Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-01-23
Calmase
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talma9e, d. d.

Los Angeles. Oal., Jan. Ia WHOle-
some philosophy. which may well be
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 1 Samuel xvii, 80,
81 cannot go with these, for l have not
proved them"
A weaponless soldier is defenseless
and helpless soldier Neither person
al strength nor heroic valor can avail
him without effective weapons in a
conflict against an armed foe. The mil
itary chiefs have learned that the is
sue of a campaign depends as much
on the perfection and precision of the
weapons as on the vigor and prOwess
of the soldier. In the Austro-Prussian
war it was not so much the valOr of the
soldier or the strategic skill of the gen.
erals that gave Prussia the victory as
the fact that the PruSsian army had
the needle gun while the Austrians
carried the old fashioned muzzle load
er. Nor can moral qualities take the
place of modern equipment. Thrice
armed" says the dramatist, sis he who
hath his quarrel just" but neither JUS
tice nor righteousness can save a cause
If the champions of it 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"
as ever in an army, but the soldier
without effective arms is mere food for
powder.
Bunker Hill had to be evacuated by
the American troops not because they
would not fight. The RevOlutiOnistS'
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
whitening tornado of shot pouring into
their ranks, but at the third charge the
American soldiers had to turn and flee.
Their powder was gone. They were
helpless then before the attacks of the
advancing enemy. 1t has been said that
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 slaughter
house when the butcher is about to cut
open the animals throat with the keen
edge of the knife.
How David Was Armed.
This fact was recognized in 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
them from the blow of the sword or
battleaX or the thrust of the spear.
Thus when david, the shepherd boy,
went out to fight the Philistine giant it
seemed matter of ordinary precaution
that he be covered with such armOr as
was then in use. 1t seemed the rashest
temerity for him to go into the fight
wearing his ordinary shepherd dress
King Saul said: 81 will let him go forth
and fight in my armor. My helmet
shall protect his forehead. My coat Of
mail shall cover his chest. My sword
keen as a Damascus blade, with it
Ieweled hilt, shall be in his band
Come, armor bearer, place my armo
upon the champion"
This offer of SauPs was an embal
tassment. The young shepherd DO
was unaccustomed to the cumbrou
lrmor. But the kings offer must nc
be rejected by a loyal subject, so b
submitted to be girded with the Goa
Of mail and the helmet to protect hi
head. He must have looked as ridicl
lous' as the pale, thin, consumptiv
Alexander H. Stephens, that giant {
mental power and great heart, appear
ri i'm his multitudinous wrappings {
outer garments. When Lincoln sa'
him at Hampton Roads he said to b
secretary of state, Seward, did yo
ever see in your life such a pile of cor
Auskings wrapped about one thin ear!
why" said David, Il cannot figt
N this armor Saul may use thes
weapons, but am not Saul. Give N
nv 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
lse." My text says: And David sal
Into Saul, cannot go with these 70
| have not proved them. And Davi
put them Off him.
David did right. The man who fight
he great battle of life with the naturt
weapons God has given to him wi
ein. The man who tries to fight IL
NattIe of life in some other mans armC
will fail every time. The purpose
his sermon is to point out some Of Il
useless weapons with which. men {
,orth to battle-not useless weapon
perhaps for others, but useless for on
selves, because they belong to another
emory and not TO ours.
Using His Fathers Weapons.