SAPPERS AND MINERS

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 12, 1861

SAPPERS AND MINERS.

ThERE is no mode of warfare which the powers of earth have found efficient in extending their conquests and accomplishing their purposes, of which the arch-enemy of all righteousness does not avail himself in warring against the cause of Christ, and its faithful adherents. No literal army is considered complete without a class of operators known as its sappers and miners. Their office is to approach by secret trenches and under ground excavations the fortifications and breast-works of the enemy, and either sink them by destroying their foundations, or blow them up by laying mines of powder beneath them. In the numerical strength of his forces, and the number and ingenuity of his devices, the great warrior against the King of Heaven and all his subjects, is not to be outdone by the wisdom of man. He, too, has what may be called his sappers and miners, who are incessant in pushing their fatal approaches to the heart of man. Loving, according to his nature, darkness rather than light, the great ruler of the kingdom of darkness oftener urges his aggressions by secret approach than by bold and open attack. A few thoughts upon his sappers and miners, the signs of their presence, and of the progress of their operations, may help us to watch against their approach and defeat the accomplishment of their purposes.

Look at that professed believer in the truth. The truth really believed will certainly show itself. A deep and inwrought conviction will work itself out and lead a person to act in harmony with his views. You can tell a live man from a frigid statue at the first glance. But how is it with that believer? He seems to falter. He does nothing boldly and bravely. All his movements are languid. The apostle tells us to run the race set before us; but he, at most, reaches only a walk. We are told to fight manfully; but there are only a few feeble blows struck by him. A mist of uncertainty seems to be enveloping his mind; and he, perhaps, makes a downright surrender of some of the outposts of his belief. What is the matter with that man? Those who walk in the light know that something is wrong. They see, beyond mistake, that the old sapper, Unbelief, is pushing his advances to the very citadel of truth in that man's heart; and unless his operations are arrested, his whole theory will soon crumble into ruins.

We all find an inveterate foe in this insidious miner. He watches each moment of carelessness in us; and ere we are aware, we find him sapping our confidence in the truth and the work of God. It is the sin that easily besets. We must arrest his progress by countermining; push out in vigorous investigations into the word of God, into careful examination, and re-examination of the truthfulness of our position. We shall thus re-assure our confidence, discover the secret approaches of the enemy, and compel him to an ignominious retreat.

But there are those in the fold of Christ who exhibit other symptoms. The mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus is the object to which the believer is to look, and to which he is ever to press forward. But there are some who do not seem inclined to look steadily toward the prize. Other objects appear to be attracting their attention. The tinsel and glitter of the world, and the voice of praise from their fellowmen, seem to take their eyes and ears quicker than the crown of life and the orders of the great Captain of our salvation. The society and communion of saints they do not find peculiarly attracting, and do not especially seek. They find agreeable companions in the world around them; and the prayer-meeting, that accurate thermometer of christian zeal, begins to be neglected. Is it not apparent what kind of an attack the enemy is making on such? Do we not see that the spirit of the world is undermining their religion?

We have this consideration to encourage us in all these matters: these enemies of our spiritual life cannot approach without giving evidence of their operation; and seeing this, we are without excuse if we do not set ourselves vigorously at work to arrest their progress.

But there is another old sapper and miner scarred and callous in the enemy's service. Whenever he succeeds in springing a mine upon us, he makes wild and fatal work. Let us therefore note some of the evidences he gives of his operations. Union is the strength of the church. There is no point on which the enemy is more delighted with victory than on this. The individual attacked begins to lose confidence in his brethren. He begins to look with distrust and suspicion upon them. Their supposed wrongs and failings are brooded over and magnified in secret, rather than made known to them, and an explanation in love and meekness requested. The unity of the Spirit and the bonds of peace are relaxed. Prejudice has full sway. The vision is perverted, and everything is distorted. The name of the old miner at work here is Jealousy. If suffered to perfect his operations, he springs, at some favorable opportunity, his destructive mine; and in the explosion that follows, all the bonds of christian union and love are severed, and the individual is torn violently from the church of Christ.

Such are some of the forces which the enemy keeps busily at work against us. There are many others which we need not particularly mention. Pride, the fear of man, the love of ease, the dread of the cross, and any natural besetment which we may unfortunately possess, all act well their part. Their secret trenches are being continually pushed against us. Their mines are often unexpectedly sprung beneath us. How often have we erected in our citadel some shining tower of good resolutions, and stationed ourselves in seeming security behind some firm determination; and how often has some sapper and miner of the enemy suddenly sprung a mine beneath them, and strewn the ground with their fragments. Thus are we robbed of our strength, if not overcome. We should learn wisdom from experience, and with redoubled energy strive to reach that position in which the aggressions and the victories shall all be ours.