Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-05-26
Z1KLAG In ASHES!
DR.. TALMAGl1s ELOQUENT SERMON
At LITTLE ROCK.

Ohs N1lf7 H. ~ -
AT LITTLE ROCK.
Burning of tho Village OF David by tho
Amalekites tic Theme of His Discourse.
We Must Fight Like the 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, DIR. Talmagc, having halted here,
preached today to o large audience on
The subject of Recovered Families.
The text chosen was / 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.
There is intense excitement i'll 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 mes will
be safe until the warriors, flushed with
victory, come home. But will the de-
fenseless ones be safe? The soft arms of
children arc around the necks of the
bronco warriors until they shake them
selves free and start, and handkerchiefs
and flags are waved and kisses thrown
until tho armed men vanish beyond the
hills. David and his men soon get
through with their campaign and start
holaeward. Every night on their way
home no sooner does the soldier put his
head en- the knapsack han in his dream
he hears the welcome of the wife and
the shout Of tho 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 tho
last hill which overlooks Ziklag, and
they expect in q moment to see the
dwelling places of their loved ones.
They look, and as they look their check
turns pale, and their lip q~uivers, aud
their hand in~voluntarily comes down
OF the hilt Of the sword. Where is
Ziklag? Where are our homes?'' they
cry. Alas, tho curling smoke above the
ruin tells the tragedy
Captured by the Enemy.
The A~malekites have como down and
consumed the village and carried the
mothers, and tho wives, and the chill
dren of David and his men into captiv-
ity. The swarthy warriors stand for a
few moments transfixed 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 topicccs. 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. 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 go a step farther. They are left
there. But the other 400 men under
David, with q sort Of panther step,
march on in sorrow and i'll rage. They
find by the side of the road q half dead
Egyptian, and they re5uscitate him and
compel him to tell the whole story. He
says, "Yonder they we1t, tho captors
and the captives," pointing il tho d.
rection. Forward, We AGO lraye men of
frel
Very soon David and his enraged
company come upon tho AmalelIitish
host. Yonder they sec their own wives
and children and mothers, and under
Amalekitish guard. Here are the off
GERS of the Amalclitish army holding a
banquet. The cups are full; the music
is reused; the dance begins. The Anna
lcllitish 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 Il 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 Il spear, and their
voice is like the shout of the whirlwind!
Amid tho upset tanlsards and the cost
ly viands crushed underfoot, the
wounded Amalehites lie, their blood
mingling with their wine, shricking 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 sceac i'll Zililag seem very
insipid in the comparison. The rough
old warrior has to use some persuasion
before he can get lis 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 filed with the best wine from
tho 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
perishl
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-
quest-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
4,,,-11 I'll s---o1, a..I Al. - z.1 "