Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-02-24
Calmase
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmage. d. ID.

Los Angeles, Cal, Feb. 10. - The
preacher takes occasion. in view of the
approaching celebration of Washing
tons birthday, to remind the nation OF
its Indebtedness to God throughout its
history for the same care and protec-
ton that he vouchsafed to his people
at crisis OF their national affairs.
The text is Joshua X, II, Sun. stand
thou stifl upon Gideon, and thou.
moon, in the valley OF Ajalon."
This week we celebrate once more
the national festival which appeals 10
the heart Of every patriot. There is
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 I'M
grateful. Never so long as this nation
lasts will the memory OF George Wash
ington lose its luster. The greater and
the stronger and the more influential we
become among the peoples of the earth
the more iliustrious will be the posi-
ton we accord to the man whom God
raised up at the birth of this nation
10 win for us freedom and independ-
enee. Many great and good men have
arisen to serve us since his time-men
renowned I'm war, men sagacious I'm
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 ceuntry'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 a higher source.
He never failed to acknowledge that il
was by the help OF God that he won his
victories. II Washington had not had
unwavering faith I'm. 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 IL had enabled the gen.
eral who commanded the feeble forces
of the Hebrews 20 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 OK Hosts was his supreme sup
port
] choose today this story OF Joshua
as n topic for our thoughts because 1t
emphasizes 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 Insignin<ance.
One reason given for the noninter-
ference OF God in human affairs is that
man is an inhnitesimal. Though man as
finite cannot drop n fathom line long
enough TO sound the bottom OF Gods
deep seas OF mysteries. that does not
prove that these divine mysteries"
are not true. Because many OF the
leading scientific men OF England
doubted the Practically OF George
Stephenson's Invention. that did not
make the iron traces within which was
harnessed the locomotive any less
strong. Because for years and years
Cyrus Fields attempts to marry the
old world to the new with the wedding
ring OF an Atlantic cable was the butt
and ridicule OF thousands or unbeliev-
ing tongues, that did not make the pos
sibility OF sending a message under
the seas any less an attainable fact.
Because we cannot explain to the sat
isfaction OF skeptics this miracle OF
the sun standing still. shall we aban-
don our faith in Gods providence?
Shall we not rather remind them that
In our own national history his inter
ference on behalf OF the weak was dis
played no less conspicuously and no
less effectively?
God has omnipotent power over the
forces OF this world-the sociallstic. the
atmospheric and the angelic as well
as the astronomical--and time and
again he has compelled them to bend
the knee for the aid OF men. In this
sermon am going to show you that,
though man may seem To be insignifi-
can't, yet he Is not so in reality. Man
Is so Important in Gods eyes that God
Is ready TO do everything possible In
his interest and for his salvation. He
has not shrunk from the sacrifice OF his
only begotten Son, who is yet to be-
come King or kings and Lord of all.
az m frct h1xx =
mans throne above the stars. Let us
study from the astronomical telescope
how man, instead of being mere non
descript, being unthought of, an un-
recognizable, forgotten pygmy in an
unknown world, swinging out upon the
outskirts of the universe, is more I'm
portant than all material worlds and
more important than any other creature
living this side OF the New Jerusalem.
Let us enter the throne room of the
heavens and see how in the past, for
mans good, the stars have wheeled into
line and obeyed Gods behests, even as a
torchlight procession might march past
the reviewing stand OF king or pres.
1dent.
Man mere nondescript on the out
enAA - VI TIC uulNcTSc! IL ne Is, how
can you account for the order of the
creation? AS bridegroom prepares q
home for his bride God prepared this
world for the habitation OF man. He
made the sun and the moon, the one to
light the day and the other to guard
the night. He spake. and the dry land
appeared. He swung out into the heav-
ems the myriads of stars. He upholster-
ed the sky with curtains of blue. He
carpeted the fields with grass. He
made the hillsides great woodland tenn
pies Then God made the songsters to
sing. After God had created the heav-
ems and the earth and all that in them
Is he said: LET us make now our mas
terpiece. Let us make man after our
own image" so God created man i'm
his own image" He crowned him with
honor and glory and made him TO have
dominion over the works of his hands