The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-10-04
GIDEON'S BATTLE.
DR.. Talmage Discusses a Subject
of Much Interest.
Lessons Drawn from the Contest with the
Midianites-The Few Who Fight the
Battles of ChrIstIanity-The
Final Triumph.


scholars at the present time, being
Gideon's battle with the Midiauites
near Mount Gilboa. The text choser
was from Judges, vii. 2O-2I: And the
three companies blew the trumpets
and brake the pitchers, and held the
lamps in their left hands. and the
trumpets in their right hands to blow
withal And they stood every man in
his place round about the camp. and
all the host ran, and cried, and fed -
The sermon follows:
That is the strangest battle ever
fought. God had told Gideon to 60
down and thrash the Midianites. but
his army is too large: for the glory
must be given TO God, and not to man.
And so proclamation is made that all
those of the troops who are cowardlv
and want to go home, NAV 90: and
twenty-five thousand of them scam
pered away, leaving only ten thou
sand men. But God says the army Is
too large yet; and SO He orders these
ten thousand remaining to march
down through stream. and commands
Gideon to notice in what manner these
men drink of the water as they pass
through it. If they get down on all
fours and drink, then they are
to be pronounced lazy and incom-
petent for the campaign: but if
in passing through the stream. thew
scoop up the water in the palm of their
hands and drink, and pass on. they are
to be the men selected for the battle.
Well, the ten thousand men march
down into the stream. and most of
them come down on ali-four> and plunge
their mouth, like horse or an OK. into
the water and drink: but there are
three hundred men. who. instead of
STOPPING, just dip the palm of their
hands into the water and bring IL to
their lips, tapping as the dog lap
peth." Those three hundred brisk.
rapid, enthusiastic men were chosen
for the campaign. They are each to
take trumpet in the right hand and
a pitcher in the left hand, and a lamp
inside the pitcher, and then. at a given
signal, they are to blow the tumpets,
and throw down the pitchers and hold
up the lamps. So it was done.
1t is night. l see a great host of
of Jezreel Gideon comes up with his
three hundred picked men. and when
everything is ready the Signals given,
and they blow the trumpets and they
throw down the pitchers and hold up
the lamps, and the great host of Midi
antics, waking out of a sound sleep,
take the crash of the crocllery and the
glare of the lamps for the coming of
an overwhelming foe: and they run
and cut themselves to pieces and hor-
ribly perish.
The lessons of this subject are very
spirited and impressive. This SEEM
ingly vagueless lump OF quartz has the
pure gold in it. The smallest dewdrop
on the meadow at night has a star
sleeping in its bosom. and the most in
significant passage Of Scripture has in
it n shining truth. Gods mint coins
no small change.
| learn in the first place, from this
subject. the lawfuluesS of Christia
stra asagem. YOu know very well that
the greatest victories ever gained by
Washington or Napoleon were gained
through the fact that they came when
and in a way they were not expected
sometimes falling back TO draw out
the foe, sometimes breaking out from
ambush, sometimes crossing a river on
unheard of RATS; all the time keeping
the opposing forces in wonderment as
to what would be done next.
You all know what strategy is in
military affairs. Now l think ii is
high time we had this art sanctified
and spiritualized. In the church when
we are about to make a Christian as
sault, we send word to the opposing
force when we expect TO come, how
many troops we have, and how many
rounds of shot, and whether we will
come with artillery, infantry or cav
airy, and of course we are defeated.
There are thousands of men who
might be surprised into the kingdom
of God. We need more tact and in
genuity in Christian work. 1t Is in
spiritual affairs, as in military, that
success depends in attacking that part
of the castle which is not armed and
entrenched.
For instance. here is man all armed
on the doctrine of election: all his
troops of argument and prejudice are
at that particular gate You may bat
ter away at that side of the castle for
fifty years, and You will not take it;
but just wheel your troops to the side
gate of the hearts affections, and in
five minutes you capture him. l never
knew a man to be saved by brilliant
argument You cannot hook men into
the kingdom of God by the horns of a
dilemma. There is no grace in syl-
logismS- Here is a man armed on the
subject of perseverance of the saints;
he does not believe in it. Attack him
at that point. and he will persevere TO
the very last in not believing 1t. Here
is q man armed on the subject of
baptism: he believes in sprinkling or
immersion. All your discussion Of &C.
-clesiaStical hydropathv viii not change
him. ! remember. when | was boy.
that with other bows l went into the
river on a summer day TO battle, and
we used to dash water on each other,
but never got any result except that
our eyes were blinded; and all this
splashing of water between Baptists
and Pedo-Baptists never results in
anything but the blurring of the spir-
itual eyesight. In other words, you
can never capture mans soul at the
point at which he IS especially in
trenched. But there is in every mans
heart a bolt that can be easily showed.
A little child four years old may touch
that bolt. and it will swing back, and
the door will swing open, and Christ
will come in.