Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-01-28
Caln1aSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, d. ID.


Los Angeles, Cal, Jan. GA wnole-
some philosophy, which may well De
applied by every one who desires sue
cess in the battle of life, is that which
the preacher outlines in this sermon,
taking his text from l Samuel XVI, 80,
"I cannot 20 with these, for have not
proved them"
A weaponless soldier is defenseless
and helpless soldier. Neither person,
al strength nor heroic valor can aVaii
him without effective weapons IN a
conflict against an armed foe. The MIL
itary chiefs have learned that the Is
sue of q campaign depends as much
ON the perfection and precision OF tne
weapons as on the vigor and prowess
Of the soldier. In the Austro-Prussian
war II was not 30 much the valor OF sne
soldier or the strategic skill Of the gen.
erals that gave Prussia the victory as
the fact that the Prussian army nao
the needle gun while the Ausuians
carried the old fashioned muzzle 'ioaa-
or. Nor can moral qualities take tne
place of modern equipment. Thrice
armed" says the dramstist, us he VINO
hath his quarrel just" bst neither JUS
tice nor righteousness can save cause
IL the champions Of 1t neglect the ma
terial appliances OF military science.
No general ever had more Implicit
faith In divine power than had Oliver
Cromwell, but even he did not ignore
the necessity for human precautions.
"Trust in God" he said TO his valiant
Ironsides, land keep your powder dry.
Fortitude and courage are needed now
as ever in an army. but the soldier
without effective arms Is mere food Tor
powder.
Bunker Hill had to be evacuated Dy
| the American troops not because they
would not fight. The Revoluuonists
supply of ammunition ran out Twice
did William Prescott give the order to
FIRE. Twice did the charging British
lines break and fall back before the
vithering tornado Of shot pouring into
their ranks. but at the third charge the
American soldiers had to turn and hee-
Their powder was gone. They were
helpless then before the attacks OF the
advancing enemy. 1t has been said tnPt
Custer and his brave band were over
powered at Little Big Horn river, Mon
tana. by the Sioux Indians because
their ammunition was exhausted. The
fall of Khartum under Chinese" Cor
don was largely due to the same lack
of powder and bullets. A soldier with
out effective weapons in his hand is as
HELPLESS before the attack of his enc
mics as Is the lamb In the slaughfer
house when the butcher is about to =
open the animals throat with the keen
edge Of the knife.
How David Was Armed.
This fact was recognized III ancier
times. Before the discovery Of gunpow'
der had made hand to hand conflicts SO
rare as they are now soldiers were clad
from head to foot in armor to protecl
them from the blow Of the sword OF
battleax or the thrust of the spear
Thus when David, the shepherd boy
went out to fight the Philistine giant II
seemed q mdtter of ordinary precautior
that he be covered with such armor as
was then in use. 1t seemed the rashes'
temerity for him to go into the ngn'
wearing his ordinary shepherd dress
King Saul said: II will let him go fortf
and fight in my armor. My helme'
shall protect his forehead. My coat o.
mail shall cover his chest. Ny sw )rd
keen as a Damascus blade, with III
ieweled hilt, shall be in his hand
Come, armor bearer. place my armol
upon the champion"
This offer of Sauls was an emDar
rassment. The young shepherd DO.
was unaccustomed to the cumDrou
armor. But the kings offer must no
be rejected by a loyal subject, 80 d
submitted to be girded with the Goa
OF mail and the helmet to protect hi
head. He must have looked as ridicu
lous as the pale, thin, consumptiv
Alexander H. Stephens, that giant o
mental power and great heart, appear
ed in his multitudinous wrappings o
outer garments. When Lincoln say
him at Hampton Roads he said TO hl
secretary of state, Seward, did 20
ever see In your life such pile OF cor
huskings wrapped about one thin ear
why" said David, Il cannot hsf
in this armor. Saul may use thes
weapons, but I am not Saul. Give m
my sling, with which 1 am accustome
to protect my sheep. Let me choos
my own stones out Of the brook fc
ammunition. Let me fight for 1sra'
with the talent God has given to me
use." Ny text says: "And David sal
unto Saul, cannot go with these, Il
1 have not proved them. And DaVl
put them off him."
David did right. The man who hgh'
, the great battle Of life with the natur'
weapons God has given to him WI
win. The man who tries to fight II
hattie Of life in some other mans arm'
will fail every time. The purpose
this sermon is to point out some of Il
useless weapons with which men
forth to battle-not useless weapon
perhaps for others, but useless for ou
selves, because they belong to another
armory and not to ours.
Using His Fathers weapons.
A young man, In the first plac
-. makes a great mistake in trying to
~ his fathers helmet upon his head al
cover his chest with his fathers co
of mail and unsheathe his father
sword for the battle Of life merely !
cause they once belonged to his fath'
When a man has made a big succe
as a minister or lawyer or doctor
artist or musician or merchant or n
I1oa MT pa1ncco rflv 0rO