The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-02-21
Calnna9e
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmage. d. D.

Los Angeles, Cal, Feb. 10. - TIL
preacher takes occasion, in view of tn
approaching celebration of Washing
toms birthday, to remind the nation O.
Its Indebtedness to God throughout it.
history, for the same care and protec
ton that he vouchsafed to his peopl,
at crisis Of their national affairs
The text is Joshua K, II, Sun, stand
thou still upon Gideon, and thou
MOON in the valley of Ajalon."
This week we celebrate once more
the national festival which appeals t.
the heart Of every patriot. There il
no date in our history that compares
with it In It's claims on our reverence
In honoring the birthday Of the Father
of His Country we contradict the re.
proach that republics are always nm
grateful. Never so long as this nation
lasts will the memory Of George Wash
| ingtons lose its luster. The greater and
the stronger and the more influential we
become among the peoples Of the earth
the more illustrious will be the posi-
ton we accord to the man whom God
raised up at the birth OF this nation
to win for us freedom and independ-
ence. Many great and good men have
arisen to serve us since his time-men
renowned In war, men sagacious in
craftsmanship, men Of patriotic fervor.
We thank God for them, but it is to
that man we turn with grateful rever-
ence who, in the darkness and disaster
Of our country's fortunes, held fast his
faith and kept his brave heart undis-
mayed.
It is with no desire Of belittling his
achievements that we trace his power
to accomplish them to higher source.
He never failed to acknowledge that it
was by the help of God that he won his
victories. If Washington had not had
unwayering faith in God his courage
and fortitude would have failed under
the trials he had to endure. There
were mighty forces contending on his
side that did for him more than his
poor, ragged soldiers could accomplish.
The heavenly cohorts were fighting on
his behalf, and In stirring up enemies
of the great power with which he was
contending reduced that enemy's ca
pacity to oppose him and enabled him
to overcome. 1t was the providence Of
God that gave him the victory, as long
centuries earlier 1t had enabled the gen.
eral who commanded the feeble forces
Of the Hebrews to overcome the giants
of the Canaanites. God does Interfere
In human affairs, as history proves
again and again. Washington found in
the hour Of his difficulty, as Joshua
found in his campaigns, that In the
Lord of Hosts was his supreme sup
port. zs4 ~ zrs ~... -"
choose today this story OF Joshua
as topic for our thoughts because 1t
with oriental imagery the
great lesson Of Washington's career
The materialist who would exclude
God from his universe is met here in
ancient and In modern history with
the sublime truth that the divine sym
pathy is on the side Of righteousness
and that God is able by his infinite
power to give the victory to the weak
who trust In him.
Mans InsfxniAcance.
One reason given for the noninter
ference OF God in human affairs is that
man IL an inflnitesimal Though man as
/ finite cannot drop a fathom line long
enough to sound the bottom Of Gods
ieep seas OF mysteries, that does not |
prove that these divine mysteries"
are not true. Because many Of the
eading scientific men OF England
doubted the practically Of George
invention, that did not I
make the iron traces within which was |
l8rnessed the locomotive any less |
Itrong. Because for years and years
Cyrus Fields attempts to marry the
Id world to the new with the wedding /
ing Of an Atlantic cable was the butt
ind ridfcuie OF thousands OF unbeliev- |
ng tongues, that did not make the pos
Iibility or sending message under
he seas any less an attainable fact.
Because we cannot explain to the sat
sfaction Of skeptics this miracle OF
he sun standing still. shall we aban-
lon our faith In Gods providence?
,hall we not rather remind them that
n our own national history his inter
erence on behalf Of the weak was dis
,layed no less conspicuously and no
ess effectively?
God has omnipotent power over the
orces Of this world the socialistic, the
and the angelic as well
g the astronomical-and time and
gain he has compelled them to bend
he knee for the aid Of men. In this
ermon am going to show you that.
hough man may seem to be insignif-
ant, vet be Ia not 50 in reality. Man
) 30 important In Gods eyes that God
, ready to do everything possible Ii
liz interest aud for his salvation He
as not shrunk from the sacrifice OF his
My begotten Son, who is vet to be
ONE King OF kings and Lord Of all.
Let us first see how God has exalted
mans throne above the stars. Let us
tudy from the astronomical telescope
ow man, Instead Of being mere non
escript, being unthought Of, an I'M
ecognkable. d forgotten pygmy In an
world. swinging out upon the
utsklrts Of the universe, Ii more I'M