The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1889-01-25
THE HOMEWARD MARCH.
SERMON PREACHED BY REV. T. De
WITT TALMAGE, D. D., JAN. go.

Asosvcst ~ Asu Dsvsu shu his mou
and Recover Their Loved Ones from tn
Power Of the Evil One.
BROOKLYN, Jan. 2O-The Rev. T
De Witt Talmage, d. D., having ex
pounded appropriate passages Of Scrip
ture, gave out the hymn;
Who are these in bright array,
This innumerable throng,
Round the altar night and day
Tuning their triumphant songi
The subject of the sermon was The
March Homeward," and the text
Samuel, xxx, 8: pursue: for thou
shalt surely overtake them, and with
out fail recover ALL" DR.. Talmage
said:
There is intense excitement in the
village of Ziklag. David and his men
are bidding good-by to their families,
end are off for the wars. In that lit
tie village of Ziklag the defenseless
ones will be safe until the warriors,
flushed with victory, come home. But
will the defenseless ones be safee 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 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 AK 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 march
ing home. Now they come up to the
last hill which overlooks Ziklag, 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 Ziklag9 Where are our
homes9" they cry. Alasl the curling
smoke above the ruin tells the tragedy.
The Amalekites have come down and
consumed the village, and carried the
mothers and the wives and the chill
dren Of David and his men into
The swarthy warriors
stand for a few moments trans
fixed with horror. Then their
eyes glance to each other, and
they burst into uncomfortable weep
ing, for when strong warrior weeps
the grief is appalling. It seems as if
They ''wept until they had no more
power to weep" But soon. their sor-
row turns into rage, and David, swing
ing his sword high in air, cries: "Pur-
sue: for thou shalt overtake them, and
fail recover ALL" Now the
march becomes double qYick.'
Two hundred of Davia's men stop by
he brook Besor, faint with fatigue
md grief. They cannot go a step
arther. They are left there. But the
,ther four hundred men under David,
With sort Of panther step, march on
n sorrow and in rage. They find by
he side of the road a half dead
Egyptian, and they resuscitate him,
md compel him to tell the whole
tory. He says: "Yonder they went,
he captors and the captives, pointing
n the direction. Forward, we four
hundred brave men of fire! Very
Don David and his enraged company
ome upon the Ama1ekitish host.
1onder they see their own wives and
children and mothers, and under
Amalekitish guard Here are the Of
lcers Of the Amalekitish army hold
ng banquet. The cups are full,
he music is reused, the dance
,egins. The Amalekitish host cheer
md cheer and cheer over their vic
Dry. But, without note of bugle OF
of trumpet, David and his
our hundred men burst upon the
Gene suddenly, as Robert Bruce hurled
lis Scotchmen upon the jewellers at
David and his men
ook up, and one glance at their
owed ones in captivity and under
Amalekitish guard throws them into a
cry fury of determination; for you
now how men will fight when they
ight for their wives and children.
Ii, there are ightnings in their eye,
nd every finger is a spear, and their
'oice is like the shout of the whirl-
7ind. Amidst the upset tankards and
be costly viands crushed under foot,
be wounded Amalelzites lie their
lood mingling with their wine)
hrieking for mercy. No sooner do
David and his men win the victory
han they throw their swords down into
be dust-what do they want with
words nowG-and the broken families
ONE together amidst a great shout
+ JOY that makes the parting scene in
iklag seem very insipid in the COM
arison. The rough old warrior has
, use some persuasion before he can
et his child to come to him now after
D long an absence; but soon the little
niger traces the familiar wrinkle
cross the SCARED face. And then the
mpty tankards are set up, and they
re filled with the best wine from the
ills, and David and his men, the hus-
ands, the wives, the brothers, the
sters, drink to the overthrow of the
.malekites and to the rebuilding of
iklag So, o Lord, let thine enemies
erish
THE LOST RECOVERED.
Now they are coming home, David
nd his men and their families-a long
recession. Men, women and chill