Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1902-01-02
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
THE BLESSINGS OF HUMILITY SHOWN
IN THIS DISCOURSE.
Tn Eloquent Words Is Told How
Throughout tho Ages Arrogance Has
Been Rebuked - Evening of Life
Br ghtened by the Low. of God.

discourse of DIR. Talmage rebukes ar
rogance. 1t encourages humanity and
shows how the evening of life may be
frightened. The text is | Kings Xxx,
IL, Let not him that girdeth on his
harness boast himself as he th.t put
teth ii off,"
The text makes comparison be-
tween man enlisting for some war
and veteran returning, the one put
ting on the armor and the other put
ting 1t off.
Benhadad, the king of Syria, thought
he could easily overcome the king Of
Israel, Indeed, the Syrian was so sure
Of the victory that he spread an ante
bellum banquet. There were in all
thirty-three kings at the carousal, and
their condition is described In the
Bible not as convivlal or stimulated
exaltation. but drunk. Benhadad sends
officers over to the king of Israel de-
handing the surrender of the city, say
ing, Thou shalt deliver me thy sill
yer and thy gold and thy wives and
Thy children" and afterward sends
other officers, saying that the palace
" the king will be searched and ev-
erything Benhadad wants he will take
without asking. Then the king Of Is
rael called a council of war, and word
Is sent back to Benhadad that his I'M
reasonable demand will be resisted.
Then Benhadad sends another message
to the king of Israel, message full
OF arrogance and bravado. Then the
king of Israel replied to Benhadad,
practically saying: Let me see you
do what you say You huZza too soon.
Let not him that girdeth on his har-
ness boast himself as he that putteth it
off,"
An avalanche OF courage and right
eousness, the Israelitish army came
down on Benhadad and his host. 1t
was a hand to hand fight, each Israel
lite hewing down a Syrian. Benhadad.
on horseback, gets away with some of
the cavalry, but is only saved for
worse defeat, in which 100000 Syrian
Infantry were slaughtered in one day.
Now we see the sarcasm and the cpl
grammatic power of the message of
my text sent by the king OF Israel to
Benhadad, Let not him that girdeth
on his harness boast himself as he that
putteth 1t off. "
All up and down history we see such
too early Boosting 1t will be my OBJ
feet. among other lessons, ID show that
he who puts off the armor, having fin
lshed the battle, is more 70 be con-
graduated than he who begins.
First. | find encouragement in this
subject for the aged who have got
through the work and struggle OF
earthly life. With more or less forti-
tude you passed through the crises OF
pain and sadness and disappointment
and fatigue and still live to recount
the divine help that sustained you. At
twenty or thirty years of you: age at
the tap of the drum you put on the
harness. Now, at sixty or seventy or
eighty, you are peacefully putting 1t
off, You would not want to try the
battle OF life over again. So let all of
the aged In peace with God through
the blessed Christ, cultivate content
ment and thank the Lord their Sedan
Let not him that girdeth on his har-
ness boast himself as he that putteth
1t off,"
There are old farmers who cannot do
one more days work. What harvests
they raised In 1S70 What droughts,
what freshets. what insectile invasion,
they remember! To clothe and feed
odn "a ha
through tolls and self sacrifices that
the world knew but little about. Rest,
aged mani Let the boys do the shov-
cling and thrashing and cutting and
sweating. You have put The harness
on, and do no. try to put it on again
There are old mechanics that can no
more shove the plane or pound with
the hammer or bore with the bit or
run up the ladder to the scaffolding.
You have a right to quit. You have
finished your task. Be thankful that
your work is done.
Then there are aged physicians.
What tragedies of pain and accident
they have witnessed! How much suf-
fering they have assuaged! How
many brave battles they have fought
with lancet and cataclysml How many
levers they cooled How many broken
bones they set. God comfort and bless
the old doctors, allopathic. homeo-
pathic, hydropathic and eclectic, and
make them willing to be out of prac-
tice! Before long they will hear the
benediction of him who said, II was
sick, and We visited me-"
And there are the old ministers.
Once they were foremost In general as
semblies and conferences and associa-
tions. Now they have stopped preach
Ing, for their breath is short, or their
nerves are a-Jangle, or they lose their
thread OF discourse or suffer from con-
fusion of ideas. Cheer up, aged dom
lnies and doctors The Bible says God
forgets our sins when We repent of
l. o.