The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-01-03
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE eY THs NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject; the Folly Of Boastinc-History
Pun OF Instances showing low Arro-
gsace Was Ksbuked-Better Undsrrate
Than Ovsrrais Ourselves.

Pull OF Instances showing Low Arro-
gsHes Was Rebuksd-Bctter UndsrrAts
Than Ovsrrsis Ourselves.
WAsHISGToy, ID. C.-While tins dis.
course of DR.. Taimage rebukes arrogance
10 encourages humanity aud shows how
the eFenIng o. lie may be Frightened.
The text Is King xx, IL, Let not hIm
that girdeth on ms harness boast himself
a. ne that putteth It of ."
Harness Is the obsolete word for armor.
II means harness Tor the man, not harness
for the beast, harness for battle, not har-
ness for the plow. The ancient armor
consisted OF helmet for the head breast
plate. and shield for the heart, greayes for
the feet he text makes a comparison
between a man enlisting Tor some war and
a veteran returning, the one putting on
the armor and the other putting II of.
Benhadad, the King Of Syria, thought
he could easily overcome the King OF Is
rael. Indeed, the Syrian was 30 sure Of
the victory that he spread an ante belium
banquet With thlTty-two kings he was
celebrating what they were going 70 do
There were IN all thirty-threc kings az the
carousal, and their condition is described
IN the Bible, mot as cOnyIYlal or stimu-
lated exaltatlon, but drunk Their gi.dcd
and hammered pavilions were surrounded
by high mettied horses, neigh.ng and
champlnZ and hltched % charIOts such as
kings rode IN. Benhadad sends officers
over 20 the King OF Israel demanding the
surrender Of the city, saying, Thou shalt
deliver 20 me thy silver and thy gold and
thy wives and thy children" and after
ward 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 oil war, and word Is sent
back 20 Benhadad that his unreasonable
demand will be resisted. Then Benhadad
sends another message TO the King OF Is
rae, a message full OF arrogance and bra
vado, practically saying: I'VE will destroy
you utterly. | 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 70 Benha.
dad, practically saying: Let me see you
do what you say You roya. braggsrt, you
might better have postponed your ban.
quet until after the battle instead o.
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
An avalanche Of courage and righteous
ness, the Israelitsh army came down on
Benhadad and his host. 1t was 4 hand 10
hand fight, each Isrlellte hewing down
Syrian. Benhadad, on horseback, gets
away with some OF the cavalry, but is only
saved for a worse defeat, IN which 100, 600
Syrian infantry were slaughtered in one
day. Now we see the sarcasm and the
epigrammatic power OF the message OF my
text sent by the King Of Israel to Benhl.
dad, Let not him that Cirdeth on his
harness boast himself as he taat pu.teth
il of"
All UP and down history we see such
too early boastng. Soult, the Marshal OF
France, was so certain that hc would con-
quer that he had a proclamation printed
announcing himself King OF Portugal, and
had grand feast prepared for 4 O'Clock
that afternoon, out before that hour he
fed in ignomnious defeat, and Yelling
ton of the conquering host, sat down at 4
ococl; 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 Jovius,
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 retreated in dismay. So Benhadad's
behavior has been copied in all ages of che
world. 1t will be my object, among other
lessons, TO show that he who puts of the
arror, having finished the battle, rs more
to be congratulated than he who begins.
First, / find encouragement IN this sub
ject for the aged who have got through
the work and struggle of earthly life. My
venerable friends, If YOU had at twenty
you would have TO go through in the thlr-
ties and the forties and the tiftics of your
lifetime you would have been appalled,.
Fortunately the bereavenents, the tempta-
tions, the prosecutions, the hardshlps,
were curtained from your sight. With
more or less forttude you passed through
the crises OF pain and sadness and dlsap-
pointment and fatigue and still live to e.
count the divine help that sustained you.
At twenty or thirty years of age at the
tap OF the drum you put on the harness.
Now, at sixty or seventy or eighty you
are peacefully putting 1T off. You would
not want to try the battle of life over
again. Though you can look back and see
many mistakes, the re3t time you might
make worse mistakes. Instead of being
depressed over the fact that you are being
counted out or omitted in the great under
takings of the church and the world, re-
joice that you have a 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
There are old farmers who cannot do
one more days work. What harvests
they raised in 1870! They knew the rota-
tion of crops as well as they knew the ro-
tation of the seasons. Under what Bills
teriugs suns they swung the scythc and
ths cradle! Through what deep SHOWS
they drew the logs or cut their way to the
IOuleIluR q
what freshets what insectile invasions.
they remember! To clothe and feed and
educate the household they went through
tAls and self sacrifices that the world
knew but little about Rest, aged man!
Let the boys do the shove.ing ard thrash
ing aud cutting and sweating. You have
put the harness of, and do not try to put
it on again.
There are old mechanics chat car no
more shove the plaue or pound with the
hammer or bore with the bit or run up
the ladder to the scafoldinC. Master me
chanics they were or su5ordlnates VINO
wrought faithfully in the work of house
or barn or ship building. You have
richt TO quit. You have finished your
task. BE thankful that your work is done.
Then there are aged physicians. What
tragedies of pain and accident they have
witnessed How much suffering they have
assuagedl How many brave battles. they
have fought with lancet and cataciysm'
How many fevers .hey cooled! How
many broken bones they set! How many
anxious Gays they passed when they knew
that human lives depended upon their
skill and side!ity' They drove back death
from many q cradle.
Again, | learn from Benhadads beha-
vior the unwisdom of boasting OF what
one is goi"g to do. Two messages had ne
sent TO the King of Israel both messages
full OF iuso,ence and braggadocio. With
hrimming beaker i'm hand he Is talk,nc
with the royal group about what he will do
with the spols Of the victory he Is goins
% achieve that afternoon. He takes 1t
for granted that Samaria will surrender.
He gives command for the capture OF
some Of the inhabitants of Samaria who
are approaching. saying. Whether they
be come out FOR peace take them alive. or
whether they be come out for war take