The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-01-13
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
"a NEW CENSUS" LAST SUM-
DAYS SUBJECT.
From the Second Book OF Samuel
Chapter xviii, Verse 8, as Foilows'
"Thou Art Worth Ten Thousand OF

Oue\ lUe mOoL NOuulOuo
tiers of his time was David. A red
haired boy, he could shepherd HOOK,
or carry ten loaves and ten slices Oh
milk cheese to his brothers in the regi-
ment," or with leathern thong, stone
loaded, bring down a giant whose ar
NOR weighed two hundred weight OIL
metal or cause lion which roareu at
him in rage to roar with pain as ne
flung it, dying, to the roadside, or
could marshal host, or rule~an EN-
pire, or thumb harp so skillfully
that it cured Saul's dementia-a harp
from whose strings dripped pastorais'
elegies, lyrics, triumphal marches'
benedictions. Now, this man, com
bination of musics and heroes, OIL
dithyrambics and battlefelds, OF coun-
try quietude and craftsmanship Is "
fit out a military expedition. -FOUR
thousand troops, according to 10
sephus, were sent into the field. Inc
captains were put in command OF inc
companies, and the colonies in COM
mand of the regiments, which were
disposed into right wing, lett Wlns,
and center. Gen. Joab, Gen. ADlshal
and Gen. Ittai are to lead these three
divisions; but who shall take the helu
as commander-in-c chief? David oHers
his services, and proposes to go TO the
front He will lead them IN the aW-
full charge, for he has not coWaruiy
nerve in all his body. He did not pro-
pose to have his troops go into perlis
which he himself would not brave
and the battlefield required as much
courage then as now, for the opposing
forces must, in order to do any eA-
ecution at all, come up to within pos
| tive reach Of sabre and spear. But
| there came up from the troops anu
from the civilians a mighty protest
against David's taking the field. HIS
life was too important to the natlon.
If he went down, the empire went
| down; whereas, if the whole TOUR tnou-
sand 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,
"No No! You cannot go to the
front. We estimate you as ten thou-
sand men. Thou art worth ten thou
sand of u.s."
That army and that nation, then
and there, reminded David, and now
remind us, of the fact which we for-
get, 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 statls-
tics of neighborhoods, of churches, OF
nations, serve their purpose, but they
can never accurately 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, espe-
cial talent, especial 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 four thou
sand of the text told the truth when
they said, Thou art worth ten thou
sand 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-
scented 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 position IN
the war or navy or pension or print
ing departments. They were nobodles
before they left home, and they are
nobodies here. But they are excep-
tional. 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 thousand
men-and their constituents could
truthfully employ the words of the
text and say, Thou art worth ten
thousand of u.s."
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 stu
pendous thing to have power-political
power. social power, official power. 1t
has often been printed and often quot
ed as one of the wise sayings OF the
ancients, 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 embankment. The
ocean steamer has power for good
sailing in right direction and in safe
waters and under good helmsman and
wide-awake Waterman on the lookout
but indescribable power for evil if I'M
der full Roadway it strikes the break
.ers. AS steam power or electricity OF
water forces may be stored in boilers
in dynamos, in reservoirs, to be en-
ployed all over a 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