The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1895-10-09
REV. DR. TALMAGE..
rHrs NOTED DlvINE's SUNDAY
s is # DISCOURSE.
Subject HG1deon's Battle With the
nlidlanitcs.'' sl

-,
hold the lamps in thoir lect hands and tho
trumpets In their right hands to blow wlthnl.
And tlisy stood every man IN his place
round hbout tho camp. and all the host ran
nnd cried md fled."--Judges viii. 20. 2t
6 That is tho strangest bnttle ever fought.
God hal told Gideon to 20 down and thrash
the Midionites. but his army Is too lnrge. for
the glory must bc given TO God and not to
man. Aud SO proclamation is made thnt all
those OF tho troops who ara cowardly aud
want TO 70 homo may go. and o. 600 OF
thom srampernd away. leaving only 10000
men. But God snys tho army is too
remaining to march down through q
stream and command Gideon 10 notice in
what manner those men drink OF tho water
rs they pass through It, II they got down
pronounced lazy anu incompetent for tho
campaign. but II, in passing through tho
stream, they. scoop up tho water in the palm
OF their hand and drink and pass on thoy are
10 be tho mon selected for tho battle.
Well, the 1000 men marched down In the
stream and tho most OF them como down on
oil fours and plunge theirmouths likc horse
or an OK into tho wntor and drink, but thcrn
dip the palm Of their hands in tho water and
bring it 10 thcir ]jps, f'apping Il us a dog
lappeeth." Those 800 'isk. rapid, on
thmsnSte 1%o,, mon j are chosen for the
IN the right hand. and II pitcher in tho loft
hand, and q lamp inside tho pitcher. ani
then ut a given signal they aro to blow tho
trumpets. and throw down the pitchers, md
hold up tho lamps. So II was done.
1t is night. see great host OF N1i,lionitos
sound aslcep in the valley Of Jczrcel. Gid
con comes up with his 800 oicked mon. and
when everything is ready tho signal Is glvon
and they blow tho trnmnets md they throw
down the pitchers. aud hold up tho lamps,
and tho great host OF Mtdianites waking out
Of sound sleep. take tho crash OF tho
crocl,ery and tho glare Of the lamps for thn
coming on Of an overwhelming foe. nnd they
run and cut thcms elves to pieces and horrl-
bly, perish.
Tho lessons of this subject are very spr-
ited and imnrcssivc. This seemingly ynluo.
less lump 81 quartz hns tho puro gold in it,
Tho smallest .dewdrop on the meadow ut
night has star sleeping in Its bosom, and
tho most insignificant Dassngo Of Scripture
has in it shining truth. Gods mint coins
no small change
T learn In tho first plaee from this subject
tho lnwfulncSs OF Christian strate9en. You
know very we'll that the grentest victories
ever gained by Washington or Napoleon
wcre gained through tho fact that thoy camo
when and in II way they wero not expected
sometimes falling back to draw out the foe.
sometimes breaking out from ambush. some
times crossing d river on unhcard Of rnfts,
all the timo Keeping the opposing forcas in
wonderment as to what would be dono next.
You all know what strategy Is in military
affairs. Now J. think 1t Is high timo we had
this art sunctinod and sDirtuuized. In tho
church. when wo arc about to make Chris
tlan assault, wo send word to the opposing
forcY when wo expect to como, how many
troops wn hHve, and how many rounds OF
shot, and whether VIC will come with nrtil-
lery, infantry or cavalry. and Of course
wo are defeated. There are thousands Of
men who might he surprised into tho king
rs, dom of God. We need moro tact and ingen-
ulty in Christian work. It is in spiritual
NE,Wis as ininiltetr That @itcGosS deliynla
~ WtGoNing rhai pUtt ot sne na9tip which is
not atipct nnt intrArehed.
~ s4 6os. ine(nnne. usre Is n MAN tO ntGoji n(
Tue dot. .ynr q pcctlnn Aii hs Setops u2
nl'gln,C 1t pntl prc;uuies aCG az tdnt 3arimt.
..r SAFE. You may' batternWay u, thut Sile
of thc castle tor itYyonts, lNd yu,fwiI uot
gate OF the hearts affections. ana In i've
q man to be sayod through brilliant ar
gumet. You cnnnot hook men into tho
kingdom OF God by tho horns Of IL dilemma.
There is no grace In sylloglsms. Horo is q
man armed on tho subject OF perseverance,
Of the saints. He does not believe in it.
Attack him at that point. and he will porsn-
yero to. tho very last in not be-
iieving It. Hero Is man armed
in sprnkling or immersion. All your dis
cussion Of ecciesiasticnl hydropathy will not
change him. romembor whom was a boy
that with other boys went into tho river on
summer day to bathe, and we used to dash
wator on each other, but mover got any re-
suit except that our eyes were blinded, and
all this splashing Of wator between Bnptists
and Pedobaptlsts never results in anything
but the blurrlng OF the spiritual eyesight In
other words. you can neyer capture mans
soul Mt the point ut which he is especially
intrenched. But there is in every mans
heart q bolt that can be easily showed. A
little child four years old may touch that
bolt, and II will spring back. and the door
will swing opon. and Christ will come in.
think that tho finest OF all tho fine arts Is
the art OF doing good. and yot this art is the
least cultured. We have In tho kingdom Of
God to-day enough troops to conquer tho
manGuverjng. Iwould rather have the 800
lamps and pitchers OF Christian stratogem
than 100000 drawn swords OF litornry and
ecclesiastical combat,
learn from this subject also that small,
part OF the army OF God will have TO do MI
tho hard 0ghiing. GidoOn's army was orgin-
ally composed Of so, 900 men. but they went
off until there were only 10000 left, and that
WIS sMbstracta,t from until there wore only
30O 1t Is the snmo In all ages Of tho Chris
fighting. Take IL membership Of 1000, aud
you generally find that llfy people do tho
work. Take n amomborship OF SEQ, and you
generally find that ton people do tho work.
There are scores OF churches where two or
three people do tho work.
We mourn that there Is so much useless
lumber in tho mountains OF Lebanon.
think OF tho 100000 membership of the
Christian church to-day IL 5000 900 OF tho
names wore Off the books tho church would
cowards and drones thoro aro in any army
tho weaker 1t Is. I would rathor have tho
800 picked men Of Gideon than the 900
unsffted host. Tho many Christians thore are
standing In the way Of all progress; I think
over them, and tho quicker it does 1t tho
quicker it does its duty.
Do not worry, 0 Christian, II you have to