Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-03-20
ACCOMAC c. Fl. VA, SATURDAY. MARCH 20 l>97

it by flags floating from public build
ings and from trees and from the masts
of ships. They are the signal for eulogy
and rejoicing and fcs!iyity. SO the ell
sign which the church hoists is banner
of victory. There WAS time when the
religion CT Christ was not considered
respectable. Men Of learning and posi-
ton frowncd upon it. Governments
mathematical it's supporters TO be a
Christian was to be al underling. But
mark the difference. Religion has COM
PEELED the worlds respect. Mfidclity, in
the tremendous effort it has made to
crush it, has complimented its power
And there il not now single civilized
nation but in its constitution or laws or
prcclanalions pays homage to the roli-
gion Of the cross. IN the war i'll India,
when Sir Archibald Campbell found in
an hour Of danger that the men he Or
dcrcd to the field were intoxicated and
asked for the pious mel whom the Chris
tim Havelock had under his manage
ment, he said: Call out Hayelock' s
saints. They are never drunk, and Have
lock is always ready" That Chris
tianity which gathered its first trophies
from the fshcrmcn's huts on tho shore
of Galilee now has Samsonian strength
thrown upon its shoulders and has car
ricd off the gates Of science and world
ly power We point not to the fortresses
and standing armies and navies as tho
evidence OF the churchs progress. We
point to the men whom Christ has re-
deemed by his blood.
What if arsenals and navy yards do
not belong to the church? We do not
want them The weapons of our war
fere are not carnal, but spiritual and
mighty through God to the pulling
down OF strongholds The world and
satan have no idea of the strength and
heroism which God will yet let out
against the forces of darkness. AS yet
they have had only one round from the
first regiment The Lord Of Hosts will
soon appear in the field at the head OF
his troops Depend upon it that when
God inspires the soul with Il new life he
puts in it the principle of "neycr give
up. In all ages of the church there
have been these who have had a faith
that was almost equal to sight, looking
through persecution and reyerscs with
as much expectation as through palpable
achievements There have been men for
Christ who have acted as did the favor
lite troops of Brien, attacked by Fitzpat-
rick of Ossory The wounded soldiers
begged that they might enter the fight
with the others. They said, Let stakes
be stuck III the ground and suffer each
of us, tied to and supported by one OF
these stakes, to battle in the ranks By
the side of a sound man. =" 1t is said
that 700 or 500 men, pale and emaciated
from former wounds and thus supported
by the stakes, struggled through the
combat. Thus has it been that multi
tudes of the children Of God, though
feeling themselves weak and wounded
perhaps in body, perhaps in estate, per-
haps III soul-supportcd by the staff OF
Gods promise, have warred it up to the
hilt in the subjugation of world OF
wickedness.
A Mighty Cause.
We are mighty i'll this cause, for we
have the help Of the pious dead Mes
sengers Of salvation from high heaven,
they visit the field. They stand behind
us to keep us from ignominious retreat.
They go before us to encourage US i'll the
strife. The McCheynes, and the Pay
sons, and the Martyrs, and the Brain
erds, All uncounted multitude of the
glorifed, are our coadiutors. Have you
heard tho Swiss tradition? The herds
men say that three great leaders of the
Helvctic nation, though seemingly dead,
are only lying down under the ground
in their cid time dress, refreshing
themselves with sleep, and that if at
any time the liberties of their country
arc in danger they will Immediately
spring to their feet and drive back the
enemy. May 1 not have the thought
that il ever the church Of the blessed
Christ shall be threatened with destruc-
ton by the foes which seem too great
for her strength the Lord himself will
not only come to the deliverance, but
those great ancicnts who have seemed
to be sleeping among the dead shall i'm
mediately hear the trumpet blast of the
church militant, and, full armed, spring
back to their old positions i'll the ranks
Of God, with the battlecry, More than
conquerers through him that loved us?'
Although we have already much to en-
courage us i'll the work of the world s
evangelization, yet we must confess that
much of our time has been consumed in
planting our batteries and getting ready
for the conflict. We have not yet begun
TO preach. We have not yet begun to
pray. We have not yet begun to work
On the coast Of heathendom are mission
airy stations They have scarcely yet be-
gun to accomplish what they propose
1t takes some time to dig the trenches
and elevate tic standard and direct the
great guns. From what 1 hear l think
they arc about ready now. Let but the
great Captain wave the signal, and the
ringing OF celestial weaponly shall
quake every dungeon Of hell and sound
up among the thrones Of heaven. Pago-
das and temples shall tumble under the
shock and besotted nations flying from
their idols AID superstitions, shouting
like the COMPOUNDED worshipers of Baal:
"The Lord, be is the God! The Lord
he is the God''
We 20 not alone to the field. We have
invincible allies in the dumb elements
of nature AS Job said, we are IN league
with the very stones of the field. The
sun by day and the moon BY night, d.
rectly or indirectly, shall favor Chris
tianity. The stars i'll their courses are
marshaled for us, as they fought against
c