Democratic messenger., 1905-01-28
Calnnase
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. D. d.

Los -AH.ttcS. tal.. Jan. IA WHOLE
some philosophy. which may well be
applied by every one who desires sue
ress in the battle of life. is that which
the preacher outlines in this sermon.
taking his text from | Samuel xvii. 80.
Il cannot 20 with these, for have not
proved them"
A weaponless soldier is n defenseless
and Il helpless soldier. Neither person
al strength nor heroic valor can avail
him without effective weapons in
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 OH the vigor and prowess
of the soldier. In the Austro- Prussian
war il 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. lis he who
hath his quarrel just" but neither JUS
tice nor righteousness can save cause
If 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. "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 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 fiee
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. \ soldier with
out effective weapons in his hand Is as
helpless before the attack of his ene-
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 10 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: Il will let him 20 forth
and fight i'm my armor. My helmet
shall protect his forehead. My coat Of
mail shall cover his chest. My sword,
keen as a Damascus blade, with its
jeweled hilt. shall be i'm his hand.
upon the champion"
This offer OF Saul's was an embar-
rassment. The young shepherd boy
was unaccustomed to the cumbrous
armor But the kings offer must not
be rejected by 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 ridicu-
lous as the pale. thin, consumptive
Alexander ii. Stephens. that giant Of
mental power and great heart. appear
ed in his multitudinous wrappings Of
outer garments. When Lincoln saw
him at Hampton Roads he said to his
secretary of state. Seward. did you
ever see in your life such pile of corn
huskings wrapped about one thin ear?"
"Why." said David, Il cannot fight
in this armOr. Saul may use these
weapons. but am not Saul. Give me
my sling, with which l am accustomed
to protect my sheep. Let me choose
my own stones out of the brook for
ammunition. Let me fight for Israel
with the talent God has given to me to
use" My text says: And David said
unto Saul. cannot go with these, for
/ have not proved them. And David
put them off 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 the
battle of life i'm some other mans armor
will fail every time. The purpose of
this sermon is TO point out some of the
useless weapons with which men 20
forth 10 battle-not useless weapons
perhaps for others. but useless for our
selves. because they belong TO anothers
armOry and not to ours.
UsinR His Fathers weapons.