The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-04-05
REV. Or. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINEs SUN
OAK SERMON.
Subject; "The March Homewsrd.'

TEXT: "I1irsue; for thou shalt surely
operidk-e them, aud iCithOtst fail recover
GH.H-I Samuel, Xxx, s
There IS intense excitement in the village
OF Ziklag. David and his men are bidding
goodbye TO their families, and are oil for
the wars. In that little village OF Ziklag the
defenseless ones VIII be safe until the war
riors, flushed with victory, come home. But
will the deienseiess cnes be safel The soft
arms Of children are around the necks of the
bronzed warriors until they shake them
selves free and start, and handkerchiefs
ana nags are waved and kisses thrown
until the armed men vanish heyond 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
krapsack than in his dream he hears the
welcome g the wife and the shout Of the
child. Oh, What long stories they viii have
totell their families, Of how they lodged the
battle-aN 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 CONC up to the last hill
which Over'eohs Ziklag, and they expect
in moment 20 see the dwelling places of
their loved nssss. They look, and as they
look their caeeks turn pale, and their lip
quivers, ans g1eir hand involuntarilv comes
down on the ailt Of the sword "lFhere is
Ziklagi Naere are our homesln they cry.
Alas. the c-irting smoke above the ruin tells
the tragedy. The Amaiekites have come
down and censumed the village, and carried
the mothers anc the wives and the children
OF David aEe his men into captivity. Tho
sgerthy warriors stand for a few momente
transiixsd VITA horror. Then their eyes glance
at each other and they burst into uncon-
trolabie weeping; for when a strong war
rior weeps the grief is appalling. lt seems
in flia pTnrf7on MIGHT fnar him tn rlineae
They .'wept until they had no more power to
weep But soon their sorrow turns into
rage, and David, swinging his sword high in
the air, cries. Pursue, for chou shalt over
take them, and without fail recover
AL" Now the march becomes a
Davids men stop by the brook
Besor. FAINT with fatigue ard grief. They
cannot 60 a step farther. They are left
there But the other four hundred men IN
der David, with sort of panther step march
on in sorrow aud in rage. They find by the
side Of the road hall-dead Egyptian, and
they rcsrs itate him. and compel him to tell
the whole story. He says. Nonder they
went, the captors and the captives.n pointing
in the direction. Forward. ye four hun
dred brave men Of fire. Very soon
David aud his enraged company
come upon the Amalekitish host Yonder
they see their oWn wives and children and
mothers, and under Amalekiiish guard Here
are the officers Of the Amaiekitish army hOd-
ing 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 tugle
or warning of trumpet, David and his four
hundred men burst upon the scene, suddenly
as Robert Bruce hured his Scotchmen upon
the jewellers a. Bannockburn David and
his men lcol up, and one glance at their loved
ones IN captivity and under Amalekitish
guard throws them into very fury Of de-
termination; for You know how men
wives and children. All, there are
lightnings in their eye, and every finger
IS q spear. and their voice Is like the shout Of
the whirlwind. Amidst the upset tankards
and the costly winds crushed underfoot, the
wounded Amalekites lie their blood ming
ling with their winel shreking for mercy.
No sooner do David and his men win the vic
tory thsn they throw their swords down
into the duSr-what do they want with
swovds now.-and the broken families
coms together amidst a great shout Of
Joy that makes the parting scene in
Ziklag seem very insipid in the COM
parison. The rough old warrior has to use
some persuasion before he can get his child /
70 come 70 him now after SO long an absence: !
but soon the little finger traces the familiar 4
wrinkle across the SCARED face. AMI then /
the empty tankards are set up, and they are |
filed with the best wine from the hills. and 1
David and his men. the husbands the wives. I
throw Of the AF1a,ekltes and 20 the rebuilding 4
OF Llklaz- So, o Lord, let thine enemies perishs
Now they are coming home, David and his 4
men and their familieS-a long procession /
Men, women and children, loaded with /
Jewels and robes and with all kinds Of I
trophies that the Amalekites had gathered /
up 10 years OF neuest-everything now in /
the hands Of David and his men. When 3
they come Ly the brook Besor, the place /
where siaid the men sick and incompetent /
b travel. the jewels and the robes
md ali kinds o. treasures are divided
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 I
Tor this palefaced warrior. Here is pillow
Tor this diving man. Here is a handful Of I
gold for the wasted trumpeter. / really 1
think that these men who tainted by the Z
brook tesor may have endured as much as I
hose men who went INTO LATHE. Some mean /
elbows objected TO the sick ones having any |
Il The spplls- The Collectors said: "These /
nen did no fight" David, with nagnani-
nous heart, replies AS his part IS that Z
soeth down 70 the battle, so shall his part be
hat iarrisfb by tine stuff -
This sub ect is practically suggestive to
ne Thank God, in these times a man can
90 of on a Journey. and be gone weeks and
nonths, ana come back and see his house IN
touched OF lncendiary, and have his family
IN the step % greet him. If by telegram he
1as icfetold the moment Of his coming. But
mere are Amalekltish disasters and there
Ire Amaiekitish diseases. that sometimes
'ome down upon ones home. making as de-
,asfatlng work rs the day when Ziklag took
re There are families in my congregation
Fhose homes have ueen broken up. No bat
snote in the door, no iconoclast
'rumnled the statues. no flame leaped amidst
ne curtains, but 50 far as all the JOY and
nerrIuient that once belonged to that housa !
re Concerned, the home has departed
Armed diseases came down upon the quiet
less % TIE sceue-scarlet fevers, or pleurisies,
= ro1sumptioas, or Underlined disorders
anna aud seized upon some members of that
amuy- and carried them away. Zizlag in
shes And you 60 about sometimes weep
lg ana sometimes enraged, wanting 70 get
ak your loved ones as much as David Z
nd his men wanted to reconstruct their
espoiied households. Ziklag in ashes Some
You went OF from home Xou counted
be days OF your absence. Every day seemed
: iong as week Oh, how glad you were
I-ll tne tine came Tor yea TO 20 aboard the
eampoat CT rail car and start for hOmei
Gu arrived You went M the street where
our dwelling was, and in the night you put
our nand on the door bell, and, behold it
Is wrapped with the signal Of bereavement,
m you found that Amalekitish Death, {
hicn mas devastated a thousand other
0usehoids. had blasted yours You 20 about
eeping amidst the desolation Of your once
Apply GONE, thinking Of the bright eyes
osedi and the noble hearts stopped, and the
eutle hands foldsd aud You weep until you
ase no mere power TO weep Ziklag in
shesi
A gentleman went to a friend Of mine in
le city OF Washington, and asked that
trough him be might get a consrlship to
lnle foreign port Ny friend said TO him:
What do You want % 20 away from your
sauriful home for, into a foreign portg'
OH be replied, my home is gonei Ny six
lildren are dead / must get away, sir. Z
can't stand it in this country any longel,.7
ikiag in ashesl
Why these long shadows Of bereavement
rross tbs audience, Why is it that in al
lost every assemblage black IS the preiomi-
ant color Of the apparel Is It because gOudo I
Dc Ike saffron or brown or violet Oh, MOI
~ ~ -ssa -=s-sd = not - bright 70 Us
il once Was;7 and there is a story Of silent
,ices, and Of still Feet. and OF loved ones
me, and when you look over the hills ex-
citing only beauty and loneliness, you find
~ devastation and woa. Ziklag in ashesi {
In Ulster County, New York the village |
arch was decorated until the fragrance Of
2 flowers wa9 almost bewilderIng. The /
aldens OF the village had emptied the
ace OF flowers upon one marriage Z
tar one OF their own number was
nanced 10 a minister OF Christ who had Z
me % take Der TO his home. With hands !