The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-01-02
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
THE BLESSINGS OF HUMILITY SHOWN
IN THIS DISCOURSE.

IN THIS DISCOURSE.
In Eloquent Words Is Told How
Throughout the Ages Arrogance Has
Been Rebuked Evening of Life
frightened by the Love of God.
Copyright. 1901. by Louis Klopsch, N. ~
z Washington, Dec. 29.-While this
discourse Of DR.. Talmage rebukes ar.
rogance, it 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 that put
teth 1t off,
The text makes a comparison be-
tween a man enlisting for some war
and veteran returning, the one put
ting on the armor and the other put
ting it 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 convivial 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
OF the king will be searched and ev-
erything Benhadad wants he will take
without asking. Then the king Of Is
rael called 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
Sousness, the Israelitish army came
down on Benhadad and his host. It
was hand to hand fight, each Israel
lite hewing down Syrian. Benhadad,
on horseback. gets away with some of
the cavalry, but is only saved for a
worse defeat. in which 100000 Syrian
infantry were slaughtered in one day.
Now we see the sarcasm and the cpl
erammatic 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 it off,
All up and down history we see such
too early boasting. 1t will be my OBJ
5ect, among other lessons, to show that
! he who puts of the armor, having fin
(STiad the battle, is more to be con-
I'D than he who begins.
st, l find encouragement in this
ct for the aged who have got
Ugh the work and struggle of
~ life. With more or less forti-
you passed through the crises of
and sadness and disappointment
fatigue and still live to recount
divine help that sustained you. At
nty or thirty years of your age at
tap OF the drum you put on the
harness.. Now, at sixty or seventy or
eighty, you are peacefully putting it
on. 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
has been fought and the war is over.
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 1870! What droughts.
what freshets, what insectile invasion,
they remember! To clothe and feed
and educate the household they went
through tolls and self sacrifices that
the world knew but little about. Rest.
aged man! Let the boys do the SHOW
cling and thrashing and cutting and
sweating. You have put the harness
on. and do no. try to put 1t 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 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 cataclysm! How many
fevers 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, 81 was
sick, and We visited me-
And there are the old ministers.