The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-03


God into the calculation. Whom do you
see on that plowed field Of my text2 One
hearer says, Il see Shamgar." Another
hearcr says. 4 see six hundred Philis-
tines Ny nearer. YOU have missed the
chief parsonage on that battle field Of
piowed ground. ! also see Shamgar, and
six hundred Philistincs. bat more than
all. and mishtier than all, and more over
whelming than ALL ! see God. Shamgar
with his unaided arm. however muscular,
and with that humble instrument made for
agricultural purposes. and never con-
structed for combat. could not have
wrought such victory. IL was OmnipO-
tence above. and beneath. and back OF,
and az the point of the oX-gOad. Before
THAI battle was over. the plOwman realized
this. and all the six hundred Philistines
realized 81. and all who visited the battle
field afterward appreciated II. ] want in
heaven 10 hear the story. for h can never
be fully told on earth-perhaps some day
may be set apart for the rehearsal. while
all heaven listens-the story Of how God
blessed awkward and humble instrument
taiities. Many an evangelist has come
into a town given up TO wCTldliness. The
pastors say to the evangelist, We are
glad YOU have come. but II Is hard field,
and we feel sorry for YOU. The members
of our churches play progressive euchre,
and go to the theater, and bet at the horse
races. and gaiety and fashion have taken
possession Of the town. We have adver-
tised your meetings. but are not very hope
full God bless you" This evangelist
takes his place on platform or pull
pit. He never graduated at college, and
there are before him twenty graduates or
the best universities. lie never took one
lesson in elocutiOn, and there are before
him twenty trained orators. Many Of the
ladies present are graduates of the --lgA-
arsnfr la Ytf On
grammar or one INSTRUMENTATION, will
result in suppressed gigcle. Amid the
general chill that pcrvadcs the house, the
unpretending evangelist opens his Bible
and takes for his text, Lord, that my
eyes may be opened" Opera glasses in
the gallery curiously scrutinize the speak
er. lie tells in a plain way the story OF
the blind man. tells two or three touching
anecdotes, and the general chill gives way
before a strange warmth. A classical
hearcr who took the first honor at Yale,
and who is prince of prophecies, finds
his spectacles becoming dim with mois-
ture suggestive of tears. A worldly
mother who has been bringing up her
sens and daughters in utter godlessuess,
puts her handkerchief to her eyes and lie
gins to weep. Highly educated men who
came to criticize and pick to pieces,
and find fault, bow on their gold-headcd
canes. What is that sound from under
the gallery? 1t is a sob, and sobs are
catching: and all along the wall and all
up and down the audience. there is deep
emotion. so that when at the close of the
service anxious souls are invited to spec
ial seats, or the inquiry room, they come
up by scores, and kneel ana repent. AMI
rise up pardoned; the whole town is
shaken, and places of evil amusement are
sparsely attended, and rum holes lose
their patrons. and the churches ara
ha W ann ~ Sc
cleansed and elevated and rejoiced. What
power did the evangelist bring to bear 10
capture that town for righteousness?
Not one brilliant epgram did he utter.
Not one graceful gesture did he make.
Not one rhetorical climax did he pile up.
But there was something about him
that people had not taken in
the estimate when they prophesied
the failure of that work. They had not
taken into the calculation the Omnipotence
of the Holy Ghost 1t was not the flash of
a Damascus blade. 1t was God, before,
and behind, and all around the ox-goad.
When people say that crime will triumph,
and the world Will never be converted be
cause of the seeming insufficency of the
means employed, they count the six hun
dred armed Philistines on one side, and
Shamgar, the farmer, awkVardly equip
ped, on the other side, not realizing that
the chariots of God are twenty thousand,
and that all heaven, cherubic, seraphic,
archangelic Deific. is on what otherwise
would be the weak side. Napoleon. the
author of the saying, God is on the side
of the heaviest artillery" lived to find
out his mistake; for at Waterloo the one
hundred and sixty guns of the English
overcame the two hundred and fifty guns
of the French. God is on the side of the
right and one man in the right Will even
tually be found stronger than six hundred
mo In hn Harrp In oil a-ff ye,a f,e 8
any kind of Christian work. do not make
the mistake every day made of leaving
out the Head of the Universe.
Again, my subject brings upon us the
thought that in Gods service 1t is best to
use weapons that are particularly suited
to us. Shamgar had. like many of US,
been brought up on a farm. He knew
nothing about javelins, and bucklers, and
helmets, and breastplates, and greaves of
brass and catapults, and ballistae, and
iron scythes fastened to the aXles of char
lots. But he was familiar with the fail
of the threshing floor, and knew how to
pound with that; and the ak of the woods
and knew how to hew with that; and the
ox-goad of the plowman, and knew how to
thrust with that. And you and l will do
best to use those means that we can best
handle; those weapons with which we can
make the most execution. Some in Gods
service will do best with the pen; some
with the voice; some by eXtemporaneous
speech for they have the whole vocabulary
of the English language half way between
their brain and tongue; and others will do
best with manuscript spread out before
them. Some will serve God by the pillow,
raising wheat and corn, and giving liber-
ally Of what they SELL to churches and
some as merchants, and on;
of their profits will dedicate tenth to
the Lord; some as physicians, prescrib-
ing for the worlds ailments; and some a
attorneys. defending innocence, and oh
tanning rights that otherwise would not
be recognized; and some as sailors, help
ing bridge the seas; and some as teach
ers and pastors. The Kingdom of God is
dreadfully retarded by so many of us at
to do that which we cannot do:
reaching up for bToadsword or falchion,
or bayonet, or scimetar, or Enfield rife,
or Pafxhans gun, while we ought to be
content with an oX-goad. l thank God that
there are tens of thousands of Chris
tians whom you never heard Of. and never
will hear of until you see them in the
high places of heaven, who are now in
quiet w4Y In homes, and school houses,
and in praying circles, and by beds,
and up dark alleys. saying the saving
word. and doing the saving deed: the ag-