West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-05-09
A NATIONAL SERMON.
THIS WHOLE LAND A PARADISE.
raimsge Preaohes n Discourse App
propriate TO tho Centennial

two million dollars year TO keep safely q
troublesome captive at st. Helena, so the
King OF Syria sends out a whole army 70
capture one minister of religion--perhaps so.
600 men to take Elisha During tho night
the army of Assyrians came around the viii
lage OF Dothan, where the prophet was
staying. At early daybreak the man
servant OF Elisha rushed in and said;
whole army come to destroy you. We must
die, we must die" But Elisha was NOT
scared bit, for he looked up and saw
the mountains all around fun of super
natural forces, and ne knew that IL there
were 10000 Assyrians against him there
were 100000 angels for him; and in
answer Co the prophets prayer i'm behalf OF
his afrighted man servant the young man
sawit too. Horses of fire harnessed TO char
lots of fire, and drivers of fire pulling reips
OF lire on bits of fire; and warriors of fire
with brandished sword of fire, and the brill.
lance OF that morning sunrise was eciipsed
by the galloping splendors OF the celestial
cavalcade. And the Lord opened the eyes
OF the young man; aud he saw; and behold.
the mountain was fun of horses and chariots
OF fire round about Elisha" 1 have often
spoken to you OF the Assyrian perils which
threaten one American institutions but now
ms we are assembling to keep centennial cele-
bration of the Inauguration OF Washington.
speak of the upper forces of the text that
are to fight on our side. IL all the low levels
are filed with armed threats, have to tell
you that the mountains of our hope and cour.
age and faith are fun of the horses and char
lots Of Divine rescue.
You viii notice that the Divine eauipage Is
always represented ms chariot of fire Eze-
kiel and Isaiah and John, when they come TO
describe the Divine equipage, always repre-
sent u as wheeled, harneSsed, an uphol
stored confiagration. 10 is not n chariot like
Kings and conquerors of earth mount, but an
organized and q compressed fire. That means
purity, justice chastsement deliyerance
through burning escapes. Chariot of rescue;
yes, but chariot of fire All our national
observation-disclosures have been through scorching
agonies and red disasters. Through tribu.
iatlon the individual rises. Through tribu-
iation nations rise. Chariots of rescue but
chariots of fire
But how do know that this Divine equi-
page rs on the side of our institutions know
u by the history of the last one hundred and
eight years. The American revolution started
from the pen OF John Hancock. in indie
pendence Hall, in 1776. The colonies without
ehips without ammunition without 0,ins
without trained warriors, without money
without prestige. On the other side. the
mightiest nation of the earth, the largest
armies and the grandest navies and the most
distinguished commanders, and resources in
exhaustible, and nearly all nations ready to
pack them up In the fight. Nothing as against
lmmensity
The cause Of the American colonies which
started at zero dropped still lower through
the quarreling of the Generals, and through
the jealousies at small successes and through
the winters which surpassed all their prede-
cessors in depth of snow and horrors Of con-
gealment. Elisha, surrounded by the whole
Assyrian army, did not seem to be worse OFF
than cid The thirteen colonies encompassci
and oyershadowod by foreign assault What
decided the contest in our favori The upper
forces, the"upper armies. The green and
white mountains of New England the high
lands along the Hudson, the mountains of
Virginia, all the Appalachian ranges were
full of re-enforcements which the younr man
Washington saw by faith, and his men
endured the frozen feet, and the gan
grened wounds, and the exhaustine hum
ger, and the long march because ''tbe
Lord opened the eyes of the young man: and
ne saw; and, behold, the mountains We're full
Of horses and chnriots of fire round about
Elisha Washington himself was a mira
eie what Joshua was in sacred history the
hrst American President was in secular his
tory. A thousand other men excelled him in
different things, but he excelled them all i'm
lcundness and completeness Of character.
The world never saw his like, and probably
pever viii SEQ his like again, because there
probably never will be another such ext
Sency. He was let down Divine interposi-
ton He was from God direct
do not know how any man can read the
history OF those times without admitting
that the contest was decided by the upper
forces.
Then in 1861, when our Civil War opened
many at the North and at the South pro,
bounced it national suicide. 1t was not cour
age against cowardice it was not wealth
against poverty, IL was not large States
against small States. 1t was heroisn against
neroisln, 1t was the resources Of many Rener-
sls against the resources Of many genera
lions, 1t was the prayer Of the North against
the prayer Of the South, it was one-half OF the
nation IN armed wrath meeting the other half
OF the nation in armed indignation. What
could come but exterInination2
At the opening of the war the commander
m-chiet of the United States forces was a
man who had been great i'm battle, but old
age mad come with many infirmities and no
had right 10 quietude. He could not
mount horse, and be rode on the
driver not TO jolt it too much. During the
most OF the four years of the contest. on the
Southern side was n man in mid-life who
had IN his veins the blood of many genera
lions OF warriors, himself one OF the heroes
or CherubuscO and CerrO Gordo Coutraros
and Chapultepec. AS the years passed on
and the scroll Of carnage unrolled. there
came out from both sides a heroism and :
strength and a determination that the world
had never seen morshaled. And what but
determination could come when Philip Sher-i
dan and StonewaH Jackson met. and Nathan
Tel byon and Sidney johnson rode in from
eorth and south, and Grant and Lee. the two
tnunuerDolts OF battle, clashed Yet we are
nation and yet we are at peace Earthly
courage did not decide the conflict Tho mn
per forces Of tho text. They tell us there was
battle fought above the clouds on lookout
Mountain; but there was something higher
than that
Again the horses and chariofs Of God came
% the rescue Of this nation I'm 1876 at tho
close Of a Presidential election famous for
aevilish ferOcity. a darker cloud vet settled
down upon this nation. The result of tho
election was In dispute, aud revolution. not
between TWO OF three sections, but revolution
"a every town and village and city of the
he united states, seemed imminent The
prospect was that New Yorl, would throttle
re" YORK, and New Orleans would grip Negy
orleans. and Boston, Boston, and Savannah
savannah, and Washington, Washington
Some said Mr. Iildeu was elected. ofhore
said Mr.. Hayes was elected. and how
near we came 20 universal mageqcra
some Of us guessed, but God only knew
4 ascribe our escape not ~ tho hon
eaty and righteousness Of Infatuated
POLITICIANS but ! ascribe it To the uprar
forces Of the text. Chariots Of mercy rolled
~ and though the wheels were not heard and
the hash was not seen, yet AN through the
mountain of the north and the south and
The east and the west, though the hoofs did
not eiatteT, the cavalry Of God gailoped hv
! tell you God rs The friend Of this nation. ia
the awful excitement az the massacre Of T. An
coin, when there was prospect that greater
sianghter would open upon this nation God
hu2hed the tempest In the awful excitement
at the time u Garheld's assassination Cod
put His foot gfie irn ffafslr 81 che o-.efe-.