The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-02-01
TRIALS OF LIFE.
Dr. Talmage Discourses on Battling
for Salvation.
The joys and Sorrows of Life-The Hap
piness of a Believer In the Heavenly
World-Promises for the
Weary.

pincss of n Believer I'm the Heavenly
world-Promises for the
Weary.
In q recent sermon at Brooklyn Rev. T.
Dewitt Talmage took Tor his subject: "The
March Homeward,n and his text was
from 1 Samuel Xxx. 8: "Pursue, for thou
shalt surely overtake them, and without
fail recover ALL" Dr.. Talmage said:
There is Intense excitement in the viii
lage of Ziklag. David and his men are
bidding goodbye to their families and are
of for the wars. In that little village of
Ziklag the defenseless ones will be safe
until the warriors, flushed with victory.
come home. But will the defenseless ones
be safe? 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 his head on the knapsack than in his
dream he hears the welcome of the wife
and the shout of the child o, what long
stories they will have to tell their families
of how they lodged the battle-axe. and
then will roll up their sleeve and show
the half healed wound.
l. With glad, quick step they march on.
David and his men, for they are marching
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
| Ziklag? Where are our honest" they cry.
| Alas 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
children of David and his men into cap
tivity. The swarthy warriors stand for a
few minutes transfixed with horror. Then
their eyes glance to each other, and they
burst into uncomfortable weeping; for
when a strong warrior weeps the grief Is
appalling. 1t seems as il the emotion
might tear them to pieces. They 'wept
until they had no more power to
weep" But soon their SORROWS turns into
rage, and David, swinging his sword high
in air, cries: "Pursue. for thou shalt over
take them, and without fail recover all. y
Now the march becomes q "double-quick.'
Two hundred of David's men stop by the
brook Besor, faint with fatigue and grief
They can not go step farther. They are
left there. But the other 400 men under
David, with a sort of panther step, march
on in sorrow and in rage. They find by
the side OF the road half dead Egyptian
and they resuscitate him and compel him
to tell the whole story. He says: "Yon.
der they went, the captors and the cap.
tives," pointing i'm the direction. For.
ward, We 400 brave men of fire.
Very soon David and his enraged com.
pany come upon the Amalekitish host
| Yonder they see their own wives anC
children and mothers aud under Amale
kitish guard. Here are the officers OF the
Amalekitish army holding a banquet. Tht
cups are full, the music is reused, the dance
begins. The Amalekitish host cheer anC
cheer and cheer over their victory. But
without note of bugle or warning O
trumpet, David and his 400 men burst upor
the scene, suddenly as Robert Bruce hurled
his Scotchmen upon the jewellers at Ban
nockburn. David and his men look VI
and one glance at their loved ones IL
aptivity under Amalekitish guard throw
them into a very fury OF determination
for you know how men will fight wheI
they fight for their wives and children
All. there are lightnings in their eye an'
every finger is a spear, and their voice Il
like the shout of the whirlwind. Amds
the upset tankards and the costly viand
crushed undes foot the wounded Amelek
ties lie (thef' blood mingling with thei
wne) shriekils for mercy. No sooner d.
David and his men win the victory thai
they throw their swords down in tn
dust!-what do they want with sword
now:-and the broken families come TO
gether amidst great shout of joy tina
makes the parting scene in Ziklag seen
very insipid in comparison. The rougl
old warrior has to use some persuasion
before he can get his child to come to hin
now after so long an absence, but 500
, the little finger traces the familiar wrinkl
across the SCARED face. And then tn
empty tankards are set up and they ar
: flied with the best wine from the hills
and David and his men, the husbands, tn
wives, the brothers, the sisters, drink t
the overthrow of the Amalekites and t
the rebuilding of Ziklag. So, o Lord, lie
thine enemies perish!
Now they are coming home, David an
, his men and their families-a long process
, sion. Men, women and children, loade
with Jewels and robes and with all kind
II trophies that the Amalekites had gath
, cred up in years of conquest-every thin
now in the hands of David and his mer
When they come by the brook Besor, tn
. place where staid the men sick and incom
, petent to travel, the jewels and the robe
and all kinds of treasures are divide
among the sick as we'll as among the wei
Surely the lame and exhausted ought (
[ have some of the treasures. Here is a rob
1 for this pale-faced warrior. Here is pill
low for this dying man. Here is handful
of gold for this wasted trumpeter. 1 reall
think that these men who tainted by tn
, brook Besor may have endured as much a
: those men who went into battle. Som
: mean fellows objected to the sick one
n having any of the spoils. The objector
said: "These men did not fight" Davi:
with a magnanimous heart, replies: "A
bis part is that goeth down to battle. s
: shall his part be that tarrieth by tn
e stuff"
3 This subject is practically suggestive
, me. Thank God, in these times a man ca
60 off on journey, and be gone week
!. and months, and come back and see hi
e house untouched of incendiary, and hav
e his family on the step to greet him, if b
|. telegram he has foretold the moment {
/. his coming. But there are Amalekitis
disasters and there are Amalekitish dis
eases that sometimes come down upo
ones home, making as devastating wor
= as the day when klag took fire. Their
: are families in my congregation who's
9 homes have been broken up. No batterin
;, ram smote in the door, no iconoclast crun