Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-07-26
200 PAINTING MEN.
Sunday Discourse by DR.. Chapman, the
Noted Pastor-Evangelist.
Every Person Is Called lnto the Kingdom Of
God for a Purpose-We Shall Be
Made to Account for Work Undone.

NEW YORK CIrY.-The following schoi-
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 Two
hundred fainting men" and 1t was
preached from the text. Two hundred
abode behind. which were so faint that
they could not go over the Brook Besor.
l. Samuel 30: 10.
In some respects we are reminded IN
this story OF the celebrated charge OF the
Light Brigade. possibly because there were
600 of David's soldiers. and perhaps be-
cause they fought valantiy and won a
great victory. While the rank and file
would not compete with the men who
fought at Sebastapol or Inkerman, for
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 600
illustrious men who made the gallant
charge not many years ago.
At the time of the text David was llv.
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 hilf
where before them they could naturally
see Xklag the first man shades his eyes
with his hands and looks. His face grows
pale and he begins 10 shudder, for Ziklag
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 10 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 to
go on. some because they are old, others
because they were crippled, and still 9th
ers because they were H. The number
comprised 200. In order that they might
move more rapidly and battle more sue
cessfully all the heavy trappings were lett
with the 200 at the Brook Besor, and 4Oj
men pursued the enemy. They overtake
an Egyptian. who is left by the wayside
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 direc-
ton that the enemy has z, ne. and pursu-,
ing after them they come suddenly uponl
them. They have been intoxicated with
their great success. and although the bat7
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 back to the Brook
Besor. Suddenly some one in the company
begins to talk of the distribution of the
plumber. and they have about decided that
the 200 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 il 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 a philosopher,
and Ulysses came with great disappoint-
ment because all that was worth having
was taken. when some one said the best,
is left. You may choose the body of
common man and do a common work and
receive a common reward, and this he did.
Every man is called into the kingdom of
God for purpose. There is no question
about this. just as in the making OF a
great locomotive every piece must be con-
nw&A hut ~
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 ali expected TO
perform the same mission. Paul has an
illustration of this in First Corinthians.
the 18th chapter. where ne is describing
the body where he says. 'Ye cannot say
to the hand, 1 have no need OF thee, and
ii the body were an eye where were the
hearing. etc" but each performs its own
mission. the uncomely parts receiving the
greetest attention from the head. So every
one OF US has work to do. Ii we leave 1t
undone we shall be called TO strict ac
count.
There are two kinds of work illustrated
in the story OF these soldiers and the 200
fa;nting men. One kind is marching forth
under the gaze and admiration of the null
titude. the other is just tarrying by the
Brook Besor taking care of the stuff, and
yet it has its reward.
T.
How often the field to which God calls
us 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 year out, chatting oft times be.
cause he is doing SO little and yet forget
ting that he can be mot slothful IN bust
ness, fervent in spirit serving the Lord.
and because he does complain so much Is
missing his opportunity To do what the
preacher never could do. The invalid upon
her couch racked with pain and filled with
complaint because her voice Is never heard
in the congregations OF the people. Won
dering why she ever lived and CRYING on.
against God because she has suffered so in
tenseiy, thereby missing her opportunity
to give testimony which no one else
could give but the invalid
One of our honored old ministers A week
ago was plunged into great sorrow by the
news OF the death Vi ms son He had died
by his own hand When the news was
broken to the father il seemed a. il he
would fall. when suddenly remembering
the comfort which he had ever given to
others he cried aloud Though He slay me
yet will ! trust Him." and he never
through all ms ministry preached a better
sermon. The mother In her home bound
IN her children for tvhiia tho chair, H.,