The Globe-republican., 1894-06-01
HAPPY REUNIONS.
Dr.. Talmage Discourses on the Joy
of a Reunited Family.
II We Expect to Meet Our Families In
the Kingdom to Come We Must
Take the Same Road
rs They.

ney. Rev T. Dewitt Talmage stopped
at Little Rock. Ark. the first Sunday
out and preached to a large audience
on the subject of Recovered Families
The text chosen was 1. Samuel. xxx. 4,
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" DR.. Tai
mage said:
There is intense excitement in the
village of Ziklag. David and his men
are bidding good-by to their families,
and are off for the wars In that little
village of Zikiag the defenseless ones
will be safe until the warriors. flushed
with victory. come home. But will the
defenseless ones be safe? The soft
arms of children are around the necks
of the bronzed 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 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 battle-ax. and then will
roll up their sleeves and show the half
healed wound. With glad. quick step.
they march or. David and his men. for
they are marching home. Now they
come up to the last hill which over
looks Ziklag. and they expect in mo-
ment 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 invol-
UNFAIRLY comes down on the hilt of the
sword. Where is Ziklag? Where are
our homes?" they cry. Alas. the curl
ing smoke above the ruin tells the
tragedy. The Amalekites have come
down and consumed the village, and
carried the mothers and the wives and
the children of David and his men
into captivity. The swarthy war
riors stand for few moments
eyes glance to each other. and they
burst into uncomfortable weeping: for
when 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 into rage,
and David, swinging his sword high in
Sha1<
take them. and without fail recover
all Now the march becomes a
..double-quick' Two hundred of
David's men stop by the brook Besor.
faint with fatigue and grief. They
cannot go a. step farther. They are
left alone But the other 400 men
under David. with 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 resusci-
tate him. and compel him to tell the
whole story. He says: ''Yonder they
went, the captors and the captives,"
pointing in the direction. Forward, We
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 officers of the Amalekitish
army holding banquet. The cups are
full. the music is reused. the dance be-
gins. The Amalekitish host cheer and
cheer and cheer over their victory.
But. without note of bugle or warning
of trumpet. David and his 500 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 you
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!
Amidst the upset tankards and the
costly viands crushed under foot, the
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 amidst
a great shout of JOY that makes the
parting scene in Ziklag seem very in
sipid in the comparison. 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 hus-
bands. the wives. the brothers. the Sis
tiers drink to the overthrow of the
Amalekites and to the rebuilding of
Ziklag. So, o Lord. let thine enemies
perish!
Now. they are coming home, David
and his men and their families long
procession. Men. women and children
loaded with jewels and robes and with
all kinds of trophies that the Amalek-
ties had gathered up in years of con-
quest now in the hands of
David and his men. When they come
by the brook Besor. the place where
stayed 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 well as among the
al