"THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT"
By Jos. Clarke
Is said to be the word of God. How necessary, then, that the Christian warrior knows how to wield this sword. The bungler who is too indolent and careless, or too worldly to get a knowledge of the truth, had better be careful how he attempts to wield this sword. I have known men to become much disabled, badly wounded and cut up in attempting to wield this instrument. Some get hold of the blade, and in attempting to use this sword thus they mangle their own hands, and while trying to strike with the hilt, they perhaps run themselves through fatally. The old-fashioned way of committing scripture to memory is out of fashion, and in this superficial age of fast readers, scripture is often misquoted and misapplied. I have read somewhere that when Moses taught the law to the people he had the people arranged so that he dictated to the twelve heads of the tribes, who did the same to seventy-two others, who did likewise to others until every word and syllable reverberated among that vast army of two or three millions; the effect was, that generation was faithful (see Judges ii, 7); they had the law written on their memories, and probably that generation were many of them sanctified through the truth. Let us commit to memory lesson by lesson the evidences of our position, and thus become rich in regard to the material for proof. God will sanctify it to our purification and sanctification. So may we wield the glittering sword.
Jos. CLARKE.