The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1900-02-10
THE FIGHT ON SATAN
Dr.. Talmage Says We Have Lost
Many Of the Weapons.
A MRrnIng TO the Christian Church
To Protect Itself Against the As
sauIts of pnrighteousneAs
and InbelIef.


Washington, Feb.
In this discourse DR.. Talmage shows
how the cause of righteousness has lost
many of its weapons and how they are
10 be recaptured and put into effective
operation: text, |. Samuel xiii, 1921:
Nov there is no smith found through
out all the land of Israel, for the Philis-
tines said: Lest the Hebrews make
them swords Or spears. But all the
Israelites went down to the Philistines,
TO sharpen every man his share, and
his coulter, and his AK, and his mat
lock. Yet they had a file for the mat
took, and for the coulters, and for the
forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen
the goads."
What a CALLING su~biugation for the
Israelites! The Philistines had carried
OF all the blacksmiths and torn down
all the blacksmiths' shops and abol-
ished the blacksmiths'f trade in the land
of Israel. The Philistines 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 PhllisineS went
on until they had taken all the grind
stones from the land of Israel, so that
il an lsraelitish farmer wanted TO
sharpen his plow or his AK he had TO
20 over TO the garrison of the Philis-
tines 10 get it done. There was only
II sharpening instrument left in the
land, and that was a file, the farmers
and mechanics having nothing to whet
up the coulter, and the goad, and the
pickax, save a single file. Industry was
hindered and work practically dis
graced. The great idea Of these PILLS
tines was to keep the lsraelites I'M
armed. They might get iron out Of
the hills to make swords OF, but they
would not have any blacksmiths to
weld this iron. II they got the iron
welded, they would have no grindstones
on which 10 bring the instruments of
agriculture or the military weapons up
to an edge.
Oh. you poor. weaponless lsraelites,
reduced 10 a file, how pity you! But
these Ph!iistines were not forever to
keep their heel on the neck Of Gods
children. Jonathan, on his hands and
knees, climbs up a great rock, beyond
which were the Philisiines, and his ar
NOR bearer, on his hands aud knees,
climbs up the same rock, and these two
men. with their own swords. hew TO
pieces The Philistines, the Lord throw
ing u great terror upon them. So 1t
was then; so it is now. Two men Of
God on their knees mlghtier Than a
Phiiistine host on their feet!
/ learn, first. from this subject, that
it is dangerous for the church Of God
10 allow It's weapons to stay In the
hands Of lis enemies. These lsraelites
might again and again have obtained
n supply OF swords and weapons, as,
for instance. when they look the spells
Of the Ammonites. but these larnelites
seemed content 10 have M swords,
no spears, no blacksmiihs, no grind
stones, no active iron mines. until 1t
was o late for them 10 make any re-
sistance. | see the farmers Juggling
along with their pickaxeS and pillow,
and | say: Where are you going with
these things?" They say: "oh, We
are going to the garrison Of the Phil.
istines TO get these things s%harpened.'
! say: You foolish men, why don't
you sharpen them at home?" oh"
they say. the blacksmiths' shops ara
all torn down, and We have nothing
left US but a file"
So ii is in the church OF Jesus Christ
to-day. We are too willing TO give up
Our weapons TO the enemy. The world
boasts that 1t has gobbled up the
schools and colleges and the arts and
the sciences and the literature and the
priRting press. lnidelity is making 4
mighty attempt to get all our weapons
in its hand, and then to keep them.
you know ii is making this boast all
the time, and after awhile, when the
great battle between sin and righteous
ness has opened, IL We do not look out
we will be MS badly off as these Israel
ties. without any sharpening instru-
ments. ! call upon the spperintend.
epts Of literary institutions to see to
il that the men who 60 into The class
rooms 10 stand beside the Leyden Jars
and the electric batteries and the mi.
croscopes and telescopes be children Of
God, not Phiistines.
The Tyndallean thinkers Of our times
are trying to get all the intellectual
weapons in their own grasp. We want
scleniiie Christians 10 capture the Sci
enee. and scholastic Christians 10 cap
ture the scholarship, and philosophic
Christians TO capture the philosophy,
aud lecturing Christians 10 iaks
back the l~eeturiDg platform. We
want 10 send out against Schen-
kel and Strauss and Rensn a
Theodore Christlieb Of Bonn and
sgatnst the infdel scientists of to-day
u God.gOFshiping Silliman and Hitch
cock aud AgHSsiz. We want TO cap.
tnre all the philosophers apparatus and
swing around the telescopes on the
swivel until through them We can see
the morning star Of the Redeemer and
with neurological hammer discover
Inc Rock of Ages and amid the fora
OF all realms find the Rose Of Sharon
and the Lily Of the Valley, We want
some one able to eNpound the first
chapter OF Genesis. bring 10 II the ge-
Ology aud the astronomy Of the world
pntil. as COB suggested, "the stones OF
tie fields shall be in league" with the
truth, and the stars in their course
shall fight against Sisera. oh, church
OF God, 20 ont and recspiure these
weapons.
Let men Of God go out and take pos.
session Of the platform. Let any print.
ing presses that have been captured
10y Ihe enemy be recaptured for Coo
and the reporters, and the typesetters
and the editors, and tbe publishers
wear allegiance 10 the Lord God OF
truth. All, my friend, that day mas
come, and If the great body Of Chris
tan men have not the faith, or III,
courage, or the conservation TO do 1t
thea let some jonathan On his busy
hands and on bis praying knees clint
up on the rock VI Hipdranee and il
the name Of the Lord God Of Israel slast
TO pieces these literary Philiftinest Il
these men will not be converted TO God
then they must be overthrow.
Again, ] learn from the subject wha'
= large amount Of the church's re
tourceE is actually hidden and buried
and undeveloped. The Bible intimate
that that was a very rich land, thiI
land Of Israel, II says THE stone
are iron, and out Of the hills thou thalI
dig brass" and yet hundreds and thou
sands Of dollars worth OF this meta
was Kept under the bills. Well, this Il
the difficulty with the church Of Goo
at this day. It's talent Is not Developed
IL one-half of its energy could b,