St. Tammany farmer., 1903-05-02

tion of the largest army and best
equipment. but was always an issue
between right and wrong; the deliv-
erance of man in answer to faith, and
the glory of God in fultillment of His
promises. Trace through the pages
of profane history and it is no hard
task to find again and again the tri-
umph of the right in the face of the
greatest odds; the victory of the
weaker over the strong because the
Lord of Hosts was with the weaker
in the righteous cause. Take it in
our own revolutionary war and con-
slider the seemingly insurmountable
odds against which Washington's
small and poorly-equipped army con-
tended. If it 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 un-
derstood? Wrong may sometimes tri-
umph for season; the might OF man
NAV seem to prevail and victory for
time perch upon its banner, but II
must not be forgotten that God is play
ing large game, and that His record
cannot be written in a decade, or
generation, or century. ultimate
triumph is to be His. Truth as it is
found in Him is to prevail. God says:
81 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.
GHE titles which are given to God
" in our text are specially fitting
and significant: "The Lord of Hosts, -
and s'the God of Jacob" The hosts OF
the Assyrians had come up against
Jerusalem, but the hosts OF the Loro
were marshalled to the aid OF the be-
leaguered city. The honor, the pow
er. the faithfulness of God were I'M
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 we'll as because the need was des-
nerate and the cry of faith was per-
sistent. The Lord OF Hosts as the
militant God; the God of Jacob as the
covenant-keeping God. IT the eye OF
faith will look long and steadily to-
ward the hills from whence comes Its
help. a 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-
canned between the threatening en-
emv and the hunted prophet. Inc
Lord of Hosts. The Lord with the
countless multitudes of Heaven to car
ry out His commissions and execute
His judgments. That was no ldle
boast which Jesus made when the
Roman guard took Him prisoner IN
the garden and He declared that he
could ask of His Father and He would
send "more than 12 legions of angels
to deliver Him. Xerxes is credited
with having an army OF over two
millions and a 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 it is sald took
seven days and nights to cross the
bridge of boats built across the Hell
lespont, was but a handful OF men IN
comparison to the innumerabie hosts
which God can marshal when need
REQUIRES. The arena of the upper ali
is filled with the forces of Heaven as
they swiftly pass hither and thlthe1
| in performing the will of Him who is
the Lord of all these hosts. What a
tremendous claim it is to say that
"the Lord of Hosts is with us!" What
inyincible union! 1t was this conf
dence which brought Moses, the fugi'
tive Hebrew, back and made him bold
to 90 before the mighty Pharaoh and
demand deliyerance for his enslaved
! countrymen. 1t was this confidence
which kept Joshua circling the walls
of Jericho until they crumbled to this
ground. It was this confidence Whlcf
nerved the arm of David and sent the
stone with unerring aim into the fore
head of the Philistine giant. 1t was
this confidence which enabled Paul te
eight 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 tremen
dously active life to claim that ne
| had been more than conqueror through
Him who had loved him and giver
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 to surmount every Difficult
| ty. The Lord of Hosts! What title!
''The Lord of Hosts is with us!'
| What a claim!
91UT the Lord is more than mill
- tant Lord leading His hosts tt
victory. He is safe refuge int
which His children may withdraw
when the storm is sweeping dow1
upon them, and they may rest there
until the danger is past. And it il
the God of Jacob Who is our refuge
Why so? Why not the God of Abra
ham, or the God of Isaac? We dt
not need to go into the history O.
Jacob very far to discover the reason
Who was it who had to fee for hi
life to escape the anger of wronget
brother and who found resting
place at the gateway of Heaven