Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-05-25
zIKLAG-I IN ASHES!
DR.. TALMAeE's ELOQUENT SERMON
AT LITTLE ROCK.

~ ~ lGG TWIN
Burning of the Village OF David by the
Amalekites the Theme of His Discourse.
We Must Fight Like he Warriors Of Old
to Recover Our Loved Ones.
LITTLE Rock, May 20.-On his way
to California, whence he will start on
May 81 on his round the world journey,
Rev. Dr. Talmage, having halted here,
preached today to large audience on
the subject Of Recovered Families. "
The text chosen was / Samuel Xxx, q,
10: "Then David and the people that
were with him lifted up their voice and
wept until they had no more power TO
weep. David recovered all
There Is intense excitement in the
village Of Ziklag. David and his men
are bidding goodby to their families and
are off for the wars In that little vii
lage of Ziklag the defenseless ones will
be safe until the warriors, flushed with
victory, come home. But will the de-
fenseless ones be safe? The soft arms OF
children are around the necks of the
bronze warriors until they shake them
selves 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.
Oh, what long stories they will have
to tell their families of how they lodged
the battleax, 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 up to the
last hill which overlooks Ziklag, and
they expect in moment to see the
dwelling places of their loved ones.
They look, and as they look their cheek
turns pale, and their lip quivers, and
their hand involuntarily comes down
on the hilt of the sword. where is
Ziklag? Where are our homes?" they
cry. Alas, the curling smoke above the
ruin tells the tragedy
Captured by the Enemy.
The Amalekites have come down and
consumed the village and carried the
mothers and the wives, and the chill
dren of David and his men into captiv-
ity. The swarthy warriors stand for a
few moments transfxed with horror.
Then their eyes glance to each other,
and they burst into uncomfortable weep
ing, for when a strong warrior weeps
the grief is appalling. 1t 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 in
to rage, and David. swinging his sword
high in air, cries, Pursue, for thou
shalt overtake them, and without fail
recover all. A" Now the march becomes
a double quick" Two hundred Of
David's men stop by the brook Besor,
faint with fatigue and grief. They can
not 20 a 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, "Yonder they went, the captors
and the captives, pointing in the di.
rection. Forward, ye 400 brave men OF
fire!
Very soon David and his enraged
company come upon the Amalekitish
host. Yonder they see their own wives
and children and mothers, and under
Amalekitish guard Here are the off,
GERS of the Amalekitish army holding q
banquet. The cups are full; the music
is reused; the dance begins The Anna
lekitish host cheer and cheer and cheer
over their victory. But, without note OF
bugle or warning Of trumpet, David and
his 400 men burst upon the scene
David and his men look up, and one
glance at their loved ones in captivity
and under Amalekitish guard throws
them into a very fury Of determination,
for Won know how men will fight when
they fight for their wives and children
All, there are lightnings in their eye,
and every finger is spear, and their
voice is like the shout of the whirlwind!
Amid the upset tankards and the cost
" viands crushed underfoot, the
wounded Amalekites lie, their blood
mingling with their wine, shrieking 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
amid a great shout Of joy that makes
the parting scene in Ziklag seem very
insipid in the comparison. The rough
old warrior has to use some persuasion
before he can get his child TO come to
him now after so long an absence, but
soon the little finger traces the familiar
wrinkle across the SCARED face. And
then the empty tankards are set up, and
they are filled with the best wine from
the hills. 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
Ziklag. So, o Lord, let thine enemies
perish
Spells of Victory.
Now they are coming home, David
and his men and their families-a long
procession. Men, women and children,
loaded with jewels and robes and with
all kinds of trophies that the Amale-
kites had gathered up in years OF con-
ouest-everything now in the hands OF
David and his men. When they come
by 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 among
the sick as well as among the well
Surely the lame and exhausted ought
to have some OF the treasures. Here is
robe for a pale faced warrior Here is
n pillow for this dying man. Here Is
handful Of gold for the wasted trumpet
err. really think that these men who
tainted by the brook Besor may have
endured as much as those men who
went into the battle. Some mean f6i-
LOWS Objected 10 the sick ones having