The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-11-20
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY TIE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: "The Disabled"

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the battle. so shall his part bethat tarrieth by
the stuff. Samuel xxx, "a.
It you have never seen an army change
quarters you have no idea Of the amount OF
baggage-twenty loads, fifty loads, 100 loads
OF baggage. David and his army were about
to start on double quick march for the re-
covery of their captured families from the
Amalekites. So they left by the brook Besor
their blankets. their knapsacks, 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 so on swift
military expedition. but who are able to do
some work. and 80 theyare detailed to watch
the baggage. There is many a 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 to pace up and down as
a sentinel to keep Off au 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 tneir
arms in slings. and some OF them walked on
crutches. They were not towards shirking
duty. They had fought in manv a 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. They
almost cry because they cannot 60 with the
other troops to tho front. While these sentl-
nels watch the baggage the Lord watches
the sentinels.
There Is quite different scene being en-
acted in the distance. The Amalekites, hav.
ing ravaged and ransacked and robbed whole
countries. are celebrating their success IN a
roaring carousal. Some ofthem are dancing
on the lawn with wonderful gyration OF heel
and toe. and some of them are examining
the spoils Of victory-the finger rings and
earrings and necklaces. the wristlets, the
headbands, diamond starred, and'the coffers
with coronets and carnelions aud pearls aud
sapphires and emeralds and all the wealth OF
plate. and jewels and decsnters, and the sill
yer and the gold banked up on the earth In
prlncely profusion, and the embroideries,
and the robes, and the turbans, and the
cloaks of an imperial wardrobe. The
banquet has gone on until the pan
due.ers are maudlin and weak and stu
ptd and indecent and loathsomely drunk.
What time it Is now for David and his
men to swoop on them. So the English lost
the battle OF Bannockburn because the night
before they were in wassail and b1bulous
celebration. while the Scotch were in pray
er. So the Syrians were overthrown IN their
carousal by the lsraelites. SO Chedorlaomer
carousal by Abraham and his men. SO in
our Civil War more than once the battle was
lost because one of the generals was drunk.
Now is the time for David and his men to
swoop upon these carousns AmaleEltes.
Some of the Amalekites are hacked to pieces
on the spot, some Of them are just able to 60
staggering and hic,oughing of the field.
some Of them crawl on camels and speed on
nthe distance. David and his men gather to-
3ha- kha orlr has va
them upon the backs of camels and into
wagons, and they gather together the sheep
and cattle that had been stolen and start
back toward the garrison Yondert they come,
yonder they come. Thelimping men OF the
garrison come out and greet them with Wild
huzza. The Bible says David saluted them
that is, he asked them how they all were.
s.How Is your broken arm?" Chow is your
fractured jaw?" "Has the stiffened limb
been unlimbered?" "Have you had another
chtll?" "Are you getting BETTER" he salut-
ed them.
But now came very difficult thing. the
distribution Of the spoils Of victory. Drive up
those laden camels now. Who shall have the
spois? Well, some selfish soul suggests that
these treasures ought all to belong to those
who had been out in active service. "We
. did all the fighting while these men stayed
at home in the garrison, and we ought to
have all the treasures" Bat David looked
into the worn faces Of thess veterans who
had stayed in the garrison. and he looked
around and saw how cleanly everything had
been kept, and he saw that the baggage was
all safe, and he knew that the wounded and
crippled men would gladly enough have been
atthe front If they had been able, and the
little general looks up from under his helmet
and says, "No, no, let us have fair play"
and he rushes up to one OF these men
and hs says, "Hold your hands to-
gether," and the hands are held To-
gether and he fllls them with silver! And he
rushes up to another man who was sitting
away back and hadSno idea OF getting any OF
the spoils. and throws Babylouish garment
over him and fllls his hand with gold. And
he 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 OF
the cattle and some OF the sheep that they
had brought back from the Amalekites. and
he gives two or three Of the cattle AMI three
orfour OF the sheep to this poor man, so he
shall always be fed and clothed. He sees a
man so emaciated and worn out AMI sick he
needs stimulants, aud he gives him little OF
the wine that he brought from the Anal
ekites. Yonder is man who has no ap-
petite for the rough rations Of the army. and
he gives him rare morsel from the Amale-
kitish banquet, aud the 200 crippled and
manned and aged soldiers who tarried on
garrison duty get just rs much Of the spoils
Of battle as any OF the 200 men that went to
the front. '.As his part is that goeth down
to the battle. so shall his part bs that tarrieth
by the stuff"
The impression Is abroad that the Chris
tian rewards are for those who do consplcu-
GUS service in distinguished places-sreat
patriots. great preachers, great philanthro-
pists. But my text sets forth the idea that
there Is just as much reward for man that
STAYS at home and minds his own business,
an1 who, crippled and unable to 90 forth
and lead in great movements and In the high
places OF the earth, does his whole duty just
where he is. Garrison duty as important
and as remunerative as service at the front.
"As his part Is that goeth down to the bat
tie, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the
stuff"
The Earl Of Kintore said to me in an Eng
lish railway, "Mr. Talmage, when you get
back to America I want you to preach SER
mon on the discharge OF ordinary duty in
ordinary places, and then send me copy OF
it." Afterward an English clergyman, COM
ing to this land, brought from the Earl Of
Kintore the same message, Alas, that be-
fore got readyto do what he asked me to
do the good Earl Of Kintore had departed
this life. But that man, surrounded by all
palatial surroundings, and IN distln-
guished sphere, felt sympathetic with
those who had ordinary duties to per-
form in ordinary places and In ordinary
ways. A great many people are discouraged
when they hear the story of Moses. and OF
Joshua. and of David, and Of Luther. and Of
John Knox, and Of Deborah, and Of Florence
Nightingale. They say, "Oh, that was all
good and right for them, but I shall never
be calledto to receive the law on Mount Sinai.
shall never be called to command the sun
and moon to stand still, shall never be
called to slay giant, shall never preach
on Mars hill. shall never defy the Diet OF
Iuo.ras I ahall na,:ar ha callad TO rnal1a n