Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-01-10
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 2o.-while this
discourse OF DIR. Talmage rebukes ar
rogance IL encourages humanity and
shows how the evening of life may be
frightened. The text Is | Kings Xxx.
IL. LET not him that c.rceth on his
harness boast himsslf as he that put
teth it off" -
Harness is the obsolete word for. ar.
NOR. 1t means harness for the man.
not harness for the beast; harness for
battle. not harness for the plow. The
ancient armor consisted OF helmet for
the head. breastplate aud shield for
the heart. greaves for the feet. The.
text makes a comparison between
man enlisting for some, war and vet
eran returning, the one putting on the
armor and the other putting 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. With thirty-two kings
he was celebrating what they were GO
ing to do. There were in all thirty
three kings at the carousal, and their
condition is described I'm the Bible, not
as convivial or stimulated exaltation,
but drunk. Their gilded and hammered
pavilionS were surrounded by high
melted horses. neighing and champing
and hitched TO chariots such as kings
rode In. Benhadad sends officers over
to the king OF Israel demanding the
surrender of the city. saying, Thou
shalt deliver me thy silver 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 everything Benhadad
wants he Will take without asking
Then the king of Israel called a council
of war, and word is sent back to Ben
hadad that his unreasonable demand
Will be resisted. Then Benhadad sends
another message to the king OF Israel.
q message full of arrogance and bravo
DO. practically saying: 1--WE will de-
stroy you utterly. j will grind Samaria
into the dust, but there will not be dust
enough to make a handful for each one
OF my troops" Then the king of Israel
replied to Benhadad, practically say
ing: LET me see you do what you
say. You royal braggart, you might
better have postponed your banquet un-
I'll after the battle instead of spreading
it before the battle. You huzza too
soon. Let not him that girdeth on his
harness boast himself as he that put
teth 1t OFF,
Too Much Roasting.
An avalanche OF courage and right
eousness. the Israelitish army came
down on Benhadad and his host. 1t
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 q
worse defeat, in which 100000 Syrian
infantry We're 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 girtleth
on his harness boast himself as he that
putteth it on
All M and down history we see such
too early boastings Soult. the marshal
or France, was so certain that he
would conquer that he had proclama-
ton printed announcing himself. king
or Portugal and had n grand feast pre-
pared for O'Clock that afternoon. but
before that hour he fed in ignominious
defeat. and Wellington of the conquer
Ing host sat down Mt o'clock Mt the
very banquet the marshal OF France
had ordered for himself. Charles V.
invaded France and was so sure OF
conquest that he requested Paul Jo-
vius. the historian. TO gather together
n large amount OF paper on which to
write the story OF his many victories.
but disease and famine seized upon
his troopers. and he retreated in dis
hsh
been copied in all ages OF the world.
1t viii be my object. among other les
sons. to show that he who puts Off the
armor, having finished the battle. is
moro to be congratulated than he who
begins.
First. find encouragement in this
subject for the aged who have got
through the work and struggle OF
earthly life. My venerable friends, If
you had Mt twenty-five years OF age
full appreciation OF what you would
have to so through in the tblrties and
the forties and the fifties OF your life
time you would have been appalled,.
Fortunately the bereavements, the
temptations, thes prosecutions, the
hardships, Were curtained from your
sight. With more or less fortitude you
passed through the crises of pain and
sadness and disappointment and IA
tgue and stiIl live to recount the d.
vine help that sustained you. AZ twen-
~ or thirty years OF your age at the
tap OF the drum you put on the har-
ness. Now. at sixty or seventy or
eighty. you are peacefully putting it
on. You would not want to try the
battle or life over again. So many OF
JUST your temperament and with as
good starting and as fine parentage
ana seemingly with as much equipoise
or character as you had have made |
complete shipwreck that you would |
not want again to run the risks, |
Though you can look back and see |
many mistakes. the next time you
might make worse mistakes. Instead |
or being depressed over the fact that |
you are being counted out or omitted |
In the great undertakings Of the church |
and the world. rejoice that you have |
q right to hang up your helmet and
sheathe your sword and free your |
hands from the gauntlets and your
feet from the boots OF mail.
AT the Soldiers home in the suburbs
or this city often admire the peaceful
ana contented looks of the venerable |
heroes as they sit under the trees or so
IN ana out the fine abode that our gov
eminent has appropriately provided for
them. They are not longing for other
Chapultepecs. They do not want to
undertake another South Mountain.
Their foot does not ache to GET into
the stirrup OF the cavalryman. They
are not longing for the bareback of
the soldiers breakfast along the Chick
ahominy, They have no-desire for an
other ride the ambulance to the field
hospital. When the Spanish war broke
out. they sometimes wondered if theiri
rheumatic knee would allow them to
Keep step in a march. and If their