West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-07-04
A MIGHTY WEAPON.
sILENcINe THE CAVALIERS
Christian Phiiosophy's Replies e
Worldly PHILOSOPHY.

me. vi Samuel xxi, o.
David fed from his pursuers. The
world runs very fast when it is chasing
q good man. Tho country Is trying 10
catch David, and TO slay him. David goes
into the house OF priest and asks him
for a sword or spear with which TO defend
himself. The priest, not being accustomed
10 use deadly weapons tells David that
ne cannot supply him; but suddenly tho
priest thinks OF an old sword that had
been carefully wrapped up and laid away
the very sword that Goliath formerly used
and he takes down that sword and while no
rs unwrapping the sharp, glittering, memoir
able blade, it flashes upon David's mind that
TINS was tho very sword that was used
against himself when he was in the fight
with Goliath, and David can hardly keen
his hand off it until the priest has unwound
~. David stretches out his hand toward
that old sword, and says: There Is none like
that; give IL me- In other words 81 want
In my own hnnd the sword that has been used
against me. and against the cause OF God.s
30 1t was given him. Well, nv friends, that
Is not tho first or tho last sword onco used by
giant and Philistine iniquity which Is TO come
into tho possession of Jesus Christ. and of
Ills glorious church. want, as we'll as God
may help me, to show you that many a
weapon which has been used against tho
armies Of God is yet to be captured and used
ON our side; and only initiate David when
stretch out my hand toward the blado OF the
Philistino, and cry: There is mono like that;
give IL mep
remark, first, that this is truo In regard
to oil scientific exploration. You know that
tho tfst discoveries in astronomy and
geology and chronology We're used 10 battle
Christianity. Worldly philosophy came out
OF It's laboratory and out OF It's observatory.
and said: Now, we will prove. by the very
structure of the earth, and by the movement
OF the heavenly bodies, that the Bible Is n
he and that Christianity, as we have It
among mon, is positive imposition Good
mon trembled. Tho telescope the Ioyden
Jars the electric batteries, all in tho hands of
the Philtstincs. But one day, Christianity
looking about for some weapon with which
TO defend itself, happened to see tho very old
sword that these atheistic Philistines Ind
neen using against the truth and cried out:
There is none like that; give IL men And
Copernicus, and Calico, and Kepler. and
isaac Newton came forth and told the world
thnt. III their ransacking of tho earth
and heaven, they had found overwhelming
presence OF the God whom we worship: and
TINS old Bible began TO shake itself from tho
Koran, and Shaster, and Zendavesta with
wnich IL had been covered up, and lay on the
desk of the scholar, and in the laboratory OF
the chemist and in the lap of the Christian.
unframed and unanswered while the towers
or the midnight heavens struck n silvery
chime in its praise.
Worldly philosophy said: matter Is eter-
nal The world always was. God did not
make it, Christian philosophy plunoes its
crowoar into rocks, and finds that the world
Wa gradually made, and If gradually made,
there must have been somo point ut which
the process started; then, who started it? and
80 that objection was overcome, and in the
nrst three words Of the Bible we find that
moses stated a magnificent truth when he
said: I'm the beginning
worldly philosophy said: 'sYour Bibla Ia
= most inaccurate book; all that story in the
ga testament again and again told, about
inc army of the locusts-it is preposterous.
There is nothing in the coming of the Iocusts
IKE an army An army walks, Iocusts flv
AN army goes in order and procession Iocusts
without order" "Waitln said Cbristain nj
Iosophyi and in 1868, in the southwestern BART
OF this country Christian mon yront
out to examine the march of the locust Thoro
are men right before me who must have NO.
tced In that very part of the country tba
coming up of the locust like an army: and Re
vas lound that all the newspapers unwit-
1lngiy spoke or them as an army. Whv7
Ihey seem TO have a commander. They
march like a host. They halt like n
most. No arrow ever went with
sualghter flight than tho locusts come
not even turning aside for tho wind. n
the wind rises, the locusts drop and then rise
again after 1t has gone down. taking fine
same line OF march, not varying q foot Tho
Ola Bible right every time when it speaks of
osophy wrong P
Worldly philosophy said: Gan that story
about the light turned as CLAY To fhe seaP
= simply an absurdity." Old time worldly
Christian philosophy said: await a 7ittia
Wnile and 1T goes on and makes discoveries
and tnds that the atmosphere c1rvee and
bends the rays OF light around the
S Ths Rib literally as the clay to the seal"
wrong again. "Ah,n says worldly pbiloso-
ply, ''all that illusion in job about tbo
foundations OF the earth is simply an ab-
sutdty: where vast thou saws God
when l set the foundations Of the Garth 4, T1a
earth has no Foundations Christian NH.
iosopny comes and finds that the word az
translated foundation NAV be betFay
translated sockets" So now see how n
viii read IL IL is translated right: "Wbere
vast thou when 1 set the sockets Of tbe
earth Z" Where is the socket It Is the hoI-
low OF Gods hand--a socket largo enough
Tor any world to turn in
Worldly philosophy said: ''what an absurd
s.ory ABOUT Joshua making the sun and moon
stand still. IL the world had stopped an in
slant, the whole universe would have been
out OF gear stop said Christian philoso-
ply, mot quite 50 quick Tho world has
Two motions-one on its own axis, and the
other around the sun. 1t yvns not necessary in
making them stand still that both motions
Hhouid be stopped only the ono turning the
world ON its own axis There was no reason
Why tho batting OF the earth should have
Jared and disarrnugcd the whole univcrue
Joshua right and God right: infdelity wrong
every time. / knew IL would be wrong
thanF God TINT the time has come when
CHRISTIANS need not be scared at any scientific
exploration. The fact Is that religion and
sclence have struck hand in eternal friendship
ana INC deeper down geology can dig and
nc hghef mp astronomy can soar all
the better FOR as. The armies ~ tlo
Lord Jesus Christ have stormod fbe
obseryatOrics Of the worlds science and
rom tho highest towers have flung ont
the banner OF the cross, and Christianity
o-nignt from the obsorvatorics OF Albanv
nnd Washington, stretches out it, hand a.
ward tho opposing scientific weapon. cry
In8. There Is mono like that: give II mer'
was reading this afternoon Of TIerechel.
VINO was looking at a meteor through
y teiescope, and when &c came over tho
thce o. inc telescope IL was 50 powerful ne had
- avert his eyes. And 10 has been lust 30 that
many an astronomer has gone into an ol,.
safFabory and looked mp into the midnight
heeVens and tie Lord God has. through e5ruo
swinging world, famed upon his vision. and
me learned man cried out. "TVho am ~ I'm
opnei Dncleani Have mercy. Lord Codr5
again, ! remark that The travelling dia
position OF the world, which was aycrse tn
morals and religion, is 70 BE- brought on cnr
sac be man that went down ~ Jericho
hnd iell amidst thieves was type Of a great
many travellers. There is many n man w.,
h very honest az home who when he h
abroad, has bis honor nlched and hig ,olf
habits stolen. There are but very few mo,
who can stand Tho afrrrr ~ r. -..r.-.ftts-