Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-04-01

Loru Oh nOStS was with the weaker
in the righteous cause. Take it in
our own revolutionary war and con-
slider the seemingly insurmountabl BILE
odds against which Washington's
small and poorly-equipped army con-
tended. IL ii were true that God was
with the largest armies and the heav-
lest artillery, how can the surrender
at Yorktown be explained? how can
the bravely-won independence be I'M
derstood? Wrong may sometimes tri-
umph for a season; the might of man
may seem to prevail and victory for
time perch upon its banner, but il
must not be forgotten that God is play
ing large game, and that His record
cannot be written in a decade, or a
generations or century. Ultimate
triumph is TO be His. Truth as il is
found in Him is to prevail. God says:
Il will be exalted in the earth" and
they who can say: THE Lord of Hosts
is with us; the God of Jacob is our
refuge" are fighting along the line
of sure victory.
HHE titles which are given to God
" in our text are specially fitting
and significant: THE Lord of Hosts"
and 1.-The God of Jacob" The hosts of
the Assyrians had come up against
Jerusalem, but the hosts of the Lord
were marshalled TO the aid of the be-
lesguered city. The honor, the pow
pugned by the goddess enemy, and the
covenant-keeping God could not for
sake His people; He must deliver them
for His own vindication and honor,
as well as because the need was des
perate and the cry of faith was-per-
sistent. The Lord of Hosts as the
militant God; the God of Jacob as the
covenantkeeping God. If the eye of
faith will look long and steadily to-
ward the hills from whence comes it's
help, vision will burst upon the soul
which will recall the sight which
cheered the faint-hearted servant Of
the prophet as he was enabled TO see
the innumerable hosts of God en-
camped between the threatening en-
cmy and the hunted prophet. The
LORD of Hosts. The Lord with the
countless multitudes of Heaven 10 car
ry out His commissions aud execute
Ills judgments. That was no idle
boast which Jesus made when the
Roman guard took Him prisoner in
the garden and He declared that lie
could ask of His Father and He would
send more than 10 legions of angels"
TO deliver Him. Xerxes is credited
with having an army Of over two
millions and half OF men when he
made his descent upon Greece, sup
posedly the largest army ever mus
tered by a single ruler. and yet this
immense army, which il is said took
seven days and nights TO cross the
bridge of boats built across the Hell
lespont, was hut handful of men in
comparison to the innumerable hosts
which God can marshal when need
requires. The arena of the upper air
is filled with the forces of Heaven as
they swiftly pass hither and thither
in performing the will Of Him who is
the Lord of all these hosts. What n
tremendous claim ii is to say that
"tbe Lord of Hosts is with u.s." What
invincible union! 1t was this conf
dence which brought Moses. the fugi-
tive Hebrew, back and made him bold
to go before the mighty Pharaoh and
demand deliverance for his cnslaVed
count rymen. 1T was this confidence
which kept Joshua circling the walls
of Jericho until they crumbled To the
ground. IT was this confidence which
nerved the arm of David and sent the
stone with unerring aim int o the fore
head of the Pbilistine giant. IT was
this confidence which enabled Paul to
fight the good fight of faith" TO meet
all the perils and hardships of his pio-
neer missionary work and give him
the right at the close Of his tremeu-
dOusly active life to claim that he
had been more than conqueror through
Him who had loved him and given
Himself for him. And it is this conf
dence which makes the servant of the
Lord brave and steadfast and victori-
Gus in the face OF every foe, and en-
ables him 10 surmount every difficult
~. The Lord Of Hostsl What titlei
The Lord Of Hosts in with u.s."
What claimi
ROI the Lord is more than a mill
y tant Lord leading His hosts to
victory. He is safe refuge into
which His children may withdraw
when the storm is sweeping down
upon them. and they may rest there
until the danger is past. And it is
the God of Jacob Who is our refuge
Why SO? Why not the God Of Abra-
ham, or the God of Isaac? We do
not need to go into the history Of
Jacob very far to discover the reason.
Who was it who had TO flee for his
life TO escape the anger OF wronged
brother and who found n resting
place at the gateway of Heaven,
where God met him and made His
covenant with him? Who was II who
sojourned in the land of his jealous