The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-12

is a battle with the gigantic forces A~ of sin, but that he who seeks divine help Is assured of victory, is the lesson of this sermon. The text is Numbers 13, 2xxiii, And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants"
 The most dangerous and yet one of the most important duties assigned to a. soldier in time of war is that of a spy. No soldier but the bravest and the most intelligent is ever selected by a commanding general for this danger ous mission. After the retreat from Long Island, George Washington need ed information in reference to the num- bers and the geographical position of the enemy. So he selected the brilliant Nathan Hale to penetrate the British lines and scan the Qualifications of Sir William Howe. We all know the trag- ic end of that journey. Nathan Hale died uttering the words, 'I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country" But in that sacrifice of that one life he bequeathed to the Ameri- can people the legacy of an example of heroism and faithfulness which is a perpetual inspiration for every gen -ration since his day and which will
 perpetual inspiration to all un-
 aricans to the end of time.
 traitor Benedict Arnold was
 " his trust and surrender to the hands of the enemy, Sir linton. the British comman- der, Ina, send a spy into the Gibraltar of Amerc.. Notifications. So he se- lected the Nathan Hale of his army Major Andre. This officer was without doubt one of the most promising voting soldiers of King Georges army. He en- tered the American lines. He met the renegade Arnold. As a spy he was cap- tured at Tarrytown and hanged by the neck until he was dead, as was the brilliant young American soldier Nathan Hale l am using these two noted histori- cal illustrations to show the risk that spy runs in order that his general may learn the position and the strength of the enemy. l am also using them to prove that the ablest and the bray est and the best soldiers of an army are ever detailed by the commanding officers to perform the duty of spy. A spy once caught in the enemy's lines is always executed as soon as court martial can be summoned.
 Spies for Moses.
 Moses may not have been an orator like Aaron, but he had the eloquence of action He was one of the wisest lead CTS of men who eyer lived. With mar vicious executive skill he led the chl- dren of Israel out from the Egyptian enslavement. He led them through the Red sea. Now, he was face to face with his intrenched foes. The prom ised land was before him, Moses was like Hannibal about to invade the Ro- man empire. He was like XerXes with his million followers about to cross the Hellespont or the strait of Dardanelles. He was like Julius Caesar invading the land of the Gauls. Moses knew not what was ahead. Therefore as a wise general and leader of men he selected his spies and sent them forward to find out what kind of people lived in Canaan. He wanted to find out what were the Notifications of his enemies, what was their military discipline and the easiest way for the 1sraelites to at tack them. He did just what General James Wolfe did when about to attack Quebec. He sent forward his spies to learn the way up the heights Of Abraham. Then when the British com mander knew the way he commanded the troops to advance to4 the onslaught.
 Now. what did the children of Israel hear about their foes when these spies came back with their reports? Why said most of these spies, we can nev- CT capture those lands. The inhabit- ants are a race of giants. A little five year-old child has just as much show of whipping his father as We have of staying these men. Those giants are also ntrenched in impregnable fortresses. Each city is a huge walled town Then these men are not only giants but their numbers are as multitudinous as the sands of the sea. There are many nations there and all working together. Oh, why did we come? Oh, why did we leave our homes in Egypt? Thus did most of the spies report who went into the promised land. Yet forty years afterwards the sons of these men overcome the giants and their strongholds, as they had put faith .sp- God So some timld disciples of | "a. in our day shrink from attack
 neosorces of sin in their own weak ass Instead of the omnipotence of God who will fight for them, Our fault IS that of these ancient Hebrews. Instead If going boldly to the fight we hold back