Connecticut western news., 1899-01-12
CLING TO THE CROSS.
pR. TaLMAGE BREACHES A POWER
 FUL SERMON.


 Home as We'll as on the Battiefie rd.
 The Greatest Warrior of All.
 [Copyright, 1899 by American Press Asso-
 ciationl
 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 novel way urges the putting forth of more energy in right directions; text, II Samuel xviii, 8, "Thou art worth 10, 900 of us"
 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 lion which roared at him in rage to roar with pain as he flung it, dying, to the roadside, or could marshal a host, or rule an em- pire, or thumb harp so skillfully that 1t cured Saul's dementia-a harp from whose strings dripped pastorals, elegies, lyrics, triumphal marches, benedictions Now, this man, com bination of music and heroics, of dithyrambs and battle fields, of country quietudes and states manship, is to 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 con- 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 his services and proposes to go to the front. He will lead them in the awful charge, for he has not oowardly 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 mighty protest against David's taking the field. His life was too important to the nation. If he went down, the em- pire went down; whereas, if the whole 4,OOO 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: "Nol Moi You cannot go to the front We estimate you as 10, 900 menl Thou art worth 10, 900 of usp '"
 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 &C., ourately express the real state of things. The practical subject that I 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 do ten times more for God and human uplifting than those who have only tenth of your equipment. The rank and the file of the 4, 900 of the text told the truth when they said, "Thou art worth 10,- 900 of us'' .
 In no city of it's 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 melodies before they left home, and they are melodies 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 a hundred men-yea, of thou sand men-and their constituents could truthfully employ the words of my text and say. "Thou art worth 1000 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 It is stupendous thing to have power-political power, social power, official power. It has of ten been printed and often quoted as one of the wise sayings of the anoients, Knowledge is power" Yet it may as certainly be power for evil as for good. The lightning express rail train has power for good if it is on the track but horrible power for disaster if it 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 un the lookout, but indescribable power for evil if under full headway it strikes the breakers. As steam power or electricity or water forces may be stored in boil CTS, in dynamos, in reservoirs, to be employed all over a town or city, so God sometimes puts in one man enough faith to supply thousands of men with courage If man happens to be thus endowed, let him realize his opportuni- ty and improve it. At this time mil lions of men are a-tremble lest this na tion make mistake and enter upon some policy of government for the is- lands of the sea that will founder the republic God will give to few men on both sides of this question faith and courage for all the rest. There are two false positions many are now taking, false as false can be. The one is that if we decline to take under full charge Cuba and Porto Rico and the Philip pines we make a deolination that will be disastrous to our nation, and other nations will take control of those ar chipelagoes and rule them, and perhaps tn nur humi Ii a tion and destrnctinn Tho