Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-06-06
A Mighty Weapon.

For what reason was this unprecedented
and unparalleled victory of farmers OK
goad put into this Bible, where there was
no spare room for the unimportant and
the trivial?
1t was, first of all, to teach you, and to
teach me, and to teach all past ages since
then, and to teach all ages to come that
in the war for God and against sin we
ought to put to the best use the weapon
we happen to have on hand. Why did not
Shamgar wait until he could get war
charger, with neck arched, and back ca
parisoned, and nostrils shifting the battle
afar off, or until no could get war equip
ment, or could drill regiment, and wheel
ing them into line command them forward
to the charger To wait for that would
have been defeat and annihilation. So he
takes the best weapon he could lay hold
of, and that is an oxgoad. We are called
into the battle for the right, and against
wrong, and many of us have not just the
kind of weapon we would prefer. 1t may
not be a sword of argument. 1t may not
be the spear of sharp, thrusting wit. 1t
may not be the battering ram of denunci-
alton. But there is something we can do
and some forces we can WELD. Do not
wait for what you have not, but use what
you have. Perhaps you have not eloquence,
but you have smile. Well smile of
encouragement has changed the behavior
Of tens of thousands of wanderers, and
brought them back to God, and enthroned
them in heaven. You cannot make per-
suasive appeal, but you can set an exam
pie, and q good example has saved more
souls than you could count in year If
you counted all the time. You cannot
give $40, 900, but you can give as much as
the widow Of the gospel, whose two mites,
the smallest coins of the Hebrews, were
bestowed in such spirit as to make her
more famous than all the contributions
that ever endowed all the hospitals and
| universities of all Christendom Of all
time. You have very limited vocabulary,
but you can say "yes" or mo, and a
firm "yes" or an emphatic ''no" has trav
ersed the centuries and will traverse all
eternity with good influence You may
not have the courage to confront large
assemblage, but you can tell Sunday
school class Of two-a boy and girl-how
to find Christ, and one of them may be-
come William Carey to start influences
that will redeem India, and the other a
| Florence Nightingale, who will illumine
battleields covered with the dying and the
dead.
That was a tough case in town of Eng
land where a young lady, applying for a
Sabbath sckool class, was told by the SUI
perintendent she would have to pick up
one out of the street. The worst Of the
class brought from the street was one Bob.
| uS 4aH cko1, 1ofh h
ing by the superintendent. But after two
or three Sabbaths he disappeared. He was
found with his clothes in tatters, for he
had been fighting. The second time Bob
was we'll clad for school, After coming
pnoe or twice he again disappeared and
was found in rags, consequent upon fight
ing. The teacher was disposed to give
him up, but the superintendent said, "Let
us try him again, and the third suit Of
clothes was provided him. Thereafter he
came until he was converted, and Joined
the church, and started for the gospel min
istry, and became foreign missionary,
preaching and translating the Scriptures.
Who was the boy called Bob? The illus
trious Dr. Robert Morrison, great on earth
and greater in heaven. Who his teacher
was l know not, but she used the oppor-
tunity opened, and great has been her re-
ward. You may not be able to load an
Armstrong gun. You may not be able
to hurl Hotchkiss shell. You may pot
be able to shoulder . glittering musEet,
but use anything you can lay your hands
On. Try blacksmith's hammer, or a
merchants yardstick, or q mason's trow
el, or carpenters plane, or housewife
broom, or farmers oxgoad. One Of til