Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-01-09
CLING TO THE CROSS.
DR.. TALMAGE BREACHES A POWER
Full SERMON.

copyright. 1889. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8.-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 10, 600 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 p" or with
lathern thong, stone loaded, bring down
a giant whose armor weighed two hun
dredweight of metal, or cause lion
which reared 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, 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, combination Of music
and heroics, of dithyrambs and battle
fields of country quietudes and states
manship, is to fit out a military eXpedl
ton. -Four thousand troops, according
to Josephus, 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 dis
posed into right wing, left wing and
renter. 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 60 to the
front. He will lead them in the awful
charge, for he has not a cowardly nerve
Ia 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
Eaber 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
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: "Noi
Mol You cannot go to the fronti We
estimate you as 10, 600 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
kheir purpose, but they can never ac-
eurately 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 1000 of the text told the truth
when they said, ''Thou art worth 49,.
300 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
Dompensates them for partisan services
by sending them to congress Or by Sc
curing for them position in the war or
navy or pension or printing depart
SnontS Thov xUoro nnbodioc boforo tbov
left home, and they are nobodies here,
but they are exceptional. All the states
o. ..LL9 Union generally send their most
ks is4ed men and men of exemplary
a n and noble purposes. Some of them
The gifts and qualifications of ten
IN, of hundred men-yea, of a thou
sand men-and their constituents could
truthfully employ the words of my text
and say, ''Thou art worth 10, 900 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. It has Of
ten been printed and often quoted as
one or the Wise sayings or the anc1ents,
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 en-
bankment. The ocean steamer has power
for good, sailing in right direction and
in safe waters and under coed helms
man and wide awake Waterman ON the
lookout, but Undesirable power for
evil if under full Roadway it strikes the