Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-05-23
XKLAG IN ASHES!
DR.. TALMAGE'S ELOQUENT SERMON
AT LITTLE ROCK.

We Must Fig 1t Like the Warriors of Old
to Recover Our Loved Ones.
LITTLE Rock, May 2O.-On his way
+o California, whence he will start on
MAY Il on his round the world journey,
Rev. DR.. Talmage, having halted here,
rreached today to a large audience on
tle subject Of Recovered Families. {"
The text chosen was ! Samuel xxx, 1,
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 overlools 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 transtiXed with horror.
Then their eyes glance to each other,
and they burst into uncomfortable weep |
ing, 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 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 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 a
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 you know how men will fight when
they fight for their wives and children,
All, there are lightnings i'll their eye,
and every finger is a spear, and their
voice is like the shout of the whirlwindl .
Amid the upset tankards and the cost
ly 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 10 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 mp, 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 10 the overthrow Of the
Amalekites and 20 the rebuilding Of
Ziklag. So, o Lord, let thine enemies
perish!
SpoiIs of Victory.
Now they are coming home, David
and his men and their families-a long
I'll