The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-02-07
MAN IN HIS PLACE. !"
THE NEEDS OF THE
CHURCH TO-DAY.
An Interesting Sermon Preached
at the Westminster Church
by Rev. w. H. Landon.

Rev Warren H Landon of San Ra-
fael occupied the pulpit Of the west
minister Presbyterian Church yester-
day. He preached a strong and inter-
esting sermon on Every Man in HIS
Place" taking for his text Judges VII
II: And they stood every man IN ms
place round about the camp. he
said:
Israel had apostatized and their sins
had been followed by judgment. Thelr
emmy. the Midianites, had oVerrun the
country and become the greatest
scourge which ever afflicted them.
They had to hide in caves and denS
and stronghods in the mountains.
They harvested and threShed their
grain with fear and trembling, and
hid il away from the Midianites. SO
great was their distress that they cried
unto the Lord again, and He had
mercy upon them and delivered them
out Of their distresses. He raised up
Gideon to be their leader, and under
him their deliverer. Gideon blew his
trumpet and sent out his messengers,
and Israel was gathered after him
81 900 strong.
1t was an army diScouraginSly small.
as it was only one-siXth as large as
that of the Midianites. And yet the
Lord said to Gideon, Your army is
too large. Set aside those who are
fearful" And loi out of 81, 900 there
We're but 10000 left, an army still more
discouragingly small. Again the Lord
said to Gideon, Your army is still too
large. Set aside those who take things
easy; those who get down leisurely
upon their hands and knees to drink
and take only those who, as they rush
along, throw water in their hands tC
their mouths somewhat as a dog laps
with his tongue"
And, 10, there We're but SEQ left. An
army Of $4,000 reduced TO 1907 And
arrayed against them were the INDIAN
ties, who LAY along in the valley like
graSShoppers for multitude" But the
Lord said to Gideon. by the 300 mer
will / save you" We will pass the
story of the dream and the part il
played, as it is familiar, and come tC
the point where we see Commander
Gideon arranging his little army of 30t
men. 1t was a night attack. He d.
vided them into three companies OF
100 men each, and placed them on diff
ferent sides of the enemy's camp that
they might appear to be a large army
He armed them with trumpets and
torches Their orders We're to watch
their commander and do as he did and
said.
Then we are told that they stood
every man in his place round about
the camp" The result was victory
great victory. Three hundred men
with the Lord as their leader gained
an easy victory over an enemy of some
pos 900.
1t was the Lords battle unquestion-
ably The battle of the right against
the wrong: the battle of the Lord s
people against the forces Of evil Is
always the Lords battle. But though
man may be of very little account in
winning such battles, God always uses
them. Men had a part in Gideon 5
battle and Gideon's victory. | think
the most important thing they had to
do and did is described in the text
And they stood every man in his
place round about the camp"
This Is the need of the church to-day
that every member of the church mill
tant should stand in his place round
about the camp Of the enemy. The
church is engaged in a great conflict
with the forces of evil. 1t is nc
sham fight. The enemy lie along the
valley like grasshoppers for multitude
i more and more appreciate the truth
and force of Pauls words when he
wrote to the Ephesians: For we
wrestle not against flesh and blood bun
against principalities. against powers
against the rulers of the darkness of this
world. against wicked spirits in heav-
emily places" o the mighty power Of
the fee, treacherous. persevering,
repeat that our greatest need, aside
from the need of Gods presence and
power, is that every soldier Of the
cross should be in his place round
about the camp.
For our instruction as to the place
we ought to occupy. let us notice a
little further the place Gideon's men
occupied as they stood every man in
his place around the camp.
Ii was the place Of duty. They had
rallied to Gideons help when the Spirit
of the Lord came upon him and he blew
his trumpet. They had enlisted know
ing something about the numbers and
the power OF the foe. Their place after
that was the place where their com
mander put them. the place where they
We're needed. This is the place fol
the Christian soldier to-day the place
of duty.
Where duty calls or danger,
Be never wanting there.
It was the place of obedience. They
were cbedient TO their orders-"Their.
not 70 reason why"
They certainly had some strange or
ders Each man was directed to TAX,
trumpet and a pitcher with a torcf
in lt--strange weapons for men whG
had been trained TO fight with heavy
armcr on and stout spears or swords ir
their hands. But they armed them
selves as they were directed. And thers
they stood every man in his place, hold
ing in one hand atrumpet ready to maxi
a great noise. and in the other con
cealed torch ready TO make great dis
play of fire when the orders should