The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1900-05-04
FARMVILIE VA. FRIDAY. MAY A. 1900

not let them lose their edges. We wanv
no rusty blades in this fight. We want
no coulter that cannot rip up the glebe.
We want no goad that cannot start the
lazy team. Let us get the very best
grindstones we can find. though they be
in possession Of the Philistines, COM
pelling them to turn the crank while
we bear down with all our might on the
swift revolving wheel, until all our
energies and faculties shall be brought
up to a bright, keen, sharp, glittering
edge.
! learn from this subject what sad
thing il is when the church of God
loses its metal! These Philistines saw
that if they could only get all the
metallic weapons out of the hands Of
the lsraeites. all would be well, and
therefore they took the swords and
the spears. They did not want them
TO have n single metallic weapon.
When the metal Of the Israeltes was
gone. their strength was gone. This
is the trouble with the church OF God
to-day. 1t is surrendering its courage.
II has not enough metal. How seldom
it is that you see a man taking his po-
s,tion in pew or in pulpit or in a re-
ligious society and holding that posi-
ton against all oppression. and all
trial. and all persecution. and all criti-
cism. The church Of God to-day wants
more backbone. more defiance, more
consecrated bravery, more metal.
How often you see a man start out
in some good enterprise and at the
first blast Of opposition he has col
lapsed. and all his courage gone. for
getting the fact that II man be right
all the opposition of the earth pound
ing away at him cannot do him any
permanent damage. II is only when a
man is wrong that he can be damaged
Why. God is going to vindicate His
truth. and lie is going to stand by you,
my friends. in every effort you make
for Christ's cause and the salvation of
men.
Go forth in the service Of Christ and
do your whole duty. You have one
sphere. ] have another sphere. "The
Lord of Hosts is with us, and the God
of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.' We
want more Of the determination Of
Jonathan. ! do not suppose he was a
very wonderful man. but he got on his
knees and clambered up the rock. and
with the help of his armor bearer he
bewed down the Philistines, and a
man Of very ordinary intellect attain
ments on his knees can storm any
thing for God and for the truth. We
want something Of the determination
of the general who went into the war
and as he entered his first battle his
knees knocked together. his physical
courage not quite up to his moral
courage. and he looked down at his
knees and said: "Ah. if you knew
where I am going TO take you you
would shake worse than thatl"
There is only one question for you
to ask and for me to ask: What does
God want me to do? Where is the
field? Where is the work? Where is
the anvil9 Where is the prayer meet
ing2 Who're is the pulpit? And hnd-
Ing out what God wants us to do, 60
ahead and 90 It, all the energies Of our
body. mind and soul enlisted in the
undertaking. Oh, my brethren. we
have but little time in which to fight
for Cod You will be dead soon. Put
I'm the Christian cause every energy
that God gives you "What thy hand
fndeth to do do it with all thy might,
for there is neither wisdom nor device
in the grave" whittier we are all has
tening Opportunities Of usefulness
gone forever. souls that might have
been benefited three months ago never
again coming under our Christian in
fuence. Oh, is it not high time that
we awake out Of sleep?
Church of God. lift up your head at
the coming victory The Philistines
will 90 down. and the lsraelites will
30 up. We are on the whining side. l
think Just now the Kings horses are
being hooked up to the chariot, and
when He does ride down the sky there
will be such a hosanna among His
friends and such a wailing among His
enemies as will make the earth trem-
bic AMI the heavens sing. see now
the plumes Of the Lords cavalrymen
tossing in the air The archangel be-
fore the throne has already FURNISHED
his trumpet. and then he will put its
golden lips to his own. and he will
blow the long, loud blast that will
make ali the nations free. Clap your
hands. all ye peoplel Hark! ] hear
the falling thrones and the dashing
down of demolished iniquities. "lal-
leluiah. the Lord God omnipotent
reigncth, Halleluiah. the kingdoms
Of this world are become the kingdoms
of our Lord Jesus Christi"
SPEAR POINTS.