GOD'S POWER MORE THAN MEN OR MONEY.
THERE are various powers in the earth, physical, pecuniary, intellectual, moral and spiritual. They are each potent in their spheres, and alternately have swayed the earth. God's power—the spiritual working through events and men—alone is prevailing. No nation ever rose to greatness, no individual triumphed over obstacles, no schemes for evangelizing men ever prevailed, which did not recognize God's power as sovereign and indispensable and as the sole reliance. It is a beautiful and instructive feature in the purer days of God's ancient people, that they never dared to enter upon any enterprise without making through the appropriate instrumentalities, inquiry of God. Shall we do this? Shall we do that? Shall we go up against this enemy? The heathen borrowed the custom of them in the consultation of oracles. Would that each man might ever inquire of God for his direction in any new undertaking, "The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it." The following instructive incident among many others is found in Hebrew history: Amaziah, the king of Judah, about to engage in a war with Edom, without first consulting God, in addition to the "three hundred thousand choice men able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield" he had summoned to the proposed conflict from his own tribe, "hired also a hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel, for a hundred talents of silver" ($150,000 at least). "But," we are informed, "there came a man of God to him saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the Lord is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim." Israel, at that time, was, as it long had been, alienated from God, and was symbolic of all aliens in all time excluded from God's chosen ones to do his chosen work. The prophet added, "But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle; God shall make thee fall before the enemy; for God hath power to help and to cast down." "And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this." 2 Chron. xxv, 5, 10. Amaziah, though an unstable man, had the wisdom to profit by the prophetic monition, let the "hundred talents" go, sent home the hired auxiliaries of Ephraim, and prevailed in the one issue then staked. Who ever heard of a nation or an individual that failed to succeed in any enterprise, having obeyed God? He subsequently fell—lapsing into idolatry. Strange it is that men will so soon forget God, after having been made for a season the treasury of his infinite wisdom. But so it is. God never hesitates an instant to blast a kingdom or even a nation of his people when they dare to deflect the slightest from the line of policy he has prescribed, to lean upon external arms of flesh, or any other materialities, even to cherish in their hearts a spirit of self-reliance. The recognition of his prerogative alone to rule and reign, he counts to be of more value to the universe than the existence of entire races of men. It is very obvious from this, and other more striking illustrations, that success in physical or material contests does not depend on numbers, discipline, efficiency, wealth or allied forces. "God hath power to help and to cast down." The battle is not ours, but God's. He is dominant in history. How often was this divine truth illustrated in the history of the children of Israel? How often has it been demonstrated in the antagonisms of the nations since? If God be with nations or single men who can be against them? On the contrary, the illustrations are equally numerous and forcible in the same sources, if not more so that numbers, efficiency, skill, wealth, have often proved the ruin of communities and individuals who trusted in them. "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill."