Milford chronicle., 1905-01-27
Ca(naQe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. D. D.

cess in the battle Of life, is that which
the preacher outlines in this sermon,
taking his text from Samuel xviii 80,
Il caRRot go with these, for have not
proved them"
A weaponless soldier is a 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 mill
itary chiefs have learned that the is
sue Of 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
she fact that the Prussian army had
che 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
Hice nor righteousness can save a cause
81 the champions of it neglect the ma
serial appliances of military science.
No general ever had more implicit
zaith 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
Aronsides, "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 be evacuated by
the American troops not because they
would not fight. The RevoIutionists'
supply of ammunition ran out. Twice
did William Prescott give the order to
fire. Twice did the charging British
Gnes 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
Aelpless then before the attacks of the
advancing enemy. 1t has been said that
Suster 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 =
cut 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. h
This fact was recognized in ancient !
times. Before the discovery Of gunpOw- h
der had made hand to hand conflicts so H
rare as they are now soldiers were clad y
from head to foot in armor to protect 3
Them from the blow of the sword or 2
5attleax or the thrust of the spear. 4
Thus when David, the shepherd boy, a
went out to fight the Philistine giant it N
seemed a matter Of ordinary precaution =,
hat he be covered with such armor as
vas then in use. 1t seemed the rashest n,
emerity for him to go into the fight m
his ordinary shepherd dress. 50
King Saul said: Il will let him go forth n
md fight in my armor My helmet in
hall protect his forehead. My coat Of 70
aail shall cover his chest My sword, NJ
cen as a Damascus blade, with its of
eweled hilt, shall be in his hand. n,
IOme. armor bearer, place my armor IN
pom the champion" of
This offer Of Saul's was an embar- fo
lssment. The young shepherd boy A,
as uhaccustoHieu 10 tne cumDrous in
imor. But the kings offer must not ON
Q rejected by n loyal subject, so he to
admitted to be grded with the coat Te
mail and the helmet to protect his no
I'D. He must have looked as ridicu- We
rs the pale thin, consumptive MI
ader II. Stephens, that giant Of otl
power and great heart, appear no
multitudinous wrappings Of ea
ments. When Lincoln saw frl
mptOn Roads he said to his al
state, Seward, did you wi
our life such pile of corn Ar,
9ped about one thin carp het
il David, Il cannot fight nit
0r. Saul may use these NJ,
am not Saul Give me Iol
which am accustomed MI
sheep. Let me choose tbe
out Of the brook for os
let me fight for Israel mi,
God has given to me to mi,
says: And David said son
mot go with these Or wa
we'd them. And David tha
i'm" Z
.yid did light. The man who fights lam
! great battle Of life with the NATURAL Lo,
apOns God has given to him viii Ma
q. The man WHO tries to f 2 le Wr
tile Of life in some other mans 1r Ha,
q fail every time The pur II Mo,
$ sermon is to point out some q fam
less weapons with which men % +bej
tn to battle-not useless weaf ls istr
haps for others, but useless for r
ves. because they belong to anota 's In
1Ory and not to ours. dell
UsinR HIS Fathers weapon poet
young man. in the first n e. hav
kes great mistake in trying it fall
80. l..