Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-01-04


kind gentleman asked me to sit In his
pew" ayes. young man, that was
Robert Lenox. | will trust any one
that Mr.. Lenox invites into his pew.
You need not trouble yourself about
references. When these goods are
gone, como and get more" That young
man became an eminent merchant and,
more than that, a Christian merchant,
and he attributed all his success 10
that first Sabbath in the city. Young
man Just arrived. put yourself under
good influences your 1rst day In town.
There hangs your helmet. Take 1t
down. There is your breastpate. Adj
tust 1t. There is all the harness for
safety and triumph. Put it on.
Also see in my subject the folly OF
Understanding the enemy. That was
Benhadad's fatal mistake He could
whip them before sundown. He want
cd less than half day to capture Sa-
maria and make the king Of Israel ca
pitulate. But what he thoHght WAS so
cnsy turned out to be the Impossible.
Better overestimate than underestl-
mato the other side. We who are try
ing TO make the world what 1t ought
70 be contend not with homuncuh. We
wrestle not with strlpltngs. We have
whole army Of anita gonists trying to
halt the King Of God and overthrow
the cause OF righteousness. If we Sc
cure tho victory. It will be struggle
"a fierce as when Darius and Alexan-
der grnppled each other at Aroeia' as
when Joan Of Are rode triumphant at
Orleans. as when the Russians met the
Swedes at POltava, as when MarlbOr
ough commanded the allied armies at
Blenheim. Those were fights for earth
ly crowns and dominions, but the hght
that now goes on between all the allied
armies Of heaven and all the allied ar
mics Of hell Is to settle whether God
or Satan is to have possession OF this
planet.
Put OF the Harness.
I congratulate all these who are now
Ia the thckcst Of life's battles that the
time Is coming when the struggle VIII
end and you will put the harness off.
helmet and grcnvcs and breastplate
having fulfilled their mission. You
cannot in one Visit to London Tower
soc all. You must 20 again md again
10 that place which Is associated with
the story Of Lady Jane Grey and Anne
Bolevn and walter Raleigh and Sir
Thomas More. You VIII see the crowns
OF kings and queens. the robe worn by
the Black Prince. al silver baptismal
fonts fr.m which royal infants were
christencl. aud the block on which Lord
Lovat WAS Lehcaded. But no part Of
London Tower will more interest you
than the rrmory. In which Is skillfully
and imprcssively arranged a collection
Of all styles Of armor worn between
the thirteenth and eighteenth centu-
rios. suggesting 500 years Of conflict
cuiEass. and neck guard and chin piece
and lance rest and gauntlet and girdle
and mailed apron. You see just how
from head to heel those old time war
.riors were defended against sharp
weapons.
o ye- soldiers OF Jesus Christ when
the war of life is over and the vlctors
rest in the soldiers home on the heav-
enly heights perhaps there may be In
the city OF the sun a tower Of spiritual
arnlor such rs incased the warriors for
Christ in earthly combat! Some day
we may be in that armory and hear
the heroes talk of how they fought the
good FIGHT Of faith and see them with
the scars of wounds forever healed
and look at the weapons Of Offense
and defense with which they became
more than conquerors In that tower
of heaven as the weapons Of the spir-
itual conflict are examined St Paul
may point out to us the armor with
which he advised the Ephesians to
equip themselves and say: THAT Is the
shield OF faith. That is the helmet Of
salvation. That is the girdle Of truth.
That is the brcastplate Of righteous
ness. Those are the mailed shoes In
which they were shod with the prep
aration of the gospel" There and
then you may recount the contrast be-
tween the day when you enlisted In
Christian conflict and the day when
you closed it in earthly farewell and
heavenly salmation. and the text,
which has so much meaning for US
now. will have more meaning for US
then-"Let not him that girdeth on his
harness boast himself as be that put
teth 1t off"
[copyrlcht. 1901. Louis Klopsch, n "
IA