The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-02-04
WANT MORE DAVIDS.
DR.. Talmage Says Every Commu.
nifty Should Have One.
The People Need Energetic Christia a
Leaders In Their Fight Against
Satan-l.esson from the
Old Prophet.
Copyright,

| ply their resources for usefulness and
In novel way urges the putting forth
OF more energy in right directions;
text. Ii. Samuel 1873: Thou art worth
| 10000 of u.s."
| One OF the most wondrous characters
OF his time was David A red-haired boy,
he could shepherd flock or carry Item
loaves and Ten slices Of milk cheese TO
his brothers in the regiment" or with
leathern thong, stone-loaded, bring
down giant whose armor weighed
two hundredweight of metal, or cause
@ lion which roared at him in rage TO
roar with pain as he flung it, dying.
10 the roadside, or could marshal host
or rule an empire. or thumb harp so
successfully that It cured Saul's demen-
tia--a harp from whose strings dripped
pastorals, elegies, lyrics. triumphal
marches benedictions. Now, this man.
a combination of music and heroics, of
dithyrambs and battlefelds. OF coun-
try quietudes and craftsmanship, is to
fit out military expedition. Four
thousand troops, according to Jo-
sephus. were sent into the field. The
captains were put in command of the
companies and the colonies in COM
mand OF the regiments. which were
disposed into right wing. left wing
and center. Gen. Joab, Gen. Abshai
and Gen. Ittai are to lead these three
divisions. But who shall take the field
as commander in chief? David offers
his services. and proposes to go to the
front. He will lead them in the awful
charge. for he has not a cowardy nerve
in all his body. He did not propose to
have his troops 60 into perils which he
himself would not brave. and the bat
tletield required as much courage then
as now, for the opposing forces must.
in order 10 do any execution at all,
come up TO within positive reach of
saber and spear. But there came up
from the troops and the civilians a
mighty protest against David's taking
the field. His life was too important to
the nation. If he went down. the en-
pire went down. whereas If the whole
1000 of the ranks were slain another
army might be marshaled and the de-
feat turned into victory. The army and
the nation practically cried out: mo!
No! You cannot 60 TO the front. We
estimate you as 10000 men. Thou art
worth 10000 of u.s.!
J That army and that nation then and
there reminded David. and now remind
!, us. of the fact which we forget or never
: appreciate at all that some people are
morally or spiritually worth far more
than others and some worth far less.
: The census and statistics of neighbor-
. hoods, of churches, of nations, serve
their purpose, but they can never ac-
curately express the real state of
; things. The practical subject that |
want TO present to-day is that those
| who have especial opportunity, especial
, graces, especial wealth, especial talent,
especial eloquence, ought to make up
{ by especial assiduity and conservation
) for those who have less opportunities
, and less gifts. You ought to do ten
times more for God and human uplift-
: ing than those who have only tenth
of your equipment. The rank and the
: file of the 1000 of the text told the
| truth when they said: Thou art
t worth 10000 of us"
In no city of its size are there so
? many men of talent as are gathered in
this capital of the American nation.
t Some of the states are a times repre-
scented by men who have neither tai
l ents nor good morals. Their political
party compensates them for partisan
r services by sending them 10 congress,
Q or by securing for them positions in
the war or navy or pension or print
ing departments. They were nobodies
before they left home, and they are no
a bodies here. But they are exceptional
All the states of the Union generally
send their most talented men and men
!. of exemplary lives and noble purposes
= Some of them have the gifts and quail
:. fications of ten men, Of 100 men-yea,
T, of 1000 menr-and their constituents
/. could truthfully employ the words OF
!. my text and say: Thou art worth 10,-
: 600 of U.S."
With such opportunity are they aug
menting their usefulness in every pos
Z sible direction? 1t Is stupendous
thing to have power-poltcal power
: social power. official power. II has
+ often been printed and often quoted as
one of the wise sayings Of the ancients:
knowledge is power" Yet. it may as
u certainly be power for evil as for good
!. The lightning express rail train has
power for good if II is on the track. bu,
!. horrible power for disaster If ii leaves
/ the track aud plunges down the en-
bankment. The ocean steamer has pow.
!. er for good sailing in right direction
g and in safe waters and under good
y helmsmen and wide awake wa,chmen
I, on the lookout, but indescribable power
d for evil IL under full Roadway il strikes
he breakers. As steam power or cleo.
tricity or water forces may be stored in
boilers. in dynamos, in reservoirs. &c
5. be employed al! over town or city, 81
n God sometimes puts in one man enough
# faith to supply thousands of men with
l. courage. II a man happens TO be thus
n endowed. let him realize his opportu
y nifty aud improve 1t. AT this time mil