Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-11-15
REV. DR.. fkLMAGE.
The Eminent Washington pivineS
Sunday Sermon.
Subject: "The Disabled"

quarters you have no idea OF the amount OF
baggage-tweuty loads. fifty loads, 100 loads
Of baggage David and his army were about
to start on q double quick march for the re-
covery OF their captured families from the
Amalekites. So they left by the brook Besor
their blankets. their knapsacls, their bag
gage and their carriages. Who shall be
detailed to watch this stuff There are
sick soldiers, and wounded soldiers, and
aged soldiers who are not able TO go on swift
military expedition, but who are able to do
some WORK. and so theyare detailed to watch
the baggage There is many p soldier who
is not strong enough to march thirty miles
in day and then plunge into ten hours
fight who is able with drawn sword lifted
against his shoulder 10 pace up and down as
a sentinel to keep off an enemy VINO might
put the torch to the baggage. There are
200 OF those crippled and aged wounded
soldiers detailed to watch the baggage
Some OF them. suppose, had bandaSes
across the brow, and some OF them had their
arms in slings. and some OF them walked on
crutches They were not towards Sinking
dutv. They hal fought in many fierce
battle for their country and their God. They
are now part Of the time in hospital and
part of the time on garrison duty. Tney
almost cry because they cannot go with the
other troops to tho front. While these senti-
nes watch the baggage the Lord watches
the sentineiS.
There is quite different scene being en-
acted in the distance. The Ama|ektes, hav-
/. ing ravaged andransacked and robbed whole
countries, are celebrating their success in a
roaring carousaI. Some ofthem are dancing
on the lawn with wonderful gyration OF heel
ana toe. and some of them arc examining
the spois Of victory-the finger rings and
earrings AMI necklaces, the wristlets, the
hea1bands, diamond starred, and the Golfers
with coronets and carueions and pearls and
sapphires and emeraIds and all the wealth OF
plate, and Jewels aud decanters, and the sill
YER and the gold banked up on the earth in
princely profusiou, aud the emoroiderles,
and the robes, and the turbans, aud the
cIoaks OF an imperial wardrobe. The
banquet has gone on until tho ban
uueters are maudlin aud weak and stu
Did and indecent and lOathsomely drunk.
What time it is now for David and his
men to sWOoD on them. So the English lost
the battle of Bannock0urn because the night
before they were in wassail and bibulous
celebration. while the Scotch were in pray
err. So the Syrians We're Overthrown their
carousal by the IsraeIites. SO Chedorlaomer
and his army were Overthrown in their
carousal by Abraham and his men. So in
lost because one of the generals was drunk.
Now is the time for David aud his men to
rToop upon these carousing Amalekites.
Some of the Amalekites are hacked to pieces
on the spot, soma OF them are just able to go
staggering and hic3ougning off the field,
some Of them crawl on camels and speed of
in the distance. David aud his men gather to-.
gether the wariro5es, the jewels. and put
them upon the backs Of camels and into
wagons. aud they gather together the sheep
and cattle that had been stolen and start
back toward the garrison. they come,
Wonder they come. The limping men OF the
garrison come out and greet them with wild
huzza. The Bible says David salute1 them
that is, he asked them how they all were.
How is your broken amp" Chow is your
fractured iaw?'' "Has the stiffened limb
been unllmberel?" "Have you had another
chlll?" Are you getting bstter|" He salut-
ed them.
But now came a very difficult thing, the
distribution of the spois Of victory. Drive up
| those laden camels now. Who shall have the
| spoils? Well, some selfish soul suggests that
these treasures ought all to belong to those
who hal basn out in active service. 1--WE
| did all the fg1ting while these men stayed
at home in the garrison. and we ought to
have all the treasures" Bit David looked
into the worn faces OF these veterans VINO
ha stayed in the garrison. and ne looked
around and saw now Clearly everything had
| been kent. aud he saw that the baggage was
all safe, and he knew that tae wounded and
crippled men would gladly enough have been
at the front if they had been able, and the
little general looks up from under his helmet
and says, ono, no, let us have fair play, "
and he rusheS no to one OF these men
and he says, "Hold your hands to-
| gether," and the hands are held TO-
gether, and he fills them with silver! Aud he
rushes up to another man who was sitting
away back aud had no idea Of getting any oil
| the spoils. and throws Babylonish garment
over him and fills his hand with gold. And
| be rushes up to another man who had lost
all his property in serving God and his coun-
try years before, and he drives up some oil
the cattle and some of the sheep that they
had brought back from the Amalekites. and
he gives two or three of the cattle an three
or four OF the sheep to this poor man, so he
shall always be fell and clothed. He sees a
man so emaciated and worn out AMI sick he
needs stimulants, and he gives him little oil
| the wine that he brought from the Anal
| ekites. Yonder is a mau who has no ap-
petite for the rough rations of the army. and
he gives him rare morsel from the Amale-
kitish banquet, and the 200 crippled and
manned and aged soldiers who tarried on
garrison duty get just as muon of the spoils
of battle as any OF the 40 men that went to
the front. "As his part is that goeth down
to the battle. so shall his part % that tarrIeth
by the stuff.
The impression is abroad that the Chris
tan rewards are for those wn0 do conspicu-
Gus service in distinguished places-2reat
patriots. great preachers, great phllanthro-
pists. But my text sets forth the idea that
| there is lust as mu3n re ward for man that
stavs at home aud minds his own business,
AMI who. crippled and unable to go forth
| and lead in great m OvomentS and in the nlg1
pIacas of the earth, does mis- wh0e duty just
where he is. Garrison duty as important
| and as. remunerative service at the front
GAS his part is tdat goeth down to the bat
tie, so shall his part be that tarrleth by tne
stuff. "
The Earl of Kntore said to me in an Eng
fish railway, "Mr. Talmage, wnen you get
| back to America want you to preach a ser
mon on the discharge of ordinary DUTY IL
ordinary places, and then send me copy o.
it," AfterWard an English clergyman, COM
ing to this land, brought from tae Earl o.
| Kintore the same message. Alas, that be
fore | got ready to do what he asked me t
do the good Earl of Kintore had departed
this lifel But that man, surrounded oy al
palatial surroundings, and in distin
| guished sphere, felt sympathetic with
| those who had ordinary duties to per
form in ordinary places and in oriinar!
ways. great many people are discouraged
| when they hear the story of Moses, aud o
| Joshua, and of David, and OF Luther. and O
| John Knox, and of Deborah, and OF Florence
| Nightingale. They say, "Ob, thai was al
| good aud right for them. but l shall neve
be calledto receive the law on Mount Sinai
I shall never be called to command the SUI
and moon to stand still, l shall never b.
called to STAY giant, 1 shall never preacf
on Mars hill shall never defy the Diet .
Worms, shall never be called to make
queen tremble for her crimes, l shall neve