The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1889-02-01
TALMAGE's SERMON.
Marching Homeward to Receive the
Everlasting Reward.
The Conquest of saIvation-DivIding the
BpOIls of Religious Triumph = The
Ashes of Sorrow The Loved
Ones In the Eternal Home.

ReV. L. dewitt TdImage took for the
subject of a recent sermon at the Brook
1yn Tabernacle ''Marching Homeward."
His text was:
Pursue, for thou shalt surely overtal1e them,
and without fail recover ALL Samuel, Xxx,
DIR. Talmage said: There is intense ex-
element in the village of Ziklag. David
and his men are bidding bood-bye to their
families, and are off for the wars. In
that little village of Ziklag the defense
less ones will be safe until the warriors,
flushed with victory, come home. But
will the defenseless ones be safer The
soft arms of children are around the
necks of the brOnzed warriors until they
shake themselves free and start, and
handkerchiefs and flags are waved and
kisses thrown until the armed men vanish
beyond the hills. David and his men
soon get through with their campaign and
start homeward. Every night on their
way home, no sooner does the soldier put
mis- head on the knap-sack than in the
dream he hears the welcome of the wife
and the shout of the child. Oh what long
stories they will have to tell their fami-
hes, of how they lodged the battle axe
and then will roll up their sleeves and
show the half-healed wound. With glad,
quick step they march on, David
and his men, for they are marching home.
EoW they come up to the last hill which
Overlooks Zikleg, and they expect in a
moment to see the dwelling places Of
their loved ones. They look, and as they
look their cheeks turn pale, and their lip
quivers, and their hand involuntarily
comes down on the hilt of the sword.
''Where is Ziklag? Where are our
honest" they cry. Alas the curling
smoke above the ruins tells the tragedy.
The Amalekites have come down and con-
sumed the village, and carried the moth
ers and the wives and the children Of
David and his men into captivity. The
swarthy warriors stand for a few mo-
ments -transfxed with horror. Then their
eyes glance to each other, and they burst
into uncomfortable weeping, for when a
strong warrior weeps the grief is appal-
ing. It seems as if the emotion might
tear him to pieces. They swept until they
had no more power to weep" But soon
their sorrow turns into rage, and David,
swinging his sword high in air. cries:
"Pursue, for thou shalt surely overtal1e
them and without fail recover ALL"
Now the march becomes a "double-
quick" Two hundred of David's men
stop by the brook Besor, faint with fatigue
and grief. They can not go a step farther.
They are left there. But the other four
hundred men under David, with a sort of
panther step, march on in sorrow and in
rage. They find by the side of the road a
half-dead Egyptian, and they resuscitate
HIM and compel him to tell the whole
story. He says: ''Y onder they went, the
captors and the captives," !" pointing in the
direction. Forward, -ye four hundred
brave men of hreI Very soon David and
his enraged company come upon the
Amalektish host. Yonder they see their
own wives and children and mothers, and
under Amalekitish guard. Here are the
officers Of the Amalekitish army holding a
banquet. The cups are full; the music is
reused, the dance begins. The Amalekit-
ish host cheer, and cheer, and cheer over
their victory. But, without note of bugle
or warning of trumpet, David and his four
hundred men burst upon the scene sud-
denly, as Robert Bruce hurled his Scotch
men upon the revelers at Bannockburn.
David and his men look up, and one
glance at their loved ones in captivity
and under Amalekitish guard throws
them into a very fury Of determination,
for you know how men will fight when
they fight for their wives and children.
All, there are hghtnings in their eye, and
every finger is a spear, and their voice is
like the shout of the whirlwind. Amidst
the upset tankards and the costly viands
crushed under foot, the wounded Amele
kites lie (their blood mingled with their
wine), shrieking for mercy. No sooner do
David and his men win the victory than
they throw their swords down into the
dust-what do they want with swords
now?-and the broken families come to-
gether, amidst a great shout Of joy that
makes the parting scene in Ziklag seem
very insipid in the comparison. The
rough old warrior has to use some per-
suasion before he can get his child to
come to him now after so long an alb
sence; but soon the little finger traces
the familiar wrinkle across the SCARED
face. And then the empty tankards are
set up, and they are filed with the best
wine from the hills, and David and his
men, the husbands, the wives, the broth
srs, the sisters, drink to the overthrow Of
the Ame1ekites and to the rebuilding of
ziklag. So, o Lord, let Thine enemies
perishl
Now they are coming home, David and
his men and their families long pro-
cession. Men, women and children, loaded
with Jewels and robes and with all kinds
Of trophies that the Amalekites had gath
cred up in years of conquest-every thing
now in the hands of David and his men.
When they come by the brook Besor, the
place where staid the men sick and in
competent to travel, the jewels and the
robes and all kinds of treasures are di-
gided among the sick as well as among
the we'll. Surely, the lame and exhausted
ought to have some Of the treasures.
Here is a robe for this pale-faced warrior.
Here is a pillow for this dying man.
Here is a handful, Of gold for the wasted
trumpeter. I really think that these men
I who tainted by the brook Besor may have
endured as much as those men who went
into battle. Some mean fellows objected
to the sick ones having any Of the spoils.
The objectors said: "These mon did not
/ fight" David. with a magnanlmous heart,
replies: '.As his part is that goeth down
TO the battle, so shall his part be that tar
/ rieth by the stuff"
| This subject is practically suggestive to
| me. Thank God, in these times man
can go off on journey, and be gone
| weeks and moaths, and come b-~ck and
| see his house untouched Of incendlary,
/ and have his family on the steps to greet
! him, if by telegram he has foretold the
moment Of his coming. But there aFe
| Amalekitish disasters, and there are
| AmalekiUish diseases, that sometimes
/ come down upon one's home, making as
/ devastating work as the day when Ziklag
/ took FIRE. There are families ia my con-
/ gregatfon whose homes have been broken
up. No battering-ram smote in the door,
| no iconeeldst crumbled the statues, no
/ flames Ieaped amidst the curtains; but so
| far as all the Joy and merriment that once
/ belonged to that house are concerned, the
/ home has departed. Armed diseases
/ came down upon the quietness Of the
scene-scarlet fevsrs, or pleurisies, o.
| consumption, or underlined disorders
came and seized upon some mem
bers of that family, and carried them
| amay. Zfklag in ashes And yol
/ 70 about, Sometimes weeping ane
/ snnetiuaes euraeed, wanting to get bacl
/ wonr loved ones as much as David and hi
/ Toen wanted to toreconstrnct their despoile'
| households. Ziklag in ashes Some Q
YOU went OF from home. You COUNTIES
the days Of your absence. Every da
| seemed % long as 8 week. on, how sgia'
yoa were when the time caLne for you E
| 90 aboard the steamer or ran car afad star
/ for home You arrived You went q