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

leTy BenhatNd waits until afternoon
because he ia overconndent God is
rot on the side of the most swords or
.the most war charo!s Or the most can
non II they be In the wrong. but on
the side Of the right How such pre-
posterOus sentiment as have mention
ed should have gained sway l know
not when all history proclaims the op-
posite. Describing the very next bat
tie in which Benhadad fought and was
miserably defeated, the Bible says,
"1he children OF Israel pitched before
them like two little flocks Of kids, but
the Syrians filed the country How
insignificant were the unarmed Israel
ties, half starved and unorganlzed,
compared with Pharaoh's host on foot,
on horseback ami charlotcd! But the
waves Of the Red sea took part in the
conflict, parting to let the pursued
pasC but coming together to destroy
the pursacrs. Tho Midlan!ses and
Amalckites were Ike grasshoppors for
multltudes. but 900 men under Gideon
came down, their only weapons pitch
ors and lamps and trumpets. and as
they held up the lamps and threw
down the pitchers and blew the trum-
pets the fash OF the lights and the
blaro Of the instruments md the crash
Of the crockcrv made their enemy fall
back IN Wild terror.
Notice also that my text takes 1t for
granted that you must put on the har-
neas. else how can you take IT OFT?
Life Is n batile-a thirty years, n forty
years or Il sixty years war. Helmet
YOU must have for the battleaxes OF
skcp;lcism anl Gcnostlclsm are aimed
Mt your head. Every possible effort VIII
be made to make you think wrong
The younc man who gets his head
fllod with wrong notions about God,
about Christ. about the soul about the
great beyond. is already captured. Put
on The helmet. tie laicGet well adjusted
under the chin. Think right. and you
viii act r,-at. Yes. brcastplate for the
heart. That Is the most important part
to be dcfe2Gcd. That decides what you
love and what you late, what you hope
for and what you despise. That de
cldos earthly happiness and eternal des-
tiny.
BeVvnre of hidden Foes.
Young man. sec that you have on
complete armor. All looks bright now,
and It seems "a If you could march
right on without opposition or attack,
but ba not deceived. There are hidden
foes ready to halt you on your way.
The sano cup that Benhadad drank out
Of lust before bis defeat will ee offered
70 effect your defeat. His intoxicated
brain saw victory when there was
nothing but rout and ruin. What worn
Benhadads cup made for Benhadads
armyl What shipwreaks on the sea.
whnt disasters on the land, caused by
inAaming liquids put upon the tongue
to set seething the brain! How many
kings Of thought and influence, with
crowns brighter than the one Bonhadad
wore, have by strong drink been put
into fight as bose as that In which
Denhadad RODE! "Give them to me"
saws the demon of inebriacy. "Glve
them to me; hand them down the
brightest legislators Of the land. /
will thlcken their tongue; will bloat
their check; will stagger their step; /
will damn their soul. Hand them down
TO me-the physician out Of his labora-
tory. the attorney from the courtroom,
the minister OF the gospel from the al
tars Of God. Hand them down to me,
the queens Of the drawing room, and |
will disgrace their names and blast
their homes and throw them down far
ther than Jezebel fell to the dogs that
crunched her carcass"
We hold our breath in horror as once
in awhile we hear Of some one. either
by accident or suicide. going over Nj
agara falls. bat the tides. the depths
the awful surges Of intcrpcrance are
svery hour Of every Cay rushing sccrcs
Of inmortals down into unfathoned
abysm. Suicides by the hundreds OF
thousandsl Suicides by the n!ilioh.
Beware OF the cup out Of which Ben
hadad drank personal and national
demolition.
Yes, you must have full armor There
are temptations to an impure life all
the time multiplying and intensifying.
Read In private and discussed after
ward by the refined and elegant In
parlors are books poisoned from lid to
lid with impurities. Loose characters
in the novel applauded by rhetorical
pens and proprleties Of life carleatured
as prudery and inndelity Of behavior
put in a way TO excite sympathy and
half approval Ny wonder IL not that 50
many 90 astray. but my wonder Is that
ten times as many are not debnuched.
There are influences at work which, II
unarrcsted, will turn our cities into
Sodoms and Gomorrahs ready for the
hail and fire and birthstone Of Gods In
! dignatiOn.
Oh. yes. you need the harness on uS-
ill God tells You to take 1t off. In eld-
on time 1t was leathern armor or chain
1rugr OF ribbed armor, fashioned in
ancient foundry, but no one can giyo
you the outfit you need except God'
! who Is master Of this world and tho
Internal world, from which ascend the
mightiost hostllities. Lay hold Of God.
Nothing but the arm Of Omnipotenee Is
strong enough for the tempted
Strength In the Gospel Armor'
Young man, put on the entire gospel
outfit. If you have come from the
country to live in the city, initiate the
example of young man who arrived
in New York on Saturday night, In
tending the following Monday to enter
his place of employment On Sunday
morning. carrying out the good advice
before leaving his country home, ne
went to church. Standing at the door,
he was abashed az the beauty ana