The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-01-24
Calnna9e
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaae. ID. d.

some philosophy, which may well b.
applied by every one who desires sue
cess In the battle Of life Is that whlci
the preacher outlines in this sermon
taking his text from Samuel xvii, 80
| II cannot 60 with these, for have not
proved them"
A weaponless soldier Is a defenseless
and helpless soldier. Neither person
al strength nor heroic vaior can avail
him without effective weapons In q
| conflict against an armed foe. The mil
itary chiefs have learned that the Is.
sue Of campaign depends as much
Oh the perfection and precision of the
weapons as on the vigor and prowess
of the soldier. In the Austro- Prtssian
war It was not so much the yalor 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
or. Nor can moral qualities take the
place OF modern equipment Thrice
armed" says the dramatist, "is he who
hath his quarrel just" but neither jus
tice nor Righteousness can save cause
II 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.
thrust In God" he said to his valiant
Ironsides, land keep your powder dry"
Fortitude and courage are needed now
az ever In an army, but the soldier
without effective arms IL 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
Are. 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 fee.
Their powder was gone. They We're
helpless then before the attacks OF tile
advancing enemy. 1t has been said that
Custer and his brave band were. over
powered at Little Big Horn river Mop
tana, by the Sioux indians because
their ammunition was exhausted. The
fall OF Khartum under "Chnese" Cor.
don was largely due to the same luck
of powder and bullets A soldier With
out effective weapons III bis hand IL as
helpless before, the attack Of his enc
mics as IL the lamb In the slaughter
house when the butcher Ia 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 nude hand to hana conflicts 50
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,
wont out to fight the Philistine giant 1t
seemed matter Of ordinary precautions
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: II will lot him go forth
and fight In my armor. Ny helmet
shail protect his forehead. My cont Of
mail shall cover his chest. My sword,
keen dc Damascus blade. with its
jeweled hilt, shall be Ia bis hand.
Come, armor bearer, place my armor
upon the champion"
This offer OF saul's was an embar-
rassment The young shepherd boy
was unaccustomed to the cumbrous
ar1nor. Hut the kings offer must NOT
be rejected by a loyal subject, so he
submitted to be girded with the coat
Of mail and the helmet to protect his
head. He must have looked as ridieu.
lous az the pale, thin, consumptive
Alexander Fl. Stephens, that giant of
mental power and great heart. appear
Cd in his multitudinous wrappings of
pCter. garments. When Lincoln saw
him at Hampton Roads he said to his
SECRETARY Of state, Seward, did you
svu. see III your. life such a pile of corn
huskings wrapped about one thin ear?"
"Why," said David, Il cannot fight
ID this arnor. Saul may use these
weapons, hut l am not Saul. Give me
nv sling. with which / am accustomed
tp protect my sheep. Let me choose
my own stones out Of the brook for
Let me fight for Israel
With the talent God has given to me to
re" Ny text says: "And David sud
unto Saul, cannot go with these, for
have not proved them. And David
nut them OF him.
David did right. The man who fights
The great battle Of life with the natural
Weapons God has given to him will
win. The man who tries to fight tho |
lnttie Of life In some other mans armor
Will fail every time. The purpose Of
his sermon Ii to point out some OF the
useless weapons with which men 20
birth TO battle not useless weapons
perhaps for others, but useless for cur
lslves. because they belong to another's
srmory and not to ours.
Uaine His Fathers wespons.
j 4 young man, Ia the first place,
makes great mistake In trying to mt
his fathers helmet upon his head and /