The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-07-10

forth the mighty phalanX OF drunk
ards sweeping before them the sweet
est JOY OF the human heart, blasting
many happy home and turning
them into hell on earth, crushing
the fairest hopes of loving wife.
himself blighted, bloated, ruined
wreck. But a step still nearer:
5. IN EACH HUMAN HEART
is found great stronghold OF
the wicked one. Satan mas
encamped around about our our
hearts, and there is where the
battle must be fought and the vlcto
rv won. There is sometimes strong,
hold for satan in our homes %here
the card table is erected ana ths
dance is maintained. But peyolio
our hearts, beyond our homes, oui
country, our State, lies
6. THE GREAT HEArHES WORLD
composing a terrible stronghold OF 81
tan, where the bright rays OF the sun
of Righteousness are just beginning tS
eild the morning dawn: Agalnst al
these strongholds. The Christian
soldier is represented as going 1orth
This leads rs to notice
II. THE WEAPONS.
Paul says they are not
carnal, but are mighty through
God to the pulling down OF
the stronghold. Gods word is rep
resented as being sharp, even sharper
than any two-edged sword. 1t is
.the sword of the spirit" This,
Young comrades, I would place in
your hands. Gods word is Gods
thought. 1t is the revelation OF
Gods will to us. When God lived in
human flesh and moved in human
society He spoke and multltuoes
were Silent before Him, the madden
ing waves lay at his feet. Gods
word is truth and truth is always In
vincible. All truth is from God, no
matter where you find it. Whether
in the great book Of nature, or IN
some dead, lifeless system of philosoo,
phy. or in each human heart. Truth
IS from God. Thy word, oh God, is
truth
You see the bright rays Of the sun
lighting up the beautiful landscape.
Take the smallest ray that tremoles
between the shade and shadow, and
follow it up step by step, and soon
YOU are at the sun, the King OF Day
Take the tiniest dewdrop that
twinkles to the morning sun. Take
up the scientific research back
through the great world of thonghi
YOU 20, on through the different
stages of scientific knowledge. and
when you have finished you land a,
God, its author. So the smallest
thread of truth leads up to Goo
And between God and truth there Is
no war, for truth takes her stand on
the side of God and calls him
Father.
The writer says: Put on the whole
armor of God" This is but the prep
aration for the battle. He likewise
tells us to .'wield the sword of the
spirit, which is the word of God.
With the whole armor Of God around
your manly forms and with drawn
sword in hand, | would haSten
YOU on to the battle. You need nc
other weapon than the one ordained
bv God. There is enough power IN
that one weapon to conquer the
world. 1t has been tried sufficiently
by the great Captain of our saliva
ton. When He was attacked by the
Devil along the wilderness Of Judea
with these words: IF Thou be the
Son of God command that these
stones be made Bread" the great
Leader drew his sword and drove tne
enemy from the field by a single
stroke. Man shall not live by breac
alone"
The great champion Of the bottom
less pit once more gathered his shat,
tered and defeated forces, and on the
pinnacle of the temple he made the
second attack, when once more the
sword of the Spirit flashed from lts
scabbard and fell with crushing effect
upon the arch enemy of souls.
"Thou shalt not tempt the Lord
Thy Cod I stand for a few mo-
ments in almost death-like stiffness
as see little band of Christian
soldiers marching almost silently
around the massive walls of jericho
I see no FURNISHED muskets; NO
cleaning swords. Doubtless the
thought flashed through the minds
of the hosts of Jericho: What means
all this noise Of horns and tramp o!
soldiery? Do they think to overturn
our city, plunder our buildings and
conquer our long established soldlery
bv such methods? Let them move
on. Let the old rams horn ring; we
trouble not ourselves:
On they 60. Early and late the
sound of the old rams horn rang
over the plains of Jericho. On goes
the heroic band. March, march,
march around the huge massive
walls of the doomed city until the
seventh had been reached, and with
the seventh went forth the first peal
of victory.
The command to ''shout" rang out,
and, as the shout went heavenward,
the old walls began to totter and fall,
and in few moments that great
city was but a heap of crushed and
broken architecture. The weapon
of God had become through Him
mighty to the pulling down OF the
stronghold. -.
I suppose had the hosts of Midian
seen Gideon's little band of three
hundred marching on through the
dense darkness to attack them with
no weapons save lamps, pitchers and
trumpets they would have laughed
them to scorn.
But on they go-each man intent
on victory, and under the command
of their leader the three hundred
burst their pitchers and flashed their
lanterns in the midnight darkness,
while hilltop and valley rang with
the mighty shout: 1.-The sword Of the
Lord and of Gideon"
At once the great army Of indian
fied-not only defeated, but panic
stricken. Once again the weapon of
God had become mighty through
Him to the pulling down of the
stronghold.
So It is. The Gospel of Jesus Christ
is g ooSnel of power. 1t is the power