The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-01-15
THE KEY OF SUCCESS
Or. Taimage Points Out Hope
For the Despalrlng.
Sod VIII Surely lie with the
Christian WOrkers-It Is Never
Too Late TO Begin TO
serve the Lord.

even seeming reverses may be trans
formed into triumphs. The text is
Joshua 1, 8, "As l was with Moses,
so / will be with thee
One Of the greatest novels ever writ
ten, so considered by many Of our best
critics, is Victor Hugo's masterpiece,
lies Miserables." Amid all the art gal.
lery Of that treasured book the most
wonderful description is the word
painting by which the denunclator Of
Napoleon the Little" pictures the
downfall OF Napoleon the Great" at
the battle field of Waterloo. When this
great master of literature topples over
the French colossus the earth trem-
bles and the dead centuries come forth
out Of their musty tombs and look on
IN perpetual wOnderment.
In that marvellous recital you can
hear the booming OF the artillery's
guns and the crack Of the infantry's
muskets and the groans Of the dying
and the cheers OF the charging cav
airy. and the tramp OF the British lines
forming themselves into the unbreaka-
bic squares against which the Old
Guard flung itself in vain. In
It you can see the flushed cheeks and
the flashing eyes Of a conquering host
and the pale, wan, haggard faces Of a
flying mob.
Yet after all in reading the thrilling
story l am impressed not so much by
what happened as what did not hap
pen. For many hours the eagle Of vic
tory seemed undecided upon which
standard TO slight. She fiuttered this
way and that, as though awaiting some
ones expected advent TO help her to
decide. Napoleon himself was waiting,
anxiously waiting, for the same helper.
Every little while he would take his
field glass and scan the surrounding
hills and valleys. Every little while he
would turn to his staff officers and say:
do you see him? Have you heard
any news from Grouchy? We must
have re-enforcements or we are lost"
In the meantime over the hills march
ed Marshal Blucher with his German
re-enfOrcements. That was the de-
cisiye event. Victory hesitated no
longer. She flew to the standard Of
Wellington and perched there. The
NapOleonic star set in gloom to rise no
more in this world. 1t was the lack Of
re-enforcements at a critical moment
which destroyed the French army. 1t
is the lack Of divine re-enfOrcements
which may destroy US in the battle Of
life.
The text tells US Of another general
who also needed re-enforcements. To
Joshua was committed the task Of con-
Quering a country held by warlike peo-
pie. To him at the supreme moment
comes the assurance Of the Lord Of
Hosts, 81 will be with thee" Now, my
friends, the same kind Of divine re-en-
forcenent which came to Joshua when
he took command Of the Israelitsh
forces may also be given to us. When |
God gave to him his commission he said. /
y
fight under my standard l will be with /
thee, as l was with thy predecessor"
That divine succor which God gave TO /
Joshua he gave TO our Christian IA |
thers; that divine help he will give to /
US II we will trust him and believe on
him and live for him. Therefore I
would inspire every Christian to
go forth and do what God
wants him TO do. l would inspire all
Christians to live and work with a
brave heart, because the results Of our
future conflicts are as sure as Gods
promises are sure.
First, God will be with the Christian
workers Of this present generation. We
fight under his glorious banner David
had proved 1t by experience when he
wrote, "Thou hast given a banner to
Them that fear thee. that II may be
displayed because Of the truth" Under
hat banner the church Of God has won
victories in all ages. Solomon saw it
,n its march and pronounced il terri
Die as an army with banners" He saw
{ later, triumphant over all evil, enter
ng like a bride into the home Of a
and her lord leading her
nto the banquet hall and placing over
Ter the banner Of love.
Now, a banner is not merely a piece
II a rag or a faring bit Of futtering
,unting or a dress parade endazzle-
nent. The banner Of God is flag or a
tandard. II is the symbol Of supernal
Whoever therefore strikes
L Gods banners strikes at the divine
ieart. When, some years ago, an
american citizen was arrested by the
spanish authorities In Cuba and SEN
encod 10 die, the American consul at
rst protested in vain. But on the day
ct for the execution the Cuban au-
hOrities dared not shoot because that
0nsul wrapped an American flag about
be condemned man, saying: "He is
n American citizen. Now shoot him
through the folds OF that flag II you Z
arew Today, in symbol, God wraps {
bout every Christian worker his ban I
er. II is the symbol Of protection. 1t I
the symbol of omnipotence. II is the ,
ymbol Of the atonement. 1t is the g
ymbOl Of divine forgiveness. II is the 4
ymbol Of q glorious and never ending Y
fe. \
We all can see the beautiful symbols :
4 the American flag. Is there none 3
Or US in the gospel banner? We say Z
here never was a national flag 30 I,
oetc as ours When George Wash :
igton and Robert Morris and Colonel n
.oss, the committee appointed by the A
scond Continental congress, visited n
etsy Ross in her Philadelphia home, c
isy accomplished a great work. That
ag symbolized thirteen different gov o.
-nments In one, and still that one gov n
-nment kept its thirteen distinct in ei
Iyidualities. The thirteen bars and r
"a shfrfoou efo re rnpracopfoI tho fbfr- I cf