The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-20
CLING TO The CROSS
(: DIR. TALMAGE breaches A POW.
ERFUL SERMON


mites For Doing Good Heroes at
Home as Well as on the Battlefield.
The Greatest WGrrier of All
Copyright, 1899. by American Press As
sociation.)
From a text probably never before dis
-coursedeupon 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 en-
ergy; in right directions; text, II Sam
uel xviii, 3, 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 a flock or carry ten
loaves n 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 ne flung it, dying. to the roadside,
or could marshal a host, or rule an en-
pire, or thumb a harp SO skillfully that
1t cured Saul's dementia-a harp from
whose strings dripped pastorafs, elegies,
Now, this man, a combination of music
and heroics, of dithyrambs and battle
fields, of country quietudes and states
ton. -Four thousand troops, according
to J~osephus, were sent into the field:
The captains were put in command of
mand Of the regiments, which were dis
posed into right wing, left wing and
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 awfu charge,
for he has not a cowardly nerve in all his
body. He did not propose to have his
would not brave, and the battlefield re-
'quired as much courage then as now, for
the opposing forces must, in order to do
positively reach of saber and spear. But
there came up from the troops and from
civilians a mighty protest against David's
portant to the nation. If he went down,
the empire went down; whereas, if the
whole 1000 Of the ranks were slain an
defeat turned into victory. TIL army and
the nation practically cried out: mol!
a estima aeu y Sann es 20 Zoos 10 m aee fr 'Thou M arf
worth 10000 of us!'
That army and that nation then and
there reminded David and now remind
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 accu-
rately express the real state Of things.
present today is that those who have
especial opportunity, especial graces. es-
pecial wealth, especial talent, especial
aeloquence, ought to make up by especial
assidity and conservation for those who
have less opportunities and less gifts.
n human uplifting than those who have
only a tenth of your equipment. The
rank and the file of the 1900 of the text
Mold tho fr1rfh vuhnn fhnTy ~ Tbo nr+
worth 10000 of u.s."
In no city of it's size are there so
many men of talent as are gathered in
Some of the states are at times repre-
scented by men who have neither talents
nor good morals. Their political party
by sending them to congress or by secur-
ing for them position in the war or navy
T III peN Were n OBJ Pr5nf befsore oef they ieft
home, and they are nobodies here, but
they are exceptional. All the states, of
ented men and men of exemplary lives
and noble purposes. Some of them have
the gifts and qualifications of ten men,
men-and their constituents could truth
fully employ the words of my text and
saysmsH"Thou art worth 10000 of u.s.
POWER FOR GOOD.
With such opportunity, are they aug
menting their. usefulness in every pos
SlDle u1T6CIlOH! MdLy u llleul dlo, SOlpc
Tfhs22g. to have power-political power.
social power. Official power: It has OF.
of the wise sayings of the ancients,
knowledge is power" Yet it may as
certainly be power for evil as for good;
power for good if it is on the track, but
horrible power for disaster if it leaves
The ocean steamer has power
for good, sailing in right direction and
an safe waters and under good helms
man and wide awaks Waterman on the
lookout, but indescribable power for
if under full headway it strikes the
AS steam power or electricity
~ers, in dynamos, in reservoirs, to be
employed all over a town or city, so
God sometimes puts in one man enough
courage. If a man hap )ens to be thus
endowed. let him realize his o%pportuni-
ty and improve m 1t. At 1T, this time me- mil nh.
ton make a mistake and enter upon
some policy of government for the IS
aarus S. ' GOD Se Will hna give VI to a few men
on both sides of this question faith and
courage for all the rest. Thee are two
FALSE a g0f false can nI be. The one u is that
If we decline to take under full charge
Cuba and Porto Rico and the Philip
disastrous to our nation, and other ma
tons will take control of those archipela-
goes and rule them, and perhaps TO our
Humiliation and destruction. The other
theory is that if we take possession OF
chose once Spanish colonies we invite
foreign interference and enter upon a
career that will finally be the demolition
of this government. Both positions are
immeasurable mistakes. God has set
apart this continent for free govern
ment and the triumphs of Christianity,
and we may take either the first or the
second course without ruin. We may say
to those islands: I'VE do not want you,
but We have set you free. Now stay free,
while we see that the Spanish panther
never again puts its pay on your neck
Or we may invite the annexation OF Cuba
and Porto Rico and say to the Philip,
mines, "Get ready by education and good
morals for free government, and at the
right time you shall be one of our terri
tories, on the way to he one OF our
states"
And there is no power in Europe, Asia,
or Africa, or all combined, that could
harm this nation i'm its WORLDWIDE en-
mi nv, earnest imploration for divine