Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-05-24
FAINT, YET PURSUING
REV. DR.. TAlMAGE ON HIS ROUND
THE WORLD JOURNEY.

Victory.
LITTLE ROCK, May ao.--On his way
10 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 l Samuel xxx, 4, 10:
"Then David and the people that were
with him lifted up their voice and wept
until they had no moro power to weep.
David recovered all"
There is intense excitement in the vii
lage Of Ziklag. David and his men are
bidding goodby to their families and are
off for the wars In that little village of
Iklag the defenseless ones will be safe
until the warriors, flushed with victory,
come home But will the dcfcnsclcsS ones
be safe? The soft arms of children are
around tho nccks of the bron2cd warriors
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 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
and the shout of the child. Oh, what long
stories they will have to tell their fami
lies of how they lodged the battleax and
then will roll up their sleeve and show the
half healed woundl With glad, quick step,
they march on, David and his men, for
they are marching home
A March and a Victory.
Now thoy come up to the last hill which
overlooks Ziklsg, and they expect in a mo-
ment to see the dwelling places of their
loved ones. They look and as they look
their check turns pale, and their lip quiv-
ers, and their hand inyoluntarily comes
down on the hilt of the sword. Whore is
Ziklag? Where are our homes" they cry.
Alas the curling smoke above the ruin
tells the tragedy!
The A1nalekites have come down and
consumed the village and carried the moth
ers and the wives, and the children of
David and his men into captivity. The
swarthy warriors stand for few moments
transf1ed with horror. Then their eyes
glance to each other, and they burst into
uncomfortable weeping, 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
moro power to weep" But soon their sor-
row turns into rage, and David swinging
his sword high in air, cries, Pursue, for
thou shalt overtake them and without fail
recover all" Now the march becomes q
double quick " Two hundred of David s
men stop By this brook Besor, faint with
fatigue and grief. They cannot go 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 a
half dead Egyptian, and they resuscitate
him and compel him to tell the whole
story. He says, Wonder they went, the
captors and the captives," pointing in the
direction. Forward, We 400 brave men of
fire.
Very soon David and his enraged com
pany come upon the Amalckitish host
Yonder they see their own wives and chill
dren and mothers and under Amalekitish
guard. Here are the officers Of the Anal
ekitish army holding banquet. The cups
are full tho 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 trum-
pet 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 very fury of determination, for
you know how men will fight when they
fight for their wives and children. All,
there ara lightnings in their eye, and ev-
cry finger is spear, and their voice is like
the shout of the whirlwind Amid the
upset tankards and the costly viands crush
ed underfoot, the wounded Amalekites lie
their blood mngling 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 IN thpu with
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 sc
long an absence, but soon the little finger
traces the familiar wrinkle across the scar
red face And then the empty tankards
are set up, and they are filled with tho
best vino from the hills, and David ant
his men, the husbands, the wives tn,
brothers, the sisters, drink to the over
throw Of the Amalekites and to tho re
building of Ziklag. So, o Lord, let thine
enemies perish
The Return.
Now they are coming home, David ant
his men and their famiies--a long process
sion Men, women and children, LOADED
with jewels and robes and with all kind
of trophies that the Amalekites had gath
cred up in years of conquest-everythnl
now in the hands of David and his men
When they come by the brook Besor, TIL
place where staid the men sick and incom
petent to travel, the jewels and the robe
and all kinds of treasures are divided
among the sick as well as among the well
Surely the lame and exhausted ought t,
have some of the treasures. Here is n rob
for pale faced warrior. Here is a pillow
for this dying man. Here is handful 0
gold for the wasted trumpeter ] reall,
think that these men who tainted by tn
brook Besor may have endured as mucl
as those men who went into the battle
Some mean fellows objected to the sicl
ones having any of the spoils. The object
Ors said These men did not fight Da
vid, with magnanimous heart replies
"As his part is that gocth down to the bat
tie, so shall his part be that tarrieth b.