The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-02-06
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINES SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "The March Homeward.'

OCSTJuhS CNRW, ana tCttNOuC utt TSCOCef
oH"-I Samuel, XXX, s
There IS intense excitement in the village
af Ziklag. David and his men are bidding
ood-bye to their families, and are OF for
he wars. In that little village of Ziklag the
efenSeless ones will be safe until the war
riors, flushed with victory, come home. But
will the defenseless ones be safel The soft
rms Of children are around the necks of the
ronzed warriors until they shake them
md flags are waved and kisses thrown
Until the armed men vanish beyond the
pills. David and his men soon get
through with their campaign and start home
ward. Every night on their way home, no
sooner does the soldier put his head on the
knapsack than in his dream he hears the
welcome of the wife and the shout of the
child. Oh, what long stories they will have
to tell their families, of how they lodged the
battle-a1! and then will roll up their sleeve
and show the half-healed wound. With glad,
quick step they march on, David and his
men, for they are marching home. Now
they come up to the Last hlll
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
/ ouiyers, and their hand involuntarily comes
down on the hilt Of the sword. "Where is
liking? Where are our homes" they cry.
Alas! the curling smoke above the ruin tells
the tragedy. The Analekites have come
down and consumed the village, and carried
the mothers anG the wives and the children
| Of David and his men into captivity. The
| swarthy warriors stand for few moments
| transfxed with horror. Then their eyes glance
at each other, and they burst into uncon-
trolabls weeping; for when strong war
rior weeps, the grief is appalling. 1t seems
as il 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
i the air, cries: Pursue, for thou shalt over
/ take them, and without fail recover
an." Now the march, becomes a
(" double-quick. Two hundred OF
Besor, faint with fatigue and grief. They
cannot 60 a step farther. They are left
there. But the other four hundred men un.
l der David, with sort Of panther step, march
on in sorrow and in rage. They find by the
Iide Of the road halt-dead Egyptian, and
went the captors and the captives," pointing
in the direction. Forward, ye four hun.
Rdred brave men Of fire! Very soon
David and his enraged company
come upon the Amalekitish host. Yonder
1 they see their own wives and children and
mothers, and under Amalekitish guard. Here
ing a banquet. The cups are full, the music
Is reused, the dance begins. The Amalekitish
host cheer and cheer and cheer over
their victory. But, without note Of bugle
or warning of trumpet, David and his four
h hundred men burst upon the scene, suddenly
as Robert Bruce hurled his Scotchmen upon
\ the revelers at Bsnnockburn. David and
This men look up, and one glance at their loved
Zones in captivity and under Amalektish
guard throws them into very fury OF de-
Termination; for you know how men
will fight when they fight for their
wives and children. All, there are
1 ightnings in, their eye, and every finger
the whirlwind. Amidst the upset tankards
and the costly viands crushed underfoot, the
wounded Amalekites lie their blood ming
ling with their wine) shrieking for mercy.
! No sooner do David and his men win the VIC
tory than they throw their swords down
into the dust-what do they want with
Aswords now!-and the broken families
joy that makes the parting scene in
Eklag seem very inslpid in the conf
|. parisoI. The rough old warrior has to uso
some persuasion before he can get his child
to come to him now after so long an absence;
| but soon the little finger traces the familiar
wrinkle across the Scared face. And then
the empty tankards are set up, and they are
David and his men, the husbands, the wives,
the brothers, the sisters, drink to the over
Z throw Of the Amaiekltes and to the rebuilding
Of Ziklag So, o Lord, let thine enemies perish?
Now they are coming home, David and his
men and their families-a long procession.
Men, women and children, loaded with
Jewels and robes and with all kinds OF
ftrophies that the Amalektes had gathered
up in years Of conquest-everything now in
Athe hands of David and his men. When
khsy come by the brook Besor; the place
where staid the men sick and incompetent
bo travel. the jewels and the robes
and all kinds OF treasures ere divided
l)among the sick as we'll as among the well.
Surely. the lame and exhausted ought to
have some of the treasures. Here is a robe
for this pale-faced warrior. Here is pillow
. for this dying man. Here is handful OF
gold for the wasted trumpeter. really
think that these men 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
men did not fight" David, with magnani-
mons heart, replies: "As his part is that
Soeth down to the battle. so shall his part be
that tarrieth by the stuff"
This subject is practically suggestive to
me. Thank God, in these tiIDes q man can
70 of on journey, and be gone weeks and
months, and come back and see his house un-
touched of incendiary, and have his family
ON the step to greet him, if by telegram he
has foretold the moment of his coming. But
there are Amalekitish disasters, and there
are Amalekitish diseases, that sometimes
come down upon ones home, making as de-
vastating work as the day when Ziklag took
fire. There are families IN my congregation
whose homes have Deen broken up. No bat
tering ram sEiote in the door, no iconoclast
| tlai tho orr M Aar,o loo nod orpi6ct
1.-THE curtains; but so far as all the Joy and
merriment that orce belonged to that house
are concerned, the home has departed.
Armed diseases came down upon the qulet-
ness Of the scene-scarlet fevers, or pleurisies,
or consumptions, or underlined disorders
came and seized upon some members Of that
family, and carried them away. Ziklag in
ashes And you 60 about, sometimes weep
ing and sometimes enraged, wanting to get
back your loved ones as much as David
& and his men wanted to reconstruct their
despoiIed households. Ziklag in ashes! Some
,pf YOU went off from home. You counted
the days of your absence. Every day seemed
as long as week. Oh, how glad you were
when the time came for you to 60 aboard the
steamboat or rail car and start for home!
You arrived You went up the street where
your dwelling was, and in the night you put
your hand on the door bell, and, behold! it
!. was wrapped with the signal Of bereavement,
and you found that Amalekitish Death,
! which has devastated thousand other
households, had blasted yours. You go about
weeping amidst the desolation OF your once
Happy home, thinking of the bright eyes
closed, and the noble hearts stopped, and the
gentle hands folded, and you weep until you
have no more power to weep. Zlklag IN
ashes.
A gentleman went to a friend of mine in
the city Of Washington, and asked that