Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-20

, tie rather than in the God OF the ark.
] and the Phiiistines feared the army OF
! the Israelites simply because inc famous
! ark was in their midst. Men often get
| TO trusting in the symbol or form OF IN
/. sgnia, or some rite of religion, or IN q
! spot or church. or shrine, instead OF the
( living God. and IN the spirit and inward
| grace OF religion. a church is not sacred
| in itself It's use is sacred. a rite or rel1s-
| ion, such as baptism and the observance
! OF the Lords supper or prayer Is not mag
| ical or efficacions in itself Ihey Simply
teach spiritual truths. God cares nothins
| for the performance of the rite when the
| heart and Will are wrong. so JehoFah
did not protect the ark when its followers
were unbeieving and unsodly in their
lives So the Phiistincs captured 1t and
carried II home in triumph But Coo can
get along without any outward form IN
religion. For twenty years the lSTaelltes
had no tabernacle worship. But 600 did
n"t allow the sacrilegious, unbeheVlng
and ungodly Phiiisunes TO profit ny the
possession of the holy symbol OF his pres
enre So they sent il out of their coasts
and il rested in q private house in kir-
iath- jea1im many years.
LAMENTATiON.
The opprcssions of the ungodly are
cruel The iron woke OF serfdom was gail
inr upon the shoulders of Gods chosen
people. all because those people were
unfajthfui to their invisible King and
Leader In Jehovah was Israers health.
help and hope. But Israel had forsaken
her Rock SO she now knew the evils and
rliseries of living without God in the
world. Jehovah had LETT his recaicltrailt
children naked to their enemies. But
nliserieS and diStreSses. and sense OF
divine desertion brought tears. and tears
brought lamentations. and so Israel began
I1l,- =, in "a
uses of adversely" Thank God for suf-
ferings and trials. and chastIsements,
that bring one back or closer TO Him
Israel was now like child sobDlns Tor
its mother The nation with one accord
now began to lament and cry out after
God. Sorrow was having its perfect work.
The nation was feeling the thrill of new
spiritual life. The seed Of truth ana 5od!l-
ness that Samuel the faithful prophet
had been sowing SO long was beginning
10 terminate The sun Of faith and right
eousneSs was again dawnins OF the lano.
The shirt of a great revival was stirring
in the peoples hearts
REPENTANCE.
But lamentation is not repentance.
reither are tears. nor sobs. nor cries. he
pentance is a change of will. and heart,
and opinion, III reference 70 God ard
things that displease Him. To become
truly religious we must be not only
ashamed sad. and sorrowful al our splr-
itual condition and sin, but we must be
truly repentant The time Of revival
began with a yeerning for Jehovah. The
best of signs is Z thirsting for Sod we
NAV go along for awhile. content with
base and beegarly elements, but we get
hungry for Him. Sins oppression deVel-
OPS recognized need Of Him. But cody
sorrow only leads TO repentance: 1t is
nor repentance ITSELF Israel was peni
tent when il said: I'VE have sinned
against Jehovah. pray for us.
REFORMATION.
The fruit of repentance is the change
of conduct-refor1nation OF life. Il asraet
really meant to turn to God. she must
give UP her false gods. No man can serve
two masters or Two gods. GOO is q jeal-
Gus God. The people We're so in earnest
that they took Samuei's advice and cut
deliberately loose from all false gods
Then there was a great smashing OF
idols IN the land. Then Z reformation
vas on in earnest. a reformation that
meant something, that proved something
The reality OF faith and repentance.
RESCUE.
The devil does not like to let his prizes
90. Men Of the world do not like TO tree
their slaves a demon coming out OF the
sou: OF man generally tears and Writhes
against that soul So the Phiiistines rose
. up in battle array 70 coerce israel 4i4to
submission. Those were the lsraelltes
afraid Worldlmess and luhe-war>nness
always cowes and intimidates us. \ man
who has been :ulled spiritually TO sleep
does not leaiize what he can 90 in The
might of the Spirit and Grace Of God.
God is the believers defender. lie tllun-
ders from heaven against His persecu-
tors and enemies. God saves-Israel broke
the yoke Of Phinstia that day and re-
NAMED a free and powerful people for
many centuries