Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-01-04

say. 1Ou rt. ..i bTuSSdIt' YOU hiiS"'
better have postponed your banquet IN
til 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 it Off "
Too Much Boasting.
An avalanche Of courage and right
eousness. the Israelitish army came
down on Benhadad and his hort. 1t
was hand to hand fight, each Israel
ite hewing down Il Syrian. Benhadad,
on horseback, gets away with some Of
the cavalry, but is only saved for a
worse defeat. in which 10000 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 glrdeth
on his harness boast himself as he that
putteth it of"
All up and down history we see such
too early bOasting. Soult, the marshal
Of France. was so certain that he
would conquer that he had proclama-
ton printed announcing himself king
of Portugal and had a 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 at 4 o'clock at 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 10
vius. the historian. to gather together
a large amount of paper on which to
write the story Of his many victories
but disease and famine seized upon
his troopers. and he rctreated In dis
may. SO BenhaGad's behavior has
been copied In all ages Of the world.
1t will be my object, among other les
sons. to show that he who puts off the
armor. having finished the battle. is
more to be congratulated than he who
begins.
First. find encouragement in TINS
subject for the AGED who have got
through the work and struggle OF
earthly life. My venerable frienCs. II
YOU had at twenty-five years Of age
full appreciation OF what You would
/ have to 70 through in tie thirties and
tbe forties a"d the fftics Of your life
time vou would have been appalled,.
Fortunately the bevcavem"nts. the
TEMPTATIONS. the prosecutions. the
hardshlps. were curtained from your
sight. with more or less fOrtitude you
passed through the crises OF pain ana
sadness ard disappointment and ia
tigue and still live to recount the di-
vine help that sustained you. At TWEEN
ty or thirty years OF your age at thc
tap of t.ic drum you put on the har-
! ness. Now. at sixty or seventy OF
eighty. yOu are peacefully putting II
| off. You would not want to try the
battle OF life over again. SO many OF
lust your temperament and with as
good a starting and as fine Il pareMage
and seemingly with as much equipOlse
of character ns you had have made
complete shipwreck that you woulc
not want again to run the rlsks
Though YOU can look back and sec
many mistakes. the next time yor
might make worse mistakes. Instead
Of being depressed over the fact thai
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 ant
sheathe your sword and free youl
hands from the gauntlets and YOU
feet from the boots Of mail.
At the Soldiers home in the suburbs
of this city l often admire the peaceful
and cOntented looks of the venerable
heroes as they sit under the trees or g
in and out the fine abode that our gov
ernment has appropriately provided TO
them. They are not longing for othe
Chapultepecs. They do not want t
undertake another South Mountain
Their foot does not ache to get int
the stirrup of the cavalryman. The
are not longing for the hardtack o
the soldiers breakfast along the Chick
ahominy. Thev have no desire for an