News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-31
SUNDAYS SERMON.
ONE OF REV. DIR TALMAGE's
STERLING DISCOURSES
Subject; "The Homeward March

TEXT: "R,rsHe; for thou shalt surslp
opertaks t1em. and ,oithout RAT recover
GH."-l Samuel, xxx, s.
There IS intense excitement in the village
OF Ziklag. DAVID al hi, men are bidding
goodbye to Their families, and are of for
the wars. In that little village of Ziklag the
defenseless ones viii be safe until the war
rlors. flushed with victory, come home. But
will the de enseieSs ONES be safe! The soft
arms or children are aroun1 the necks of the
bronzed warriors until they shake them
selves free AMI start, and handkerchiefs
and flags are waved and kisses thrown
until the armed men vanish leyond 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 bis dream he hears the
welcome of the wife and the shout of the
child. Oh, what long stories they will have
10 tell their families, of how they lodged the
battle-ax! and then will roll up their sleeve
and show the half healed wound. With glad,
quick step they march on, David and his
men, Tor they are marching home. Now
they come up to the last hill
which oyerlooks Ziklag, and they expect
In moment to see the dwelling places of
their loved ones. They look, AMI as they
look their cheeks turn PALE and their lin
qulvers, and their hand involuntarily comes
down on the hit of the sword. Where is
Zlklag! Where are our homessn 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 anG the wives and the children
of David and his men into captivity. The
swarthy warriors stand for few moments
transflxed with horror. Then their eyes glance
at each other, and they burst into uncou-
trolable weeping; for when strong war
Nor weeps, the grief is appalling. 1t seems
rs 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 his sword high in
take them, and without fail recover
all" Now the march becomes a
" double-quicka Two hundred of
David's men stop by the brook
Besor, faint with fatigue and grief. They
cannot 60 a step farther They are left
there. but the other four hundred men I'M
der 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
tie whole story. He says: ''Yonder they
went. the captors and the captives" rointing
in the direction. Forward, We four hun.
dred brave men Of fire. Very soon
David and his enraged company
come upon the Amalekitish host Wonder
they see their own wives and children and
mothers, and under AmalekitiSh guard. Here
are the officers of the Amaekitish 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 bugle
or warning of trumpet, David and his four
hundred men burst upon the scene, suddenly
as Robert Bruce hur. ed his Scotchmen upon
the jewellers at Bannockburn David and
his men lCoA 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
viii fight when they fight for their
lightnings in their eye, and every finger
is spear, and their voice is like the shout of
the whirlwind. Amidst the upset tankards
and the costly vian1s crushed underfoot, the
wounded AmalekiteS lie their blood ming
ling with their wine) shr eking 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
swords now!-and the broken families
come 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 chld
TO come to him now after so long an absence:
but soon the little finger traces the familiar
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
David and his men, the husbands. the wives |
the brothers, the sisters, drink to the over
throw of the AmalekItes and to the rebuilding
Now they are coming home, David and his |
men and their famiIieS-a long procession
Men, women and children, loaded with |
jewels and robes and with all kinds of |
trophies that the Ama.ek ties had gathered
up IN years of conc uest-every thing now in
the hands of Davi and his men. When
they come ly the brook Besor the place
where -staid the men sick and incompetent
TO travel, the jewels and the robes
and all kinds OF treasures are divided
the sick we'll MS among the we'll
Surely, the lame and exhau ted ought to
have some of the treas res. Here is a robe |
for this pale-faced warrior. Here is pillow
for this dying man. Here is "A handful OF |
gold for the wasted trumpeter ] re lily |
think that these men who tainted by the |
brook Eesor may have endured IS much as
those men who went INTO LATHE. Some mean
fellows OBJ jected to the sick ones having any
of the spoIls The objectors said; "Ttese
men did no. fight" David, with maguani- |
nous heart, replies: LAS his part S that |
goeth down to the battle, SO shall his part be |
hat tarrieth by the stuff"
This sub ect is practically suggestive to |
ne. Thank God. in these times a man can |
30 on on journey, ana be gone weeks anL |
months, AMI come back aud see his nous I'm |
touched OF incendary, AMI have his family |
on the step to greet him, If by tele yram he /
mas foretold the moment of his comnr But
there are Amalekitish disasters, AMI there /
are Amalekitish diseases. that sometimes
come down upon ones home, making as de-
hre- mere are families IN my congregation |
whose homes have Teen broken up No bat
oer'ng- ram smote in the door, no ico1oclast
crurn oled the statues. no fame leaped amidsi
the curtains; but so far as all the low and |
hlerflment that once Gelongel to that hoa,e
are concerned, the home has departed |
Armed diseases came down upon the pufAt- |
ness OF the scene-scar:et feyers or D enrisies |
or eonsumptlons. CT undefined tlisor- lers
came and seized upon some mem sers of that |
AH ID |
ashes And y0u go about Sometimes weep,
ing ana sometimes enragel, wanting To get |
OacK your loved ones as much as David |
and his men wanted to reconstruct theI
" usssp e houSeno.dS. Zlkiag IN ashes Some
OF you went OF from h0ms You coultA |
the Gays OF your absence. Every day s ,erl,,t
as long as week Oh, how glad Won were |
when the time came for you to go ABOARD the
steamboat or rail car and sart for home
You arrived. You went I'D the street where
your dwelling was, ami in the n Gilt Won mi
your nand on the door bell and behpl I! il |
was wrapped with the signal OF bereavement |
and you found tiat AmalexItsh Death
when has devastated tbous mi othe
households, had aSted yolrS y gu 90 a cut |
weeping amidst the desOlation of your once |
'appy home, thinking of the bright eye
closed, and the noble he rts stopped, and tn,
gentle hands folded, AMI You weep until yoa |
ashes
gentleman went to a friend of mine in.
TIE city OF Washington, and asked tina;
through him he might get a consulship t,
some foreign port. My tIiend said to him
, w hat do you want to 20 away from youI
beautiful home for, into fore GA port
Oh, he replied, my home is gonel Mys
children are dead l must get away sir
L cam stand it in this country any longer.
Ziklag in ashes!
Why these long shadows of bereavement
across tn s audience. Why is it that in al |
most every aSSemblaga black is the pre- Iomi |
lant color OF the apparel. Is it because you q,
not ilke saffron o. brown or vioIeLG Oh no |
\ on say: The world is not so bright TO u
IS 1t once was;p and there is a story of silent |
voices, and of still feet, and of loved ones
gone, and when you Iook over the hills ex
pectlng only beauty aud loyellness, YOU find |
onIy devastation and woe. Ziklag in ashes.
In Ulster County, New York tine viIlara |
church was decorated until tn fragrance O
Ine flowers was almost bewilderng The |
maldenS CT the village had emptied the |
place OF flowers upon one marriage |
altar. One OF their own number was
financed to minister of Christ, who had
some 10 take her TO his home. With hands |
oined, amidst cOngratuiaUnry audience |
'he vows were taken In three days from |
nat time one of those who stood at the altar
earth for heaven. The wedding |
march broke down into the funeral drpe |
There were not enough flowers now for the |
,odln lid, because they had all teen taken for |
he bridal hour The dead minister q
Christ is brought to another village. He |
lad gone out from them | SIS thaR n |
week before in his strength; now he |
omeS home liieleSs. The whole church |
'ewailed him. the solemn procession |
novel around to look upon the still face that
nee hal beamed with messages of salvation.
Little children were lifted up to look at him.
And some of those whom he had comforted !
n days of sorrow, when they passed that |
Ilent form, made the place dreadful with
heir weeping Another village emptied of
IS tOwerS-SOme of them put in the shana of |