Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-01-06
CLING TO THE CROSS.
DR.. TALMAGE breaches \ POWER
Full SERMON.

Wen OF 1alent nave SpeciAi OpBpf-
tunities For Doing Good--HerOes at
Home as Well ns on the Battlefield.
The Greatest Warrior of All.
copyright, 1899. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
WASHINGTON, Jan. s. From a text
probably never before discoursed upon
DR.. Talmage in this sermon shows how
some people multiply their resources for
usefulness and in a novel way urges
the putting forth Of more energy in
right directions; text. ii Samuel xviii,
3, "Thou art worth 10000 Of us. y
One Of the most wondrous characters
of his time was David A red haired boy,
he could shepherd a flock or carry 'ten
loaves and ten slices Of milk cheese to
his brothers in the regiment, or with
lathern thong, stone loaded, bring down
a giant whose armOr weighed two hun
dredweight Of metal, or cause a lion
which roared at him in rage to roar with
pain as he flung it, dying to the roadside,
or could marshal host, or rule an EN-
pire, OF thumb harp so skillfdlly that
1t cured Saul's dementia-a harp from
whose strings dripped pastora.s, elegies,
lyrics, triumphal marches, benedictions.
Now, this man. a combination Of music
and heroics, Of dithyrambs and battle
fields, Of country quietudes and states
manship, is 10 fit out military expedi-
tion. Four thousand troops, according
to Josephus, were sent into the field.
The captains were put in command OF
the companies, and the colonels in COM
mand of the regiments, which were dis
posed into right wing, left wing and
center General Joab. General Abishai
and General Ittai are to lead these three
divisions. But who shall take the field
as commander in chief? David offers
bis services and proposes to go to the
front. He will lead them in the awful
charge, for he has not a cowardly nerve
in all his body. He did not propose TO
have his troops go into perils which he
himself would not brave, and the bat
tlefield required as much courage then
as now, for the opposing forces must,
in order to do any execution at all,
come up TO within positive reach OF
saber and spear. But there came up
from the troops and from 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
4, coo 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: mol
mol You cannot 20 to the front! We
estimate you as 10, 600 men! Thou art
worth 10, 600 Of usp "
That army and that nation then and
there reminded David and now remind
Us of the fact which we forget On 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-
ourately express the real state of things.
The practical subject that want to
present today is that those who have
especial opportunity, especial graces,
especial wealth, especial talent, espe-
cial eloquence, ought to make up by
especial assiduity and conservation for
those who have less opportunities and
less gifts. You ought to Go ten times
more for God and human uplifting 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 worth TO-
600 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.
Some Of the states are at times repre-
sented by men who have neither talents
nor good morals. Their political party
compensates them for partisan services
by sending them to congress or by se'
curing for them position in the war or
navy or pension or printing depart
ments. They were nobodies before they
left home, and they are nobodies 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 qualifications of ten
men, of q hundred men-yea, of thou
sand men-and their constituents could
truthfully employ the words Of my text
and say, "Thou art worth 10000 OF
us."
Power For Good.
With such opportunity, are they aug
menting their usefulness in every pos
sible direction? Many Of them are, some
of them are not. 1t is a stupendous
thing to have power-political power
social power official power. Il has Of
ten been printed and often quot d as
one Of the wise sayings of the ancients,
"Knowledge is power" Yet it may as
certainly be power for evil as for good.
1n6 AlANeo A"tA
power for good if ii is on the track, but
horrible power for disaster il II leaves
the track and plunges down the em-
bankment. The ocean steamer has power
for good, sailing in right direction and
in safe waters and under good helms
man and wide awake watchman On the
lookout, but indescribable power for
evil If under foil headway It strikes the
breakers. AZ steam power or electricity
or water forces may be stored in boil
ers, in dynamos, In reservoirs, TO be
employed all over town or city. so
God sometimes puts in one man enough
faith to supply thousands Of men with
courage. If a man happens to be thus
endowed, let him realize his opportunl'
ty and improve It, AT this time mil
lions Of men are a.tremble lest this ma
tion make mistake and enter upon
some policy Of government for the is-
iande of the sea that will founder the