The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-04-21

God. lie IL - that nshteth Tor you.
Any man is braver for the battle IL
he knows that God is his champion.
He may have been ready 10 show the
white flag. leave the field in defeat.
steal away IN disgrace. Then let him
lay vital hold OF the truth that God is
fighting for him. Instantly every In.
gredient OF cowardice will vanish from
his nature. Something akin 10 omni-
potence begins 10 play along the nerve
OF his arm. The souls battlesongs of
victory began 10 swell the rising har-
monies in his heart. Championed by
God. he knows that. though the worlds
may fan. he shall not meet with de-
feat. Camping along the path OF his
destiny is the Sleepless General. who
holds the stars in His hand, and the
interests OF His child I'm HIS heart.
What magnificent music for the ,oul
10 hear. as we 80 out 10 life's battle:
For the Lord your God, He il is that
tighteth for you"
Let us give the truth its proper set
ting in our lives. We hear So much
fmen fighting Gods battles. And we
rejoice that this is So But let not the
lesser truth obscure the greater-that
God is lighting our battles. And do
we not sometimes get so busy fighting
Gods battles that We forget that God
is hghting our battles. which is of
much more importance. IL may be
that God could get along without our
reinforcements. after all. But If Gods
troops fail To come up. n spiritual Wa.
terloo awaits us for certain. Let US
make room for ;his neglected truth in
our creed. Ii will make us better sol-
diers OF the cross. Ii is one Of III,
silent forces which builds the thou
sandfold man.
But some man says. How does God
fight for me? | want 10 know" God
is not in the habit of doing things a.
man does them. Therefore. il is safe
to conclude that God does not fight fol
us after the manner OF men. His
methods are not mans methods, and
His weapons are not carnal weapons
Briefly, here are q few battleiields
where God has fought for you: on
the Judean plains shepherds are
watching their flocks by night. Sud,
denly the heavens are musical with
choirs of singing angels. Then one
great golden star. as if driven out of
its course by the finger OF God ia
signal the shepherds. trembles above
the manger Coming 10 the spot. they
find the babe wrapped in swadline
clothes. That was the beginning of
Gods greatest battle for you-and the
battlefield was a mangeri But that
Babe increased in stature and wis
dom. He reached the highest type OF
manhood known 10 man or God. Great
as teacher, He was greater as n man.
Great as a man, He was greater as "A
God. for i'm Him the fullness OF God
head made its home. For the first
time, man was taught by Life how
TO live his own life. God fought for
you in the incarnation OF His Son.
God fought for you in the mysterious
agony of GethSemane. God fought for
you in the blood-red suffering OF Cal
vary. God fought for you In the dark
ness Of the tomb. God fought for you
on Mount Olivet. when Christ was
taken up, the glory of His ascending
body throwing shining splendor over
the track yours will go. In countless
ways, the Lord your God. He ii is that
fighteth for YOU! He fights for you
in the blessings He rains upon you
day 10y day. In your home in your
business, in your society, in every
privilege you enjoy, God fights for
you. Gods battlefelds are smokeless,
but they are victorious!
We discover the second reason for
the multiplied power OF the thousand
fold man in the last clause OF my text:
'As He spake unto you" II is Josh
ua's way of telling us that God always
keeps His engagements. "O," says
some one, "he is talking about Gods
promises nOw-and they are old"
Yes, let us admit the promises are
old. But in growing old they have
kept their youth. What sturdy young
sters they are! We can't afford to
rule them out on account OF age. Most
Of the best things in this world are
old. The sun is old. the stars are old,
the ocean is old. the mountain is old.
love is old. music is old. father is old.
mother is old, our dearest friends are
old. But we are not ashamed of them
on that account. So Gods promises
are old. But they have grown old so
gracefully that we ought to be proud
10 walk life's pathway. keeping step to
their mighty music. What would we
do without them? Certainly this world
would be n very lonely place, If the
old promises didn't now and then
steaI INTO our neafIS ana Husn tnelr
fears. \ mans spiritual eXchequer is
worth something when he knows it is
backed by promises rs changeless as
God Himself II will never leave thee
nor forsake thee" That promise alone
is enough TO make a man a spiritual
millionaire. But. remember there are
over $4,000 in Gods Word that sing
the same tune. The thousandfold man
makes much OF the old promises. be-
cause they have made much Of him.