St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-02-11
WANT MORE DAVIDS.
Dr.. Talmage Says Every comInu-
nifty Should Have One.
The People Need EnePSetIc Christsan ~
Leaders In Their Fight Against
Sntan-Lcxson from the
Old Prophet.

uHoH III. th'-
sermon shows how some people multi
ply their resources for usefulness and
, in novel way urges the putting forth
of more energy in right directions;
text. II. Samuel 1879: Thou art worth
10000 of u.s."
One of the most wondrOus characters
fhis time was David. a red-haired 10y.
he could shepherd j flock or carry ten
loaves and ten slices of Elilk cheese TO
his brothers in the regiment" or with
Ieathern thong. stone-loaded. bring
down giant whose armor weighed
two hundredwcight of metal. or cause
q lion. (which roaretl at him in rage to
roar with pain US he flung it. dying.
10 the roadside. or could marshal host
or rule an empire. or thumb Il harp so
successfully that il cured Saurs demen-
,ia-a harp from whose strings dripped
rastorals. elegies. lyrics, triumphal
marches, benedictions. Now. this man.
combination Of music and heroics. OF
dithyrambs and hattlefielGs. of coun-
try quietuGes and craftsmanship. is TO
fit out a military expedition. Four
thousand troops. according 10 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. Abishai
and Gen. Ntai are TO lead these three
divisions. But who shall take the field
as commander in chief: David offers
his services. and proposes 10 80 10 the
front. He will lead them in the awful
charge. for he has net n cowardiy nerve
in all his body. lie did not propose to
have his troops go into perils which he
himself would not brave. and the bat
tleficld 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 arsl the civilians q
mighty protest against David's taking
the field. His life was too important 10
the nation. II he went down. the en-
pire went down. whereas If the whole
1900 of the ranks were slain another
army might be marshaled and Tie de-
feat turned into victory. The army and
the nation practically cried out: NO!
No! You cannot go to the front. We
estimate You as 10000 men. Thou art
worth 10000 of u.s."
That army and that nation then and
there reminded David. AND now remind
-f - .x.l, R<>,-
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
graccs, especial wealth, especial talent.
especial eloquence. ought 10 make up
hy especial assiduity and conservation
for those who have less opportunities
and less gifts. You ought to do ten
times more for God and human upIift-
ing than those who have only tenth
of your equipment. The rank and the
file of the 4.00U Of the text told the
truth when they said: Thou art
worth 10000 Of u.s."
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 tai
ents nor good morals. Their political
party compensates them for partisan
services by sending them TO congress.
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
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
iications of ten men. OF lC0 Elen-yea.
of 1000 men-and their constituents
could truthfully employ the words of
my text and say: Thou art worth 10.-
COO of u.s.
With such opportunity are they aug
meniing their usefulness in every pos
siblc direction? II is stupenGou>
thing TO have power-poiitica! power.
social power. official power. !, has
often been printed and often quoted as
one OF the wise sayings OF the ancien's:
knowledge is power" Yet. il may as
certainly be power for evil as for good.
The lightning express rail train has
power for good il il is on the track. bu,
horrible power for disaster if ii leaves
the track and p!unges down the en-
bankment. The ocean steamer has pow
er for good sailing in right direction
and in safe waters and under good
helmsmen and wide awake watchmen
on the lookout. but indescribabiep power
for evil if under full headway i; strikes
the breakers. As steam power or cleo
tricity or water forces may be stored IN
boilers. in dynamos. in reservoirs. 10
be employed all over town or city. so
God sometimes puts in one man CROUCH
faith to supply thousands of men with
courage. II man happens 10 be thus
endowed. let him realize his opDortu-
nifty and improve il. Al this time mil
lions of men are a-tremble lest this Ia-
ton make a mistake. and enter upon
some policy of government for the ISL
ands of the sea that will founder the re-
pubic. God will give 10 few men on
both sides of this question faith and
courage for all the rest. There are
two false positions many are now TAX
ing, false as false can be. The one is
that IL we decline TO take under full
charge Cuba and Porto Rico and The
Philippines we make a declaration thar
will be disastrous 10 our nation. and
other nations will take control OF those
archipelsgoes and RUE them. and per-
haps to our humiliation and desiruc-
tion. The other theory is that IL we
take possession Of those once Spanish
colonies we invite foreign interference.
and enter upon n career that will finally
be the demolition OF this government
Both positions are immeasurab.r mis-
takes. God has set apar. this continent,
for free government. and the trinmphs
OF Christianity. aud ne may take either
tbs Arss or The second course without
vain. w uay say 70 lhoss silapai,