St. Landry democrat., 1885-09-12
TALMAGE IN LONDON.
A Mastery Discourse on "Unap-
preciated Services"
The Old and wounded Soldiers of Davfd's
Army-Christtan Rewards Not Alone
for Those Who Serve in Com
spicuous Places.

subject was ''Unappreciated Services"
His text was from Samuel 1924: "As his
part is that goeth down to the battle, so
shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff"
The discourse was as follows:
If you have never seen an army change
quarters, you have no idea of the amount
Of baggage-twenty loads, fifty loads,
hundred loads Of baggage. David and his
army were about to start on a double
quick march for the recovery of their
captured families from the Amalekites.
So they left by the brook Besor their
blankets, their knapsacks, their baggage
and their carriages. Who shall be detailed
to watch this stuff There are sick sol
diers, and wounded soldiers, and aged SOL
diers, who are not able to go on swift mill
itary expedition, but who are able to do
some work, and so they are detailed to
watch the baggage. There is many a sol
der who is not strong enough to march
thirty miles in aday and then plunge into
a ten-hours' fight, who is able with drawn
sword lifted against his shoulder to pace
up and down as sentinel to keep off an
enemy who might put the torch to the bag
gage. There are two hundred OF these
crippled and aged and wounded soldiers
detailed to watch the baggage. Some of
them, suppose, had bandages across the
brow, and some OF them had their arms in
a sling, and some of them walked on
crutches. They were not towards shirk-
ing duty. They had fought in many a
fierce battle for their country and their
God. They are now part of the time in
hospital, and part of the time on garrison
duty. They almost cry because they can
not 90 with the other troops to the 'front.'
While these sentinels watch the baggage,
the Lord watches the sentinels.
There is quite different scene being en-
acted in the distance. The Ama1ekites,
having ravaged and ransacked and robbed
whole countries, are celebrating their sue
cess in roaring carousal. Now
is the time for David and his men to
swoop upon these carousing Amalekites.
Some of the Amalekites are hacked to
pieces on the spot, some of them are just
able to go staggering and hiccoughing off
the field, some of them crawl on camels
and speed off in the distance. David and
his men gather together the wardrobes,
the jewels, and put them upon the back of
camels and into wagons, and they gather
together the sheep and cattle that had
been stolen, and start back toward the
garrison. Yonder they come, yonder they
come. The limping men of the garrison
come out and greet them with wild huzza.
The Bibts says David saIuted them.
But now came very different thing, the
distribution of thesspoils of victory. Well,
some selfish son suggests that these treas
ures ought all to belong to those who have
been out in active service. 1--WE did all the
fighting while these men stayed at home in
the garrisons, and we ought to have all
the treasures" But David looked into the
worn faces of the veterans who had
stayed in the garrison, and he looked
around and saw how Clearly every thing
had been kept, and he saw that the bag
gage was all safe, and he knew how that
these wounded and crippled men would
gladly enough have been at the front if
they had been able, and the little General
looks up from under his helmet and says:
stNo, no, let us have fair play; and he
rushes up to one of these men and he says;
ssHold your hands together and the
hands are held together, and he fills them
with silver. And he rushes up to another
man who was sitting away back and
had no idea of getting any of the spoiIs,
and throws Babylonish garment over
him and fills his hand with gold. And he
rushes up to another man who had lost all
his property in serving God and his coun-
try years before, and he drives up some OF
the cattle and some of the sheep that they
had brought back from the Amalekites,
fxryn Nf 4
three or four of the sheep to this poor man,
SO he shall always be fed and clothed. He
sees man SO emaciated and worn out and
sick he needs stimulants, and he gives
him little of the wine that he brought
from the Amalekites Youder is a man
who has no appetite for the rough ratiCns
of the army, and he gives him rare NOR
sci from the Amalekitish banquet, and the
two hundred crippled and manned and
aged soldiers who tarried on garrison duty
get just as much of the spoiIs of battle as
any of the two hundred men that went to
the front "As his part is that goeth down
to battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth
by the stuff. y
The impression is abroad that the Chris
tran rewards are for those who do conspic-
nous service in distinguished placesgreat
martyrs, great patriots, great preachers,
great philanthropists. But my text sets
forth the idea that there is just as much
reward or man that stays at home and
minds his own business, and who, crippled
and unable to go forth and lead in great
movements and in the high places Of the
earth, does his whole duty just where he
IT, Garrison duty is as important and re-
munerative as service at the front. Gas
his part is that goeth down to the battle,
50 shall his part be that tarrieth by the
stuff"
Al great many people are discouraged
when they hear of the story of Moses and
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