Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-02-05


copyright. Louis Klopsch. 1eOo.l
WASHINGTON Feb. AIN this dis.
course DR.. Talmage shows how the
cause Of Righteousness has lost many
of its weapons and how they are to
be recaptured and put into effective
operation; text, Samuel Kill, 1921:
snow there was no smith found
throughout all the land of Israel, for
the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews
make them swords or spears. But all
the Israelites went down to the Philis-
tines, to sharpen every man his share,
and his coulter, aud his Ak, and his
mattock. Yet they had file for the
mattock, and for the coulters, and for
the forks, and for the axes, and to
sharpen the goads."
What CALLING subjugation for the
1sraelites! The Philistines had carried
OF all the blacksmiths and torn down
all the blacksmiths' shops and abolish
ed the blacksmiths' trade In the land
of Israel. The Philistlnes would not
even allow these parties to work their
valuable mines of brass and iron, nor
might they make any swords or spears.
There were only two swords left in all
the land. Yea, these Philistlnes went
on until they had taken all the grind
stones from the land of Israel so that
n an Israelitish farmer wanted to
sharpen his plow or his ak he had to go
over to the garrison of the Philistines
to get 1t done. There was only one
sharpening instrument left In the land,
and that was n file, the farmers and
mechanics having nothing to whet t.p
the coulter and the goad and the pick
AK save n simple tile. Industry was
hindered and work practically dis.
graced. The great idea of these Philis-
tines was to keep the Israelltes disarm.
ed. They might get iron out of the
hills TO make swords Of, but they
would not have any blacksmiths to
weld this iron. If they got the iron
welded, they would have no grind
stones on which to bring the instru-
ments. Of agriculture or the military
weapons up to an edge.
oh. you poor. weaponless Israelites,
reduced to file, how pity you. But
these Philistines were not forever to
keep their heel on the neck of Gods
children. Jonathan. on his hands and
knees. climbs up n great rock. beyond
which were the Phillstines. and his
armor bearer, on his hands and knees,
climbs up the same rock, and these
two men. with their two swords, hew
throwing a great terror upon them. So
It was them SO 1t is now. Two men of
God on their knees mightier than n
Philistine host on their feet!
Dangerous For the Church.
l learn. first. from this subject that
1t is dangerous for the church of God
TO allow Its weapons to stay in the
hands Of its enemies. These Israelites
might again and again have obtained
supply of swords and weapons-as,
for instance. when they took the spoils
of the Ammonites-but these Israelites
seemed content to have no swords, no
spears, no blacksmiths, no grindstones,
no active iron mines, until 1t was too
late for them to make any resistance.
see the farmers tugglng along with
their pckaxes and plow, and / say,
where are you going with those
things" They say, "Oh, we are going
over to the garrison of the Philistines
to get these things sharpenedw say:
"You foolish men! Why don't you
sharpen them at home" "Oh," they
say, ''the blacksmiths' shops are all
torn down, and we have nothing left
us but file"
So 1t Is In the church of Jesus Christ
today. We are too willing to give up
our weapons to the enemy. The world
boasts that 1t has gobbled up the
schools, and the colleges, and the arts,
and the sciences. and the literature,
making mighty attempt to get all our
weapons IN its hand and then to keep
them. You know It Is making this
boast all the time, and after awhile.
when the great battle between sin and
,hteousness has opened, If we do not
oil out we Will be as badly Off as
.iese tsraelites. without any swords to
nght with and without any sharpening
Instruments. cali upon the superln-
rendents OF literary institutions TO see
10 II that the men who so into the
NsAsoAopuiS W sNuih tuc
Jars, aud the electric batteries, and tho
microscopes and telescopes, be chill
drrn Of God. Lot Phllstlnes.
The Tyndailean thiniicrs of our times
are trying to get all the intellectual
weapons IN their own grasp. We want
scientific Christians 10 capture the sci
ence and scholastic Christians 10 cap.
ture the scholarship, and ph.losophlc
Christians TO capture the philosophy,
and lecturIng Christians 10 take back
the lecturiag platform. We want to
send cut aga.ns; Schenkel and Strauss
and Renan n Theodore Christleb OF
Bonn and against the infidel scientists
Of the day God worshiping Silliman
and Hitchcock and Agassiz. We want
TO capture all the philosophical appa.
ratus and swing around the telescopes
On the swivel until through them We
can see the morning star OF the Re
deemer. and with mineralogical ham
mer discover the Rock of Ages, and
amid the dora OF all realms nnd the
Rose of Sharon anG the Lily OF the Val
ley. We want some one able to ex
pound the first chapter OF Genesis
bring to 1t the geology and the astron
omy OF the world. until, as Job sug
gested. "the stones of the field shall b,
In league" with the truth and the stars