Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-02-24

that Jesus had to be bern In Bethlehem
OF Judaea. How was mis- to be accom-
/ plished? After the whole civilized
world was brought under the domain
! or the Roman scepter God prompts
Caesar To order that a Jewish census
be taken. What was the result? In
I o-ccr TO obey that command. Joseph,
/ tie carpenter. who was married to
4 Mary. had to take trip to Bethlehem.
He was one OF the descendants Of
David. and ull his family had To be
counted IN the village where the royal
shepherd boy once lived Then through
Joseph. through Caesar. through a for
eign command. Jesus was born where
prophecy said Christ should he born.
IL is folly for you and l TO say, God
! might have fulfilled prophecy In n off.
ferent way Yes. be might. But
Gods way was II true way. And In
order TO accomplish that way Caesar
must conquer and isome must rule.
Can we not in the same way see the
finger OF God ia the discovery of Amer
lea. in the birth OF our constitution. In
the awful tragedy OF the civil war, in
the strange acquisitions OF Porto Rico
and OF the Sandwich and Philippine Is
lands! Can We not feel that the BOOM
ing guns at Port Arthur aud the sue
cess OF one political party over another
are the voice OF God heard In the same
words that Paul spake when he said
that God is working out his plans
through the movements OF the nations !?
Because with our nearsighted vision we
cannot see the end from the beginning
that does not lessen the workings OF
Gods movements for the salvation Of
nations.
Mans throne Is higher than the stars.
God has made him little lower than
the angels. Yes. But on account of
Jesus sacrifice for us God has sent his
angels TO REINFORCE Us in the awful
struggle against sin and temptation
and In the battle fer the worlds re-
demption. He has sent them, net here
one and there one. The chariots OF
God are twenty Thousand, even thou
sands OF angels. The Lord Is among
them as IN Sinai. as In the holy place.
These angels are everywhere. willing to
minister unto US and care for IN.
Re-snferced ~ AHrels.
Mighty angels for Our protectioni
Oh, my brother, In the struggle OF life
can you afford 30 be dowhhearted and
slothful? Have not said enough to
encourage you to do anything and sv-
erything In Gods namei When the
King OF Syria sent his horsemen and
chzrioteers to capture Elisha the
prophets servant was sore afraid.
Elisha was not. Why? He saw re-
endorsements the frightened eyes OF his
servants could not see. At last the
prophet cried to his servant: Look.
man; looki Look at the REINFORCE
ments God is sending to US to fight
against these men OF desh and blood. {"
Then the young man Iooked. This is
the account OF the Bible: And the
Lord opened the eyes OF the young
man, and he saw, and, behold, the
mountains were full OF horses and
ehariots OF FIRE round about Elisha"
They were the angelic hosts. Those
angels are about you today. They are
messengers sent from God for your
protection and triumph. Will you not
take courage? Before your reviewing
stand march the nations, while at
your left and right, before and behind.
stand your protecting angels. Astro-
nomical, atmospheric, socIalistic and
angelic forces are now ready to fight
for your eternal welfare.
Thus when l began the study of the
tragic events OF Joshua's life did not
think they were very unusual. IL Josh
ia by the strength of his own arm had
won the battles they would have been
wonderful, but the victories were not
won alone by the Jewish captain. They
were won by the Lord God Almighty.
who said TO the new leader: There
shall not any man be able TO stand be-
fore thee all the days of thy life; as /
was with Moses SO will be with thee.
/ will not fall thee nor forsake thee"
When l see the destruction OF the city
OF Al, know IL was not Joshua's work.
but Gods When hear the crashing
or the walls or Jericho, know IL was
not Joshua's act. but Gods. When I
read or the combination OF the five
kings against Joshua, / expect to ind
that he was overwhelmed, but when 1
read or his victory / know that the
God whom the sun and the stars obey
must have fought for him. In the his
tory OF our own nation has not God
fought for us? How otherwise would
the inexperienced general whose birth
we are about 10 celebrate have tri-
umphed over his naughty foe?
One or the crucial battles OF the east
was decided by the movements OF the
sun and moon. The Phoenicians were
sun worshipers. Their enemies wor-
SHIPPED the moon. When this battle
was Mt it's hercest the moon slowly
passed In front OF the sun. Darkness
came upon the earth. The Phoenicisns
thought their god had turned hls face
away from them. and they turned In
wild terror aud ned. Their Ignorance
and superstition lost them the battle.
We smile at their, creduisty. but we
need 20 beware lest We fsll into the op-
posite mistake. We are in danger OF
Forgetting the God who controls nat
ural phenomena aud who governs the
affairs Of men. Through his power
and his protection our nation has sur
vived and rourished- I.et US serve and
obey him who was with Washington
In his battles and has been with us
In every crisis or our history lest he
turn his face from us and we perish.
Copyright. 1905. by Louis Kiopsch.l