The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-09-05
DIR. OHAPMANS SERMON
A SUNDAY DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
PAsToR.EVANcELlsT.

New YORK CITY The following echo.'
arly and readable sermon has been pre-
pared for the press by the popular pastor
evangelist, the Rev. DIR. j. Wilbur Chap
man. The subject Of the discourse Il 1.-TWO
hundred tainting men," and Il was
preached from the text, Two hundred
abode behind, which were so faint that
they could not 60 over the Brool. Besor."
J. Samuel 3d. 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 valiantly and won a
great victory While the rank and file
would not compete with the men who
fought at Sebastapol or lnkerman, for
they had been a disconnected lot in their
homes and in their service, yet there were
some really great soldiers among them, and
they were as ready 10 die as were those GOO
illustrious men who made the gallant
charge not many years ago.
AT the time of the text David was liv.
ing at Zillag, 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 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 to 60 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
90 on, some because they are DID,, Others
because they were crippled, and still 9th
ers because they were III. The number
comprised 200. In order that they might
move more rapidly and battle more sue
cessfully all the heavy tEappings were LETT
with the 200 at the Brook Besor, and 400
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-
tion 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 a 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 kinginess, that 1t
was possible for him to assume, declares
''as his part is that goes out to the battle
so shall his part be that tarres 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
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 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 &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 to have done,
| but whether we have worked up to our
full capacity.
Ou 0OuOblGSS remember ! ldJO 3 ldDt
! of the spirits that returned to this world
each to choose a body for its sphere Of
work. One took the body of a king, an
other poet still another of 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 8
common man and do a common work and
receive a common rev ard, and this ne did
I.
Every man Is called into the kingdom Of
God for a purpose. There is no question
about this Just as in the making Of q
/ great locomotive every piece must be con
structed by an expert and every bit OF
work must be marked with the name oil
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 fol
every one in all the kingdom He has plaT
of course. We are not all expected tc
! perform the same mission. Paul has ar
illustration of this in First Corinthians
the 18th chapter, where he is describing
the body where he says eye cannot say
to the hand, | have no need of thee, anc
ih the body were an eye where were the
hearing, etc." but each performs its owl
mission. the uncomely parts receiving the
greatest attention from the head. So every
one of US has a work to do If we leave i
undone we shall be called to a strict ac
count
There are two kinds of work illustrated
in the story of these soldiers and the 20I
fainting men One kind is marching fortl
under the gaze and admiration of the mul
titude, the other is just tarrying by tn
Brook Besor taking care Of the stuff, anC
yet it has its reward
IT.
How often the field to which God call
as seems to us to be exceedingly small
The business man who has gone to hi
office all this while, and goes through tn
round of common tasks from morning t
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 bus
ness, fervent in spirit serving the Lord
and because he does complain so much ]