Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-09-23


Of the "Ironsides " lon % a storm and
solemn as il deGthl.nci Standards reel
ing before it and cav = horses going
back on their haunchoa and armies fly
ing at Marston Moor, at Winceby Field
at Naseby, at Bridgewater and Dart
mouth-"LetG God arise. let his enemies
be scattered"
God. Not Man.
So yen zee my text is not like COM
plimentary aud tasseled sword that you
sometimes see hung up in a parlor,
sword that was never III battle, and
only TO lie used on general training day,
but more like some weapon carefully
hung up in your home, telling its story
of battles, for my text hangs III the
Scripture armory, telling Of the holy
wars Of B, coo years in which it has been
carried, but still as keen and mighty
as when David first unsheathed it. Ii
seems to me that in the church Of God
and in all styles Of reformatory work
what we most need now is battlecry
We raise our little standard and put on
il the name Of some man who only q
few years ago began to live and in
few years will cease to live. We go into
contest against the armies Of iniquity,
depending too much on human agencies.
We use for a battlecry the name Of some
brave Christian reformer, but after
awhile that reformer dies or gets old or
loses his courage, and then we take an
other battlecry, and this time perhaps
we put the name Of some one who be-
trays the cause and sells out TO the en-
envy What we want for battlecry is
the name Of some leader who will never
betray US aud will never surrender and
will never die.
All respects have for brave men and
women, but if we are to get the victory
all along the line we must take the hint
Of the Gideonites, who wiped out the
Bedouin Arabs, commonly called Midi
antics. These Gideonites had glori'
GUS leader in Gideon, but what was the
battlecry with which they flung their
enemies into the worst defeat into which
any army was ever tumbled: 1t was,
THE sword of the Lord and of Gideon.
Put God first whoever you put second.
If the army Of the American Revolution
is to free America, it must be, 1.-The
sword Of the Lord and Of Washington.
If the Germans want to win the day at
Sedan, it must be, 1.-THE sword Of the
Lord and Won Moltke. Waterloo was
won for the English because not only
the armed men at the 'front.' but the
worshipers in the oathedrals at the rear,
were crying, "The sword of the Lord
and Of Wellington.
Right Is Might.
The Methodists have gone in triumph
across nation after nation with the cry.
1.-THE sword Of the Lord and Of Wes-
lev. " The Presbyterians have gone from
victory to victory with the cry, 1.-The
sword of the Lord and of john Knox.
The Baptists have conquered millions
after millions for Christ with the cry,
"The sword Of the Lord and Of Jud-
son. " The American Episcopalians have
won their mighty way with the cry,
1.-The sword of the Lord and OF Bishop
McIlvaine." Tho victory is TO those
who nut God first But rs we want
battlecry srited TO all sects Of religion
lists and to all lands | nominate as the
battlecry If Christendom III the ap-
preaching Armagoddon the words OF my
text. sounded before the ark as 1t was
carried to Mount Zion, LET God arise,
let his enemies be scattered.
As far as our finite mind can judge 1t
seems about time for God to rise. Does
it not seem to you that the abomina-
tions of this earth have gone far enoughf
Was there ever a time when sin was SO
defiant? Were there ever before 50 many
fists lifted toward God telling him to
come on If he dare? Look at the bias
phemy abroad What towering profan-
ityl Would it be possible for any one to
calculate the numbers Of times that the
name of the Almighty God and of Jesus
Christ are every day taken irreyerently
on the lips? Profane swearing is as
much forbidden by the law as theft or
arson or murder, yet who executes itf
Profanity is worse than theft OF arson
or murder, for these crimes are attacks
on humanity--that is an attack ON God.
This country is pre-eminent Tor oias-
phemy. A man travelling in Russia was
supposed to be clergyman. why DO