<TITLE>14. Par 50-53</TITLE>L-50  I remember during the time I wanted to be a soldier. I'd see those soldiers come up from Utica Pike, that flag a flying, my, the banner is rolling, the drums a beating. I'd stand there, a little bitty boy, and my mouth open, my hair hanging down in my face. Oh, when I get to be a man, I'm going to be a soldier. I'd seen with them leggings on and standing. They'd holler, "Attention," and everybody'd stand...?... I'd say, "Oh, my." And when I got old enough and the war come on, they wouldn't receive me. One thing, being a minister, and another thing, I guess I just wasn't man enough to go. They wouldn't take me. I tried many times, tried to volunteer, and they said, "We'll call you if we need you. Reverend Branham, go on back."
I thought, "Well..." But friends, I finally got to put on a uniform. That's right.

L-51  I remember Lloyd Ford, a friend of mine. He used to ro--belong to what they call the Lone Scouts. They sold papers called "Path Finder" or something. And he got a Boy Scout suit for that. Now, I... Oh, I admired that boy. I said to him, I said, "Lloyd, when you wear that out will you give it to me?"
He said, "Sure, I'll give it to you." But my, that suit lasted a long time, looked like it. It got to a place till I thought the thing never would wear out. So finally he said he'd give it to me when it wore out. Well, I went on for a while. After while I missed him wearing it. I said, "Lloyd, what become of the suit."
He said, "Well, Billy, I'll see if I can find it." He looked around, and come back, and said, "Well, Billy," he said, "the--the last piece of it," said, "just went to pieces, and--and mother taken the coat and made the dog a pallet." And said, "It's all ruined and gone now." Said, "I couldn't find a piece of it, only just one legging."
I said, "Well, bring that to me." Just one legging, a little--had a drawstring, little legging about like that. And he brought that one legging to me, and I thought, "Oh, my, how I like that legging." So I put it on at home, you know, and I thought, "How dandy. If I can just let the school kids see me with that legging on..."

L-52  So I went down that day. I remember going to school. And I got up on the hill just right, and I thought, "Now, how am I going to do? I've got to find excuse to put that legging on so they won't know that that's the only legging I got. So I--I don't know what to do." And I put it back in my coat, and I went on to the school. And there Edward and I were riding down the hill on this old log, and I--I turned over on the log, and I act like I hurt my leg. I said, "Oh, my. " Never hurt. I said, "Oh, my, mmm, whew, that was a strain on my leg." I said, "It just reminds me; I've got one of my leggings...?... in here." I said, "That'll help my leg a whole lot." And I put it on and went into school.
I was going to... You know the old blackboards we used to have at school? I was going to write on the blackboard, so I did this-a-way (See?), put my leg like this one the outside--one that had the legging. I turned sideways like this and write...?... Everybody and--and all the kiddies got to laughing at me, and...?... like that, and they... I got to cry. The teacher made me go home. Had one legging...

L-53  But brother, sister, today I've got a uniform, and I'm in the army, the army of the Lord, fighting the foes of the wicked, dressed... You might not be able to see it, but I know it's there; I feel it, the armor of God: the full Gospel in my heart; baptism of the Holy Spirit; God working signs and wonders; the helmet of faith--shield of faith; and the helmet of--of salvation; shod with the Gospel; the sword in hand, joined with you, ranks out here now, that our armor's inside of us.


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