Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-07-24
200 PAINTING MEN.
Sunday Discourse by DR.. Chapman, the
Noted PastOr-Evangelist.
Every Person Is Called Into the Kingdom Of
God for a Purpose-We Shall Be
Made 10 Account for Work Und0ne.

' NEW YORK CITY.-The following schol-i
arly and readable sermon has been pre-;
pared for the press by the popular pastor
evangelist, the Rev. DR.. J. Wilbur Chap!
man. The subject of the discourse is 'Twoo,,
hundred fainting men," and it was,
preached from the text, 1.-TWO hundredl
abode behind, which We're so faint that !!
they could not go over the Brook Besor. .;
l. Samuel 80: 10. i
In some respects we are reminded mi
this story of the celebrated charge of the;
Light Brigade, possibly because there were;
500 of David's soldiers, and perhaps pe-'
cause they fought valiantly and won a,
great victory. While the rank and file'
would not compete with the men VINO
fought at Sebastapol or Inkerman, tor
they had been disconnected lot in their
homes and in their service, yet there were
some really great soldiers among them, and
they were as ready to die as were those, Guy
illustrious men who made the gallant
charge not many years ago. :, =.
At the time of the text David was liv.
ing at Ziklag, and he and his men had
been away in battle. The battle has been
waged, the victory has been won and they
are homeward bound They have camped
for the last night, and tomorrow morning
they will be with their loved ones. The or,
der is given to break camp and forward
march, and when they came to the hill
where before them they could naturally
see Ziklag the first man shades his eyes
with his hands and looks. His face grows
pale and he begins to shudder, for Ziklaig
is in ashes, and as they come nearer their
wives and children and all their property
have been carried away. They are about
to turn upon David and stone him, but
when he agrees to go after the enemy they
turn away from the ruins of their homes
and start in hot pursuit. They reach the
Brook Besor, and then find that they have
in their company men who are not able 10
90 on, some because they are old, others
because they were crippled, and still 9th
ers because they were ILL., Inc numnet
comprised 200. In order that they might
move more rapidly and battle more sue
cessfuly all the heavy trappings were lett
with the 200 at the Brook Besor, and 4oo
men pursued the enemy. They overtake
an Egyptian, who is left by the wayslde
as good as dead. and when they give HIM
some refreshments and promise him that
they will not let him fall into the hands
of the enemy, neither will they put him to
death themselves. he tells them the dircc-
ton that the enemy has gone, and pursu'
ing after them they come suddenly upon
them. They have been intoxicated with
their great success, and although the bat
tie was fierce for little while victory be-
longs to David and his men. Their wives
and children are theirs once more, most
valuable treasure also is taken, and they
have turned their faces bach to the Brook
Besor. Suddenly some one in the company
beains to talk of the distribution of the
plumber, and they have about decided that
the 900 fainting men shall have nothing
when David with all the kingliness that it
was possible for him to assume. declares
"as his part is that goes out to the battle
so shall his part be that tarries by the
stuffs They shall share and share alike,
and then he turned to the Brook Besor
and saluted his men. Every old soldier
and every weak man received as much OF
reward as if he had been in the front OF
the fight.
There is an impression abroad that the
rewards for the Christian are given to
those who have rendered conspicuous SER
vice; great preachers, great philanthro'
pists. great martyrs. This is not so ac-
cording to the text; neither is it true ac.
cording to the teaching of the Bible. Re
wards are not given for the amount of noise
made in the world nor for the amount OF
good which we are supposed to have done,
but whether we have worked up to our
full capacity.
You doubtless remember Plato's fable
of the spirits that returned to this world
each to choose a body for its sphere OF
work One took the body of king, an.
other a poet, still another of philosopher,
and Ulysses came with great dsappoint.
ment because all that was worth having
was taken. when some one said the best
is left. You may choose the body of a
common man and do a common work and
receive common reward, and this he did.
Every man is called into the kingdom OF
God for a purpose There is no question
about this. just as in the making OF
great locomotive every piece must be con.
by an expert and every bit OF
work must be marked with the name OF
the workman, so that If the engine should
break in Jerusalem or China the failure
could be traced to the proper source. God
expects every man to do his duty, and Tor
every one in all the kingdom He has plan
of course. We are not all expected to
perform the same mission. Paul has an
illustration of this in First Corinthians,
the 18th chapter, where he is describing
the body where he says, "Ye cannot say
TO the hand, | have no need of thee, and
If the body were an eye where were the
hearing, etc." but each performs its own
mission, the ncomely parts receiving the
greatest attention from the head. So every
one o. US mas W1ah 70 ~ - We tn e"'e ~ ~
u'uuno We s''"ii NC '"'ieu W q ''i''' az
'o Tho .,,., n;na, Sc ou,, ;,,str,,oa
heie are 'Wo .h Mus ~ motn d tha ono
fainting men. One kind is marching forth
,nuer 'ne gaze anu aonlratlon 81 'i,e ii tLs
Jude she otlet Is Jus' tai .i Sy uni
Drook Desor taklhg care u INC s'uii' anu
YET IL mas It's reward.
Ii.
How often the field to which God calls
lis seems to us to be exceedingly small.
The business man who has gone to his
Office all this while, and goes through the
round of common tasks from morning to
night, from one weeks end to another,
year in and wear out, chatting oft times be.
cause he is doing so little and vet forget.
ting that he can be mot slothful in bust
ness, feryent in spirit serving the Lord"
and because he does complain so much is