The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-10-03
! BATTLE OF GIDEON.
R. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
ksourse Full of Interest to Teachers
and Scholars.

Ae lamps IN their left hands and the
ID. in their right hands 10 blow withal
sey stood every man in his plac,
| ,h0ut the camp. and all the host rar
| IA and fed. Judges vii. 20. q.
| is the strangest battle ever fought.
I,itold Gideon to 90 down and thrash
! Nanites. but his army Is too large, for
| M must be given TO God and not 10
,nd 50 proclamation Is made that all
the troops VINO are cowardlv and
10 20 homo may go. aud $4,000 Of
.ampered away, leaving only 10000
Bat God says the army Is too
VET. and so he orders these 10000
I,inr TO march down through n
and command Gideon 10 notice in
-,nner these men drink oi the water
nsss through II. II they get down
snr, and drink, then they are 60 he
IBseel lazy and incompetent for the
IN. but II. in passing through the
thew scoop up the water i'm tho pain
sand and drink and pass on theyare
men selected for the battle.
,he 10. 600 men marched down In the
andthe most Of them come down on
-sud plunge their mouths like n horse
into the water aud drink. but there
Non who. instead Of stopping. Just
r,ln ot their hands in the waterand
20 their lips. Tapping /. as q dog
Those 800 brisk. rapid. en-
men are chosen for the
w They are each TO take n trumpet
rr1t hand. and q pitcher in the left
sla lamp inside the pitcher, aud
given signal they are to blow the
and throw down the pitchers. and
ne lamps. SO It was done.
,b,. see a great host Of Midianites
.pep 10 the valley oi Jezreel. Gid
!. ~ with his 300 picked men. and
suhinc IL ready the signal is given
blow the trumpets. and they throw
pitchers. and hold up the lamps.
.r,at host Of Midianites. waking out
1nd sleep. take the crash OF tho
and the glare of the lamps for the
a OF au overwhelming foe. and they
'gt themselves 10 pieces and horr.-
D.
..1n. n this subject are very spir-
impressive. This seemingly value.
p9l quartz mas the pure gold in it.
alest dewdrop on the meadow at
30 star sleeping In its bosom. and
Insignificant passage OF Scripture
shining truth. Gods mint coins
,nangc
g the first place from this sub ioct
Ines. 10, Christian -trategem. You
M well that the greatest victories
med ty Washington or Napoleon
sl through the fact that they came
Ain way they were not expected
falling back TO draw out the foe,
/, lraaNng out from ambush. some
,.Inr 70 river on unheard OF RATS,
n, keeping the opposing forces in
ent as to what would be done neX,.
know what strategy is in military
Now think It Is high time we had
m',lel aud spiritualized. In the
zian We are about TO make a Chris
gli. We send word to the opposing
IN wa expect to come. how many
have and how many rounds OF
!. whether we will come with artil-
saiy or cavalry. and of course
piaa,el. There are thousands Of
night be surprised into the king
4 01. We need more tact and ingen-
hr,tian work. IL is in spiritual
IN military, that success depends
!. ng that part OF tue castle which Is
b and intrenched.
J, lance. here is man all armed on
te OF election. All his troops OF
nd prejudice are ut that particu-
You may batter away mt that side
4 tle for Atty years, aud you will not
b, Just wheel yOur troops to the side
he hearts affections. and In five
you capture him. / never knew
Be saved through n brilliant ar
! You cannot hook men into the
y GGJd by the horns Of dilemma.
grace in syllogisms. Here Is a
"a On the subject OF perseverance
q. b.. He does not believe in it..
Q AZ thai point. and he will perse-
The very last in not be-
Here Is a man armed
q |golert Of baptism. He believes
Lg or immersion. All your dis
ecclesiastical hydropathy will not
j.. remember when was u boy
l,aer boys ! went into the river on
DAY 10 bdtne, and we used TO dash
4 zach other, but never got any re-
that our eyes were blinded, and
iptists never results in anything
-a 1'rne Of the spiritual eyesight. In
e d, you can never capture a man :
Ia, lclnt at which he H. especially
La But there is in every mans
4, that can be easily showed. A
ogs l0ur yeats old may touch that
Will spring back. aud the door
a. open, and Christ will come in.
l., Dat the finest OF all the fine arts l.
he ioIhs good. and yet this art Is the
ltg. 'et' We have in the kingdom OF
. ID enough troops C., conquer the
A lJr Christ II we only had skillful
vii ag lwould rather have the 300
nd pitchers Ol Christian strategem
l.a. drawn swords of literary and
its al combat.
;. Ion this subject also that q small
, Cd army OF God will have 10 do all
,,el Gallng. Gideon's army was origin
s'l OF $4,000 men. but they went
% sn we're olly 10000 left, and that
,uI eIa1 from until there were only
VII ae sane In ali ages of the Chris,
A lew men have to do the hard
iaAe membership of 1000, aud
' 't'"i llA9 HepIic w lut
d n amembership OF SEQ, and you
=, a % that ten people do the work.
AZ ores OF churches where two OF
peas 90 the work.
'ar! 'ha' there is so much useless
tive 'he lr0untains of Lebanon.
ably 1890, 900 membership OF the
lss lar'h to-day IL 100000 OF the
be % Oh the books CAe church would
bd You know that the more
psl afones there are in any army
.nes' Is. | would rather have the
lsn OF Gideon than the $4,000
aid Inc many Christians there are
.lfers le way Of all progress! Think
at D o. the church OF God TO ride
ls ~ eai the quicker II does Il the
,es, PES It's duty.
hr ny, o Christian, II you have 10
AGa your snare Of the work. You
I'VE .ahk God that He has called you
It SS 'ae picked men rather than TO
b1 most OF stragglers. Would not
-sk a h.a