Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-06-08

say tnat crime VIII TRIUMPH ana the world
will never h. converted because Of the
seeming insuflicicncy of the means en-
ploycd, they count the 600 armed Philis-
tines on one side, and Shamgar, the farm
or. awkwartlly equipped, ON the other
side; not realizing that the chariots Of God
are 20. 600, and that all heaven, chcrubic,
scraphic. arrhangclic. dciflc. is on what
otherwise would bc the weak side. Napo-
leon, the author Of the saying. God Is on
the side Of the heaviest artillery" lived 10
find out his mistake: for Mt Waterloo, the
100 guns Of the English Ovcrcame the $50
guns Of the French. God is ON the side Of
the right. and one man in the right will
eventually h. found stronger than 600 men
in the wrong. In all estimates Of any kind
Of Christian work. do not make the mis-
take every day made Of leaving out the
head Of the universe.
The Choice of Weapons.
Again. my subject springs upon us the
thought that In Gods service IL Is best to
use weapons that are particularly suited
TO us. Shamgar had like many Of us, been
brought up on farm. He knew nothing
about javclins and bucklcrs and helmets
and brcastplatcs and grcavcs of brass and
catapults and balliste and iron scythcs fas-
tened TO the axlcs Of chariois But he was
familiar with the fail Of the thrnshing
floor and knew how 20 pound with that.
and the ax Of the woods and knew how TO
hew with that, and the oxgoad OF the plow-
man and knew how TO thrust with that,
and You and will do best 10 use those
means that we can hest handle, those wcap-
ons with which we can make the most OK
ccution. Some in Gods service will do
best with the pen. some with the voice
some by extcmporancOus speech, for they
have the whole vocabulary of the English
language half way between their brain and
tongue, and others will do best with man
uscript spread out before them. Some will
serve God by the plow, raising wheat and
corn and giving literally Of what they sell
10 churches and missions: some as MGR
chants and out Of their profits will dcd-
icatc a tenth To the Lord; some aS physi-
clans. prescribing for the world ailments
and some aS attorneys, defending inno-
ccnce and obtaining rights that otherwise
would not be recognized, and some rs sail
ors, helping bridge the seas, and some as
teachers and pastors The kingdom Of God
Is drcadfully retarded by 50 many of us at
tempting to do that which we cannot do
reaching up for brCndsword or falchion or
bayonct or scimitcr or enfield rifle or paix-
hans gun-whilc we ought 10 be content
with an oxgoad. thank God that there
nrc tens Of thousands If Christians whom
You never heard Of and never will hear Of
until you s,c them in the high places of
heaven, who are now in quiet way in
homes aud schoolhouscs, and in praying
circles, and by sickbcds, and up dark al
lcys saying the saving word and doing tho
saving deed, the aggregation Of their work
oycrpowcring the most ambitious statistics.
In the grand review Of heaven when the
regiments pass the Lori Of Hosts, there
will bc whole regiments of nurses and Sab
bath school teachers and tract distributors
and unprctcnding workers, before whom,
as they pass, the kings and queens of God
and the Lamb will lift flashing coronct
and bow down in recognition and rcver-
cncc. The most Of the Christian work for
the worlds reclamation and salvation will
b. done by people Of one talent and two
talents while the ten talent people are up
In the astronomical obscrvatorics studying
other worlds, though they do little or
nothing for the redemption Of this world
or ARE up In the rarchcd realms Of higher
criticism" trying 10 find out that Moses
that the throat OF the whale wre. not large
enough 10 swallow the msisis3 who de
clined the call 10 Ninevch and apologizlng
for the Almighty for certain incxplicablc
things they have found in the Scriptures.
1t will bc found out at the last that the
krupp guns have not done so much 10 cap
ture this world for God rs the oxgoads.
Simple Tools Are Rest.
Years ago was TO summer In the Adj
rondaclss and my wealthy friend. who was
n great hunter and fisherman, said, II am
not going To the Adirondacks this Season,
and you can take my equipment and will
send IL up Ia Paul smiths" Well, IL was
there when l arrived I'm the Adirondacke
a splendid outfit, that cost many hundreds
of dollars, n gorgeous tent and such clab-
crate fishing apparatus; such guns Of all
styles Of exquisite make and reels and
pouches and halt and torches and lunch
baskets and many more things that l could
not even guess the use Of. And my friend
of the big soul had even written on and
engaged men who should accompany me
into the forest and carry home the deer
and the trout. II the mountains could
have seen and understood IL at the time.
there would have been panic among the
anilcrs and the fins through all the John
Brown : Tract Well, am no hunter.
and not "a rocbuck or "a game fish did In
jurc But there Were hunters there that
season who had nothing but plain gun
and rug to sleep on and coil Of fishing
line ana box Of ammunition and bait
who came In ever and anon with as many
Of the capiives Of forest and stream as they
and two or three attendants could carry
Now. fear that many Christian workers
who have most elaborate educational and
theological and professional equipment
and most wonderful wcaponry, sufficient
you would think. 10 capture whole com
munity or whole nation for God, will in
the last day have but little except their
fine tacklng to show, while some who had
no advantages except that which they got
in prayer and conservation will. by the
souls they have brought Ia the shore Of
eternal safety. prove that they have been
gloriously successful as fishers of men and
in taking many who. like the hart. We're
painting after the water brooks
What made the Amaickiics run bcfor,.
Gidcon's army? Each one Of the army
knew how much racket the breaking Of
one pitcher would make. 30 300 men that
night took 800 pitchers and lamp inside
the pitcher, and al a given signal the lamps
were lifted, and the pitchers were violent
ly dashed down. The fash Of the light
and the racket Of the 300 demolished pitch-
crs sent the enemy into wild flight. Not
much of a weapon. you would say, is bro
ken pitcher, but the Lord made that aw-
full crash Of crockery the means ~ triumph
for his people, and there Is yet 20 be n hat
tie with the pitchers The night Of the
worlds dissipation may get darker and
darker. hut after awhile. In what watch
Of the night | know not. all the ale pitch
ers, and tho wine pitchers, and the beer
pitchers, and the whisky pitchers ~ the
earth will Ia hurled into demolition by
converted incbriatcs and Christian reform
ers, and at that awful crash of Internal
cnockery the Amalekitish host Of paupcr-
ism and lnafcr'lom and domestic quarrel
and cruelty and assassination will 1y tho
earth.
Ask God For Help.
Take the first weapon you can lay your
hands ON. Why did David choose the sling
when he went at Goliath and Goliath went
at himg Brought up In the country, like
every other hoy, he knew how 90 manage
a sling Saul's armor was first put on him,
hut tho giants nrInor was too heavy. The
helmet was clappcd ON him as an cxtin-
guishcr. and David said II cannot 90 with
these. for have not proved them" And