Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1902-01-02
In New York on Saturday night. In
tending the following Monday to enter

tending the following Monday TO enter
his place OF employment On Sunday
morning, carrying out the good ad-
vice before leaving his country homo,
he went to church. Standing at the
fashion and wealth swept through the
doors OF the sanctuary, and he dared
not go In. AS he was about turning TO
go away gentleman said. Have you
seat. young man." mo. SIR" do
you belong 10 the city," mo, SIR"
Where is your homer" I'm the coun-
try" How long have you been in the
city," II came in last night" What
are you going to do here?" IL hope to
go into business tomorrow" That is
right. You have begun well, young
man. Never forsake the God OF your
fathers. Come, | will give you a seat
in my pew" The next morning the
young man presented his letter in bus
mess circles. What do you want,
young MANI" said the Scotch mer-
chant. 81 want to get credit on some
leather. upper and sole" Have you
references" Il think can get refer
ences. My father has friends here"
Young man, did ] not see you yester-
day in Mr.. Lenox's pew" II do not
know, sir. l was at church, and a kind
gentleman asked me to sit in his pew"
Yes, young man, that was Robert
Lenox. | will trust anyone that Mr..
Lenox invites into his pew You need
not trouble yourself about references.
When these goods are gone, come and
get more" That young man became
an eminent merchant and, more than
that. Christian merchant, and he at
tributed all his success to that first
Sabbath In the city. Young man just
arrived, put yourself under good infiu-
ences your first day in town. There
hangs your helmet. Take it down.
There is your breastplate. Adjust IT.
There is all the harness for safety and
triumph. Put 1t on.
Also see In my subject the folly OF
Understanding the enemy. That was
Benhadad's fatal mistake. He want
ed less than half day to capture Sa-
maria and make the king OF Israel
so easy turned out to be the impossible.
Better overestimate than underesti-
mate the other side. We who are try
Ing to make the world what Il ought
to be contend not with homunculi.
We wrestle not with striplings. We
have whole army of antagonists try
ing to halt the King OF God and over
throw the cause of righteousness. II
we secure the victory, ii will be
struggle as fierce as when the Greeks
and Persians met at Marathon, as
when Darius and Alexander grappled
each other at Arbela, as when Joan OF
Arc rode triumphant at Orleans, as
when the Russians met the Swedes 81
Poltava, as when Marlborough COM
manded the allied armies at Blenheim.
Those were fights for earthly crowns
and dominions, but the fight that now
goes on between all the allied armies
OF hell Is to settle whether God or Sa-
tan is to have possession OF this planet
/ congratulate all those who are now
in the thickest OF lifes battle that the
time Is coming when the struggle will
end and you will put the harness off,
helmet and greaves and breastplate
having fulfilled their mission. You
cannot in one visit to London Tower
see all. You must go again and again
You will see the crowns of kings and
queens, the robe worn by the Black
Prince, and silver baptismal fonts from
which royal infants were christened,
and the block on which Lord Lovat
was beheaded. But no part of Lon
don Tower will more interest you than
the armory, in which is skillfully and
impressively arranged a collection OF
all styles OF armor worn between the
thirteenth and eighteenth centuries,
suggesting 500 years of confict-cui-
rass 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 warriors
were defended against sharp weapons
that would Gu. or thrust or brulse and
allowing them to come out OF battle
unhurt when otherwise they would
have been slain.
o we soldiers OF Jesus Christ, when
the war OF life is over and the victors
rest in the soldiers home on the heav-
emily heights. perhaps there may be In
the city OF the sun tower of spiritual
armor such as 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 de-
Tense with which they became more
than conquerors. In that tower OF
heaven, as the weapons OF the spiritual
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.