THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S 1073 sentim ental; to be loyal ra th er th an traito rs. We can shed real tears over th eir sinful doings, bu t we will also'seek to te a r away the mask behind which they hide and le t the ligh t of God’s Word illumine the devilish sophistry of th eir teaching. Those of us who love the Lord and H is unimpeachable Word ought to be willing to call a spade a spade and make no compromise w ith sentimentalism of any kind. T. C. H. THE VOICE OF VICTORY “ This is the victory th a t overeometh th e world, even our fa ith .’’ I Jno. 5:4. There is th e voice of the v ic to r’s shout in th is verse. V ictory is m anhood’s crown. God in the beginning gave man the.scepter, b u t he lost it through unbelief and Satan holds it, though man may regain it by fa ith in the. atoning .blood of Jesus Christ Who overcame S atan in the w ilderness tem ptation. F a ith knows no defeat. There is something exhilarating in th e word “ v icto ry .” The victor is the one-who gets th e b e tte r of his adversary. We all have an innate love of conquest, and love to place th e crown of laurel leaf upon the brow of him who has honorably won it. We adm ire deeds of daring. Stories of conquest are always the most popular, which is one of the reasons why the Bible stories have such a hold upon the minds and h earts of the young and old. N ote the order in which victory comes. F irst there is belief in the accomplishment of an undertaking. N ext comes the conflict itself, the b attle w ith th e adversary. I t may be a b a ttle w ith adverse circumstances, w ith poverty, w ith physical disabilities, w ith competitions in business life or enemies of any character. Then comes the accom plishment of our desire. This is th e divine order also for spiritual success. F irst, belief in God. Belief in G od’s Word, in God’s love, in God’s purposes, in God’s power. Then the conflict, the fight of faith , the struggle against contending forces, sometimes th e long weary w ar w ith the odds all against us,—w ith testings, w ith false friends, w ith foes w ithin and w ithout. God tests all o f H is people. He perm its the tria l of faith . He allows th e impend ing fam ine to come. He perm its us to face th e w aters of a Bed Sea. He lets the enemy bulk as- big as Goliath. There are lio n ’s dens and fiery furnaces. There are pestilence and plagues, poverty and persecution. There are demons and diseases. There are hosts of hell, powers and principalities, wicked spirits in th e heavenlies. The Pharisees and Sadducees outnumber us. The prison door swings open and th e odor of th e damp eell greets us. There is th e laugh of S atan and th e h ate of demons, b u t the eye of the w arrior is upon his Captain. I t is a good fight, is the fight of faith . Conflict is the heritage of th e saint from the hour of conversion to the hour of dissolution. We fight a w inning fight, we are sure of success. Against us are unnumbered foes—nature, tendencies, environment, th e world, th e flesh and th e devil—b u t He th a t is for us is more th an they all. A rray yourself in th e armor, unsheath the sword, follow your Leader, on to victory. Hie if need be, b u t w ith your face to th e enemy and your voice v ib ran t w ith the heavenly note. Thanks be unto God which giveth us th e victory through .ou r Lord Jésus Christ. ■ ' . T. C .H . SUS . A MANLY MAN We can honor a man who has the courage of his honest convictions, although we may sorrow over his blindness to the tru th . The P resbyterian of Philadelphia says: i ‘Rev. H. W. Gesner, who has been th e pastor of th e F irst P resbyterian Church of a »
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