Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-02-02
After Victory Is Achieved
Then Comes the March
Homeward.
DR.. Taimage DiscOurscs From 4
Practical Subject and Many
Suggestive Illustrations
Are Given.

appropriate passages OF scripture. gave
out the hymn.
"Who are these In bright array,
This innumerahle throng,
Round the altar night and day
Tuning their triumphant songi"
The subject of the sermon was The
March Homeward," and the text |. Sam
uel, chapter 30, verse 8; Pursue; for
thou shalt surely overtake them. and
without fail recover ALL" DR.. Talmage
said:
There is intense excitement in the vii
lage of Ziklag. David and his men are
bidding good-b bye 10 their families, and
are of for the wars. In that little village
of Zikiag the defeDseless ones will be safe
until the warriors, flushed with victory,
come home. But will the defenseless
ones be safes The soft arms Of children
are around the necss Of the bronZed war
riors 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 Don get through with
their campaign and start homeward.
Every night on their way home, no
sooner does the soldier put bis head on
the knapsaCk than in his dream he hears
the welcome of wife and shout Of child.
Oh. what long stories they Will ave to
tell their families of how they lodged
the battlc-axel 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 to the last
hill which ovcrlooks Ziklag, and they eX-
pect in a moment to gee the dwelling
places OF their loved ones. They look,
and as they look their checks turn pale,
and their lip q%uivers, and their hand in
voluntarily comes down ON The hiit OF the
sword. Where is Ziklag? Where are
our homesy" they cry, Alas the
curling smoke above the ruin
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 a few moments transiXCd
with horror. Then their eyes glance at
zach Other. and they burst into uncOn-
trollab'c weeping; FOX when a strong war
rior weeps. the grief is appalling. 1t
seems as il the emotion might tear him to
pieces. They "wcpt until they had no
more power to weep" But o their
sorrows turned into rage, and David,
swinging his sword high in air, cries;
Pursue, for lhou shalt overtGkc them,
and without tail recover All Now the
march becomes q double quick. Two
hundred Of David'c meu stop by the
brook BosOr, faint with fatigue and grief.
They can not 90 u step farther. They
are left there. Bat the other other 400
men under David. with a sort Of panther
stcu. march on In sorrow and in rage.
They find nv the side Of the road a half
dead Egy ptian, and they resUscitate him,
and Del him go tel The whole story,
He says: Wonder they went, the captors
and the Captivcs, y pointing ~ the direc-
ton. Forward. we 400 hcaFC mcn Of fire!
Very soon David and his enrAged com
pany come upon the Analckitish host.
Yonder they gee tbcir ~ wives and
children and mothers, and under AMAZE
Iitish guard. Here are the officers Of The
Amalekitieh army holding a banquet.
The cups are full, the music 10 reused,
the dance begins. The AmalekitiSh host
cheer and cheer and cheer over their VIC
tory. But, without note Of buglc or
warning OF trumpet, David and his 400
men burst upon the scene, suddenly as
Robert Bruce hurled his ScOtchfnen upon
the jewellers at BannOckburn. David and
his men look up, and one glance at their
loved ones in captivity and under Amale-
kitish guard throws them into a very
fury Of determination; for you know how
men will fight when they light for
their wives and children. All, there are
lightnings in their eye, and every finger
is a spear, and their voice is like the
shout of the whirlwind. Amidst the up
set tankards and the costly viands crushed
under foot, the wounded Amalekites
lie Gheir blood mingling with their
wine) shricking for mercy. Nosooner do
David ard his men win the victory than
they throw thcir swords down into the
~dust-what do t.ey want With swords
now?-and tnr + oxen Families come to-
ccthcr amidst % treat shout of Joy tha'
makes the par:,aG scene in Iiklag seem
very insipid in the comparison. The
rough old WGrror has TO use some per
suasioa before he ear get his child TO
come 70 him row after SO long an alb
sence, but sCcn the little finger traces TIE
familiar WRINKLE across the Scared face.
And,thcn the empty tankar3s are set up
and they arc filled with the beat wine
from thc hills and Dayi! and his men,
the husbands, the wives, tie brothers.
the sisters, drink 70 the overthrow OF the
Amalekitcs, ana to the rebuilding of Xix
lag. So. Lord, let thine enemies perish.
Now they are coming home, David and
his men and their fdmiiies-a long pro-
cession. Men, women and children,
loaded with jewels ard robes and with
All kinds Of trophies that the Amalekltes
had gathered up in years OF conquest
everything now IN the hands OF David
and his men. When they come by the
brook Besor. The place where staid tie
men sick and Incompetent TO travel, the
Jewels and the robes and all Kinds OF
treasures are divided among the sick as
well az among the well. Surely, the
lame and exhausted ought TO have some
of the treasures. Here is o robe for this
nalefaccd warrior. Here is a pillow for