The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1902-01-04
THE BATTLE OF | f
How the End of the Struggle May
Be Frightened.
...o, which May he Learned from
Roasting of Benhadad, the King
Of syrin-Hunianity En-
Outraged.
,convrisht 1901, by Louis Klopsch, N. VI
kSobS Washington.

downright. 1901, by Louis Klopsch. N. "
Washington.
While this discourse of DIR. Talmage
rebukes arrogance, it encourages hui
manity and shows how tie evening of
life may be frightened. The text is l
Kings, 20:11: Let not him that girdeth
on his harness boast himself as he
that putteth 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 pillow. The
ancient armor consisted of helmet for
the head, breastplate and shield for the
heart, greaves for the feet. The text
makes a comparison between a man
existing for some war and a veteran
returning, the one putting on the ar
NOR and the other putting it off.
Benhadad, the king OF Syria, thought
he ees..aa easily the king OF
Israel. Indeed, the Syrian was so sure
of the victory that he spread an ante
bellum banquet. With 80 kings he was
celebrating what they were going to DO.
There were in all 80 kings at the ca
rousal, and their condition is described
in the Bible not as convivial or stlm-
u,ated exaltation, but drunk. Their
cilded and hammered pavilions were sur
rounded by high-mettled horses, neigh
ing and champing, and hitched to char
lots such as kings rode in. Benhauad
SENDS officers to the king of Israel de-
handing the surrender of the city, say
ing: Thou shalt deliver me thy silver
and thy gold and thy wives and thy
children" and afterward sends other
officers, saying hat the palace Of the
king will be searched and everything
Benhadad wants he will take wlthoul
asking. Then the king of Israel called
a council of war and word is sent back
to Benhadad that his unreasonable de-
mand will be resisted. Then Benhadad
sends another message to the KING OF
Israel, a message full of arrogance and
bravado, practically saying: we VIII
destroy you utterly. l will grind ga
maria into the dust, but there will no
be dust enough to make a handful 1oi
each one of my troops" Thenthe KIN
of Israel replied to Benhadad, prac
tical!y saying: LET me see you d'
what you say. You royal braggart, yo'
might better have postponed your ban
ouet until after the battle instead o
spreading it before the battle. 1ol
buzza too soon. Let not him that gird
eth on his harness boast himself as h
that putteth it off,"
An avalanche of courage and right
eousness. the Israelitish army cam
down on Benhadad and his host. i
was a hand to hand fight, each lsraeht
hewing down a Syrian. Benhadao' o
horseback, gets away with some OF
cavalry. but is only saved for a wors
defeat, in which 1000 0 Syrian infai
try were slaughtered in n day. NO
we see the sarcasm and the eplgraH
matte power of the message of my tex
sent by the king of Israel to Benhadao
"Let not him that girdeth on his hal
ness boast himself as he that puttet
it off"
All up and down history we see sue
too early Boosting. Soult, the marsh
of France, was so certain that /
would conquer that he had a procl
nation printed announcing hlmse
king of Portugal and had a grand lea
prepared for four o'clock that ate
noon. but before that hour he hed
;pnominious defeat, and Wellington
the c%onquering host sat down at 10
o'clock at the very banquet the m'
shall of France had ordered for himse
Charles V. invaded France and was
chat he TpnlGSf
Paul Joyius, the historian, to gatf
together a large amount OF paper
which to write the story OF his ma
victories, but disease and famine sen
upon his troopers and he retreateu
dismay. So Benhadad's behavior
been copied in all ages of the wol
II viii be my object, among other
cons. to show that he who puts
the armor, having finished the pa'
&c more to be congratulated thar
who begins.
First. | find encouragement IN
subject for the aged who nave
through the work ard struggle
earthly life. My venerable frlenu
,ou had at 25 years of age full ap
citation OF Nldt yON
through in the thirties and the loi
and the ffties of your lifetime
would have been appalled,. Forum
" the bereavements, the temptati
The prosecutions, the hardshlps' '
c~urtained from your sight. with I
or less fortitude you passed 'hr,
the crisis of pain and sadness and
appointment and fatigue and stu
70 recount the Divine help that
tanned you. At 20 or 80 years OF
age at the tap of the drum you Pr
the harness. Now, at oo OF ~ =
YOU are peacefully putting 1t on.
would not want to try the pau
life over again. So many IL Jus'
temperament and with as good a :
;np and as fine a parentage anu
;n9lv with as much e~quipoise OF Gu
ter as you had have made com
sbipwreck hat you would nov
again to run the risks. IhoungI
can look back and see many ms
- ,axt time YOU might make