Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-01-21

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BROOKLYN, January 20-The Rev. T.
Dewitt Tslmage, DID, having expOund-
ed appropriate passages Of Scripture, gave
out the hymn:
"who are these in bright array
This innumerable throng
Round the altar night and day
Tuning their triumphant song?"
TIE subject OF the sermon was "The
March Homeward," and the text l.
Samuel, chapter 80, verse 8: "Pursue:
for thou shalt surely Overtake them, md
without flil recover all" DIR. Talmage
said:
THERE IS INTENSE EXCITEMENT
in the village of Ziklag. David and his
men are bidding goodbye to their fAmiLts
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. Bat will the de-
feuselees ones be safe? The soft arms Of
children are around the necks OF the
broDzed warriors until they shake them
selves free and start, and handkerchief
and flags are waved and kisses thrown
until the armed men vanish behind the
hills. David and his men soon get through
with the campaign and start tomeward.
Every night on their way home, no sooner
doss the soldier put his head on the KNAPP
sack than in his dreams he hears the vel
come of the wife and the shout of the child.
Oh, what long stories they will have to
tell their families CT how they lodged the
battle-axe, and then will roll up their
sleeve and show the half healed wound.
With glad, quick step, they msrch on,
David and his men, for they are marching
home. Now they come up to the last hill
which OvecloOks Ziklag, and they expect
in o moment to see the dwelling places of
their loved ones. They look, aud as they
| look their cheeks turn pale and their lip
quivers and their hand inyoluntarily comes
down on the hilt of the sword. where
is Zlklag? Where are our homesP" they
cry. Alss the curling smoke above the
rnin tells the tragedy. The Amalekites
have come down and consumed the vii
lage, and carried the mothers and the
wives and the children OF David and his
men into captivity. The swarthy war
riors stand for o few moments transixed
with horror. Then their eyes glance TO
each other, and they burst into uncontrol-
liable weeping; for when strong warrior
wesps, the gfef is appalling II seems as
if the emotion might tear him to pieces.
They "wept until they had no more
power TO weep" But soon
THEIR SORROW TURNS INTO RAGE,
and David, swinging bis sword high in
air, cries: pursue; for thou shalt over
take them, aud without fail recover all. b"
Now the march becomes double
quick" Two hundred of David's men
stop by the brock Besor, faint with fatigue
and grief They can not 20 a step far
ther. They are LETT there But the other
/ four hundred men under David, with a
sort of panther step, march on in sorrow
and in rage. They lind by the side of the
road a hslfdead Egyptian, and they
resuscitate him, and compel him to tell
the whole story. He says: Yonder they
want a.. 90 r,sc-- ond the neA - -
/ ing in the direction Forward. ye four
hundred brave men of fire! Very soOD
/ David and his enrsged company come
upon the Amalekitish host. Yonder they
see their own wives and children and
mothers, and under Amalekitish guard.
/ Here are the officers of the Amalekitish
army holding banquet. The cups are
| full, the music is reused, the dance
begins. The Amslekitish host cheer
and cheer and cheer over their
victory. But, without note or busle
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
Amalekiti guard throws them into
very fury of determination; for you know
how men will fight when they fight for
their wives and children. Ah, there are
lightnirgs in their eye, and every finger is
apear, and theic voice is like the shout OF
the whirlwind. Amidst the upset tank
ards and the costly viands crushed under
foot. the wounded Amalekites lie their
blood mingling with their wines) shIieking
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 together amidst great shout Of JOY
that makes the parting scene IN Zikisg
seem very insipid in the comparison. The
rough old warrior has TO use some peIsua-
zion before he can get his child to come to
him now after so long an absence; but coon
the little finger traces the familiar wrinkle
across the scared face. And then the
empty tankards are set up, and then they
are filled with the best wine from the bills, |
and David and his men, the husbands, the
wives. the brothers, the sisters, drink to
the overthrow of the Amalekites and to
the rebuilding of Ziklsg. SO, o Lord, let
thine enemies perish!
Now they are coming home, David and
his men and their families-a long process
sion. Men, women, and children, loaded |
with Jewels and robes ana with all kinds
of trophies that the Amaiekites 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 Incom-
petent to travel, the jewels and the robes
and all kinds of treasures are olvided
among the sick as well as amopg the we'll
Surely. the lame and exhausted ought to
have some of the treasures Here IS "a roDe
for this pale-faced warrior. Here IS phi
low for this dying man. Here IS hand-
ful of gold for the wasted trumpeter. !
really think that these men who tainted
nv the brook Besor may have endured IS
mnch as those men who went into battle.
some mean fellows objected to the sick
ones having any of the spoils. Tbs OBJ
;act,r, said: '"rhese men did not fight.
David. with a maguanimous heart re-
niles: "As his part is that goeth down TO
the battle, so shall his part be thst taTri-
eth By the stuff"
This subject is
PRACTICALLY SUGGESTIVE
to me. Thank God, in these times man
can 90 off on q journey, and be gone
weeks and months, and come back ana
see his house untouched of incendHry, ana
have his family on the step to greet nm,
if by telegram he has foretOld the moment
of his coming. But there are Amaiekiilsn
disasters, aud there are Amslesltish as
eases that sometimes come down upon
ones home, making as devastating MofS
a. the day when Ziklag took fire. There
are families in my congregation whose
homes have been broken up. No batter
ingram smote in the door, no lconociast
c,umbled the statues, no flame leapeu
amidst the curtains; but so TAR as all the
iov and merriment that once belonged 10
! that house are concerned, the nome hss
departed. Armed diseases came down
upon the quietness OF the scene-scarlet