The Yale expositor., 1902-01-03


wilberforce did not tell what he was
going 10 do with the slave trade. but
how much he accomplished Is suggest
ed by Lord Brougham's remark con-
corning Wilberforce after his decoase.
"He went 20 heaven with 100000 brok-
en- letters In his hand" The only kind
OF boasting that prospers was that OF
Paul. who cried out. Il glory In the
cross OF Christi" and that OF John
Newton. who declared. II am not what
ought 10 be; am not what | wish
to be: / am not what | hope 10 be.
but, by the grace OF God, l am not
what was"
DO not boast OF your moral strength.
Better underrate than overrato our
selves.
My subject Is also reputation OF the
famous sentiment that God Is on the
side OF the heaviest artillery. God is
not on the side OF the most swords
or the most war chariots or the most
cannon II they be In the wrong. but
on the side OF the right. How such a
preposterous sentiment as | have men
toned should have gained sway
know not when all history proclaims
the opposite. How insignificant were
the unarmed Israelltes. half starved
and unorganized. compared with
Pharaoh's host on foot, on horseback
and charioted. But the waves CT the
Red sea took part in the conflict. part
ing 20 let the pursued pass. but COM
ing together 10 destroy the pursuers.
The Midianites and Amalekites were
like grasshoppers for multitudes. but
800 men under Gideon came down,
their ownly weapons pitchers and
lamps and trumpets. and as they held
up the lamps and threw down the
pitchers and blew the trumpets the
fash OF the lights and the blare OF the
instruments and the crash OF the
crockeTy made their enemy fall back
In Wild terror.
Notice also that my text takes Il for
granted that you must put on the har-
ness. Csc how can you take i on? Life
Is a battle-a thirty years, "A forty
years or n sixty years war. Every
possible effort will be made 10 make
you think wrong Tho young man
who gets his head filled with wrong
notions about God. about Christ. about
tho soul. about the great beyond. IS
already captured Think right. and
you will act right Keep the heart
pure. and the life will be pure. Have
the heart corrupt. and your actions
will be corrupt.
Young man. see that you have on a
complete armor. All looks bright now.
and II seems as II you could march
right on without opposition or attack,
but be not deceived. There are hidden
foes ready 20 halt you on your way.
The same cup that Benhadad drank
out OF Just before HIS defeat will be Of
fcred 60 effect your defeat. What work
Bcnhadads cup made for Benhahad's
army, What shipwrecks on the sea-
what disasters on the land, caused by
inAaming liquids put upon the tongue
20 set seething the brain' How many
kings OF thought and influence, with
crowns brightoTthan the one Bcnhadad
wore. have 10y strong drink been put
into fight as base as that In which
Benhadad rode, Give them 10 me, 20
SAYS the demon % inebriacy Give
them To me; hand them down-the
brightest Legislators OF the land. |
will thicken their tongue; ] will bloat
their checks: will staggor their step:
! will damn their soul. Hand them
down To me"
We hold our breath In horror as
once in awhile We hear OF someone.
either by accident or suicide. going over
Niagara Falls. but the tides. the
depths. the awful surges OF intemper-
ance. are every hour OF every day
rushing scores OF immortals down into
unfathomed abysm. Suicides by the
hundreds OF thousands Suicides by
the million. Beware OF the cup out of
which Benhadad drank personal and
national demolition.
Yes. you must have full armor.
There arc temptations 20 an impure
life all the time multiplying and In
tcnsifylng. Read in private and dis
cusscd afterward by the refined and
elegant in parlors are books poisoned
from lid to lid with impurities. Loose
characters I'm the novel applauded by
rhetorical pens and proprieties OF life
carlcaturod as prudcry and infdelity
OF behavior put in a way to excite sym
patty and half approval. My wonder
\ Is not that so many go astray. bu; my
wonder is that ten times as many are
not debauched. There are Influences
at work which. n unarrestcd. will turn
our cities into Sodoms and Gomorrahs
ready for the hail and fire and brim-
gtone OF Gods Indignation.
Yes. YOU must have full armor. foi
! ,berc are all the temptations 20 gam
ing practices. either In gambling halls
or in the money markets. buying wha
thov never paid FOR and selling wha
they can never deliver. first borrowing
7 what they cannot return and stealing
/ what they cannot borrow. Al hour
of the dag aad al hours OF the nigh
are vast sums Of money passing fraud
ulently. Tor gambling Ia all cases 4
fraud. whether a. be q twenty-five cen