Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-01-26
CalnnaSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank Dc Witt Talmaec, d. y.


snplieI by every one Who desires sue
"eSs in the battle Of lifc, is that which
he preacher outlines In this sermon,
'akiug his text from Samuel xvii, 90,
I cannot 90 with these, for | have not
rrovel them
A wpaDonlcss soldier Is n dcfcnscless
md helpless soldier. Neither person
Al strength nor heroic valor can avail
MIN without effective weapons in
conflict against an armed foe. The mil
,;ary chiefs have learned that the is
sue of "A campaign depends as much
m tho perfection and precision uf the
weapons as on the NiCor and proves
IF thr soldier. In the AustroPrussia n
war II was not SO much the valor of the
soldier or the strategic skill of the gen
,rals that gave Prussia the victory as
he fact that the Prussian army had
The needle gun while the Austrians
carried the old fashioned nu2zle load
or Nor can moral qualities take the
place of modern equipment. Thrice
armed says the d-amail5t, lis he who
hath his quarrel just" but neither JUS
ice nor righteousness can save a cause
= file CHAMPIONS OF It neglect the ma
eric appliances Of military science.
No general exer had more implicit
faith in divine power than had Oliver
Cromwell. BIT even be did not ignore
he necessity for human precautions
Trust In God he said TO his valiant
lronsides. and keep Your powder dry"
Fortitude and courage are needed now
as ever in an army, but the soldier
without effective arms IS mere food for
powder.
Bunker Hill had TO tie evacuated by
the American troops not because they
would not fight The ReyolutiOnists
supply of ammunition ran out Twice
Md William Prescott give the order to
fire. Twice did The charging British
lines break and fail back before the
whitening tornado OF shot pouring into
their ranks, but at the third charge the
American soldiers had to turn and fee.
Their powder was gone. They We're
helpless then before the attacks Of the
advancing enemy. 1t has been said that
Custer aud his brave band were over
powered at Little Big Horn river, Mon
lana. by the Sioux Indians because
their ammunition was exhausted. The
TALL Of Khartum under Chinese Cor
non was largely due TO the same lack
of powder and bullets. a soldier with.
put effective weapons in his hand is as
helpless before tho attack of his enc
MES rs is the lamb in the slaughter
house when the butcher is about to cut
,tsn the animals throat with the keen
edge Of the knife
How David Was Armed.
tbs fact was recognized i'll ancient
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 protect
hem from the blow Of The sword or
battlcax or the thrust Of the spear
Thus when David. the shepherd boy,
went out to fight the Philistine giant it
,eemed a matter of ordinary precaution
!hat he be covered with such armor rs
was then in use. 1t seemed the raShest
,omerity for him TO go into the fight
wearing his ordinary shepherd dress
King Saul said: Il will let him 90 forth
and fight in my arHor My helmet
shall protect his forehead. My coat OF
mail shall cover his chest Ny sword
;een as Damascus blade. with its
icweled hilr. shall be in his hand
tonc. aripor bearer, place my armoN
upon the champion
This offer Of Saul'S was an cmhar
basement. The young shepherd boy
VAS unaccustomed to The cumbrou'
,rmor But the kings offer must no
Dc rejected by a loyal subject, so HI
submitted to he girdcd with the Goa
If mail and the helmet to protect Iii
lead. lie must have looked as ridicu
tons ms the pale, thin, 'pnsumptiv
Alexander III. Stephens. that giant o
rental power and great heart, appear
ID in his mutitudinouS wrappings O
,utrr garments, When Lincoln saw
dim at Hampton Roads he said TO hi
se<retary Of state. Seward. did yO
pver see in your life such pile Of cor
huskings wrapped about one thin ear?
Why" said David. II cannot fgh
r this armor. Saul may use thos
weapons, but I am not Saul. Give m
ny sling, with which l am accustome
20 protect my sheep. Let me choos
my own stones out OF the brook fo
ammunition. Let me fight for Israt
with the talent God has given to me I
use Ny text says: And David sal
INTO Saul, cannot go with these, fc
have not proved them, And Davi
mt them Off him"
David did right. The man who fight
he great battle of life with the natur:
Weapons God has given to him ".
rim. The man who tries to fight Il
battle Of life In some other mans arnt
will fail every time The purpose
his sermon ia to point ont some Of y
Useless weapons with which men 1
'orth to battle--not useless weapon
perhaps for others, but useless for on
Pives. because they belong TO another
kmory and not to ours.
Using His Fathers Weapons.
4 young man, in the first plaC
makes a great mistake in trying to
lis fathers helmet upon his head Al
rover his ches. with his fathers co
Df mail and unsheathe Ibis father
sword for the battle Of Mfr merely b
cause they once belonged TO his farhC
When Il man has made big succe
~ minister or lawyer or doctor
arust Or musician or merchant or IL