Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-06-27
Look to Your Weapon.

In the first place, If you want to be cf-
fcctual in doing good, you must bc very
sure Of your weapon. There was some
thing very fascinating about the archery
Of olden times. Perhaps you do not know
what they could do with the bow and ar
row Why. the chief battles fought by the
English Plantagcncts were with the long
bow. They would take the arrow of pol
ished wood and feather il with the plume
Of bird, and then il would fly from the
bowstring Of plated silk The broad fields
Of Agincourt, and Solway Moss, and Ne
villc's cross heard the loud thrum Of the
nrcher's howstring Now, my Christian
friends, we have "A mighticr weapon than
thnt. II Is the arrow of the gospel; it Is
sharp arrow; IL j. Il strait arrow; IL is
fcathcrcd from the wing of the dove of
God spirit; it flies from a bow made out
OF the wood OF the cross As far as | can
estimate or calculate IL has brought down
400, 900, 900 souls Paul knew how to
bring the notch OF that arrow on To that
bowstring, and its whir was heard through
the Corinthian thcatcrs, and through the
courtroom until the knees of Felix knock
al together. IL was that arrow that stuck
In Luthcrs heart when he cried out "Oh,
my sinsl Oh, my SINS II IL strike man
In the head, IL kills his skcpiiciSm; II 1t
strike "a man in the heel, il will turn his
step; IL IL strike him in the heart, he
throws up his hands. as did the Emperor
Julian of old when wounded In the battle,
crying 20 Galilcan, thou hast conqucrcdr'
In the armory OF the Earl of Pembroke
there are old corsclcts which show that the
arrow Of the English used 10 60 through
the breastplatc, through the body of the
warrior and out through the backplatc
What n symbol Of that gospel which is
sharper than two edged sword, piercing
70 the dividing asundcr Of body and soul
and OF the joints and marrow Would To
God we had more faith in that gospel.
The humblcst man, If he had enough faith
in IL. could bring 100 souls 10 Jcsus-per-
haps BOO just in proportion as this age
seems 10 believe less and less in IL believe
more and more in IL. What are men about
that they will not accept their own deliver
ancc? There is nothing proposed by men
that can do anything like this gospel. The
religion Of Ralph Waldo Emerson was the
philosophy II iciclcs. The religion If The
udore Parker was a sirocco Of the desert
covering mp the soul with dry sand The
religion Of Rcnan was the romance Of be
licving nothing, the religion Of the Hulk
lcys and the Spcnc'rs merely pedestal on
which human philosophy sits shiyering in
the night "i the soul looking up to the
stars. Offering no help to the nations that
crouch and gruan at the base Tell me
where there is one man who has rejected
that GOSPEL for another, who is thoroughly
titisiicd and helped and contcntcd in his
skcpticsu, and will take the car tornor-
row and ride 500 miles 10 see him The
fun power of the gospel has not vet been
touched AS a sportsman throws up his
head and catches the hall flying through
.lsr air, Just - easily will this gospel after
awhile catch This round world flying from
its orbit and bring il hack to the heart Of
Christ Give il Ill swing, and il will
pardon every sin, heal every wound Gun,
every trouble cmancipate every slave and
ransom every milton Yc Christian men
and women who ~ ont this afternoon to
do Christian work a. you 20 into the sun
day schools, the lay preaching stations and
the pcnitcntiarics and the asylums | want
you 10 fccl that you bear In your hand a
weapon, compared with which the light
ming has no speed. and avalanchcs have no
hcft. and the thundcrholtS uf heaven have
no power. II Is the arrow Of the omnipo-
tent gospel Take careful MIN Pun the
arrow clear back until the head strikes the
bow. Then let ii fly Aud may the slain
~ the Lord lc many
Searching For Game.
Again II you want "a hc skillful in
spiritual archery, yuu must hunt in unfro-
qucntcd and secluded places Why does
the hunter 20 three or four days in the
Pennsylvania forstSor over Kaqucttc lake
into tho wilds Of the Adirondackss 1t is
the only way Ia do. The deer are shy. and
one hang Of the gun clears the forest.
From the California stage you Scc rs you
70 over the plains herr and thcrc a coyote
trotting along. almost within range nf the
gun sometimes quite within range Of it.
No one cares for that 1t j. worthless The