The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-07-25
DIR. CHAPMAN'S SERMON
A SUNDAY DISCOURSE BY THs NOTED
psSToR.svANcsllsT.
Subject; Two Hundred Painting Men
Every Person IL Called Into the King
dom Of God For a Purpose-We shall
He Made to Account For Work tndone

pared for the press by the popular pastor
I evangelist. the Rev DR. j. Wilbur Chap
man The subject OF the discourse u Two
/ hundred fainting men, and n was
preached from the text, Two hundred
abode behind. which were so FAINT thar
| they could not GO over the Brook Besor
/ l. Samuel So: 10.
In some respects we are reminded IN
2 this story of the celebrated charge of the
/ Light Brigade. possibly because there were
\ 6CC OF Davii's soldiers. and perhaps be
cause they fought vahantly and won a
/ great victory While the rank and hle
/ would not compete with the men who
/ fought M Sehas;apol or lnkerman, for
/ they had been a disconnected lot IN their
/ homes and in their service. vet there were
some really great soldiers among them, ana
/ they were as ready 10 die as were those 600
/ il'ustrious men who made the gallant
/ charge not many years ago.
At the time of the text David was Inv,
/ ing al Zklag. and he and has men had
| waccd. the victory has heee 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 20 break camp and forward
/ march. and when they came 20 the hul
where before them they could naturally
| see Ziklac the first man shades ms eyes
] with MS lanuS anu lookNs lilN AaNN
nale and he begins 20 shudder. Tor Ilklae
/ is in ashes. and as they come nearer their
! wives and children and all their property
! have been carried away. They are ahont
/ 10 turn upon David and stone him, hut
/ when he agrees 10 90 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
/ 20 on, some because they are old Others
| because they were crippled and stlll 9TH
ers because thew were H. The number
| comprised 200 In order that they might
move more rapidly and battle more sue
/ cessfulv all the heavy trapplngs were lri,
! with the coo at the Brook Besor, and y"
! men pursued the enemy. They overt9ge
| an Fgvptian. who is left by the waysldc
| ne GOOD as dead. and when they give hlm
| some refreshments and promise him that
! thev will not let him fall into the hands
! Of the enemy. neither will they put him 20
| death themselves. he tells them the direc-
| tion that the enemy has gone. and pursu
! ing after them they come suddenly upon
| them. They have been lntoMcated win
I their great success. and although the bat
| tie was fierce FOR little while victory he
! LONGS 10 David and his men. Their wives
! and children are theirs once more; most
valuable treasure also is taken, and they
! have turned their faces hack 10 the Brook
| Bcsor. suddenly some one IN the comnanN
| begins 10 talk of the distribution Of the
! plunder. and they have about decided that
| tho 300 fantng men shall have nothlns
! when David with all the kingness that 1t
was POSSIBLE for him 10 assume. declares
"as his part is that goes out 90 the battle
/ SO shall his part he that talrcs hv the
stufs They shall share and share alike,
/ and then he turned 20 the Brook Besor
and samted his men. Every old soldier
| and every weak man received as much OF
! a reward as If he had been IN the front Of
! the fight
/ There is an impression abroad that the
! rewards for the Christian are gwen 20
! those who have rendered conspicuous ser
vice; great preachers. great philanthro-
| pists great martyrs. This is not - nc.
! cording 10 the text: neither Is u true &C.
| 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 10 have done,
! but whether we have worked up to our
! full capacity.
| You doubtless remember Plato's fable
| Of the spirits that returned 20 this world
/ each 70 choose a body for It's sphere oi
| work. One took the body of a king, an.
| other n poet still another OF n philosopher.
and Ulysses came with great dlsappont
| ment because all that was worth having
was taken. when some one said the hest
| is left You NAV choose the body OF n
| common man and do n common work and
receive common reward, and this he did
/
! Every mar is called into the kingdom Of
| God for purpose. There IL no question
! about this Just as in the making OF n
] great locomotive every piece must he con.
! structed hv an exuert and every bit o'
work must be marked with the name Of
! the workman. go that II the engine should
/ break IN Jerusalem or China the failure
! could be traced 90 the proper source. Tod
/ expccts every man 20 DO his duty. and for
! every one in al the kingdom He has plan
! Of course We are not all expected 20
perform the same mission. Paul has an
| Illustration Of this in First Corinthians,
| the 18th chapter. where he ls 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 It's own
mission, the uncomoly parts receiving the
/ greatest attention from the head So every
one OF US has a work % do II we leave u
undone we shall be called 20 a strict ac-
/ count
There are two kinds Of work illustrated
/ in the story Of these soldiers and the POO
/ fainting men. One kind u marching forth
under the gaze and admiration oi the mul.
. p
/ Brook Besor taking care Of The stuH, and
I yet II has It's reward
II.
How often the field 10 which God calls
u seems % us % be exceedingly small.
| The business man who has gone 20 bis
/ Office all this while, and goes through the
| round oi common tasks from morning 20
night, from one weeks end % another.
year IN and year out, chatting oft times be
/ cause he Is dong 80 little and yet forget
! ting that he can be- not s!Othiul ~ baF.
ness, ieryent IN spirit serving the Lord,
| and because he does complain 30 much u
missing his opportunity - DO what the
| preacher never cou.d do. The invalid upon
/ her couch racked with pam and filled with
complaint because hor voice m never heard
/ IN the congregations oi the people, won
Gering why she ever lived, and crying out
against God beCause she nag suffered 20 In.
tense.y, thereby missing her opportunity
90 give testimony which no one eife
could gave but the invalid
One OF our nOnOred Old ministers a week
ago was plunged INTO great sorrow by the
news OF the death OF hIs son. lie had died
by h.s own hand When the news was
broken % the father % seemed a. u be
would fall, when suddenly remembering
the comfort which he had ever gwen %
others be cred aloud Though He slay me
yet val! ] trust Him and he never
through all hif ministry preached letter
sermon. The mother 10 her home bound
% her children for while the chain may BE-
silken . u still a cham, cbafhDg because
she can make bef influence felt 20 little 10
the world, and yet iOrgets that she -
dong what every angel IN the skies would
like 20 DO, having an opportunity placed
in her hands % mold a soul for eternity ~
Fr fsN q II