.