The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1907-11-15
DUTYOF REAR GUARD
Rev. Or. Talmage's Sermon on
n misunderstood Text.
The Way Soldiers Of the Rear Guard
Fight In Battle and the Op'
portunisy Of Christians OF
a Similar Division.

NLI.INNM We aNaANa NHHN
inc spirltual truth that divine reen'
sor,ement comes 20 an Who in the
crisis OF lie place their trust in Goa
and DO their duty chcerfuiiy and faith
fully. The text is Isaiah lii 70 "lhe
God Of Israel VIII De your rereward
An Ola officer said to me some time
aro. "Tlough tie details of lighting
NAV change. yet. after an, the great
formations Of battle lines from time
immemorial have been practically the
same. The battles OF the civil war
were specimens Of this formation
First comes the forward line or sNi.-
uisbers. These shorpshooiers are scat
tered abroad about 800 yards in 'front.'
of the main body Of men. These are
the men who spy out the land ami TO-
coiye the first attack and give the in.'N
troops time TO prepare for action IAeA
comas tbe main Tine If battle. Shout
der 10 shoulder the soldiers are formed
sometimes iu one rank. some ines lH
two and even three ranks deep. his
line stretches away. with ITS right ana
left TANKS firmly intrenched. Then
back Of the main line Of battle is ""al
we old soldiers used to call the reserve
force"
"What IS the purpose OF that reserve
forceq" I asked. well answered 'he
oh soldier, "the general ln comniAlu'
with his field glass. takes IBIS position
far TO the rear ON some cmiuence oNef.
looking the entire army There DE
watches the mobnizIng of the enemy
lie sees where the attacks are TO Pc
made. Then when the crash comes
and the charging troops are hurled
AGAINST any one part Of his lines ana
that part threatens TO give way tne
commanding general sends forward
his reserve force Then the vaveilns
troops are steadied and the battle -
on. until at last the victory is won pl
one side or the other
"Wen" / answered. "the main pur
nose Of this rear guard or reserve
force IS TO keep q large part OF the
troops back of the main line of haiue
10 REINFORCE any part of that line
which is being overwhelmed by TOO
great an attacking forcef "Just that
aud nothing else" my old friend said.
cit is absolutely imperative for line
of battle to be kept straight II one
mart IS defeated an viii De defeated
Tbus fin order To- help the wayerlus
trooDs Of one part of his line, lhe come
handing general keeps some of his
hest soldiers bv his side i'm "a reserve
force 10 send them forth TO succor
those who are being W0rsted I'm the
conflict " "Ah.n ! answered. "this is the
first time have ever had clear cou-
co,tion Of what Isaiah meant in @
familiar nossoge" In the fftv-seconl
ohontor be ovhoriq the church TO g1
fortb and do tho work God has given
ber IN do and he encouraged her with
the promise "For We shall not go out
with soste nor bv Eight for the Lord
will % before YOU. and the God OF
Israel will be your rereward." That
means the Lord God Almighty viii De
n reserve force for his people in the
hard struggle of life. Now 1 want TO
show Won how God manipu'ates his
rear guard so as 10 help us in our fight
oroinst sin and I'm our battles for the
redemntion of the world.
realize I'm the first place that it
would be useless to- have q rear guard
for an army unless at the same time
Won have commanding general who
is in absolute control of an the diff
farent parts Of the army. That gem
eral must not only De I'm supreme CONE
mand. but he must be able TO- detail
every individual soldier Of every body
Of troops to just the position he would
have him take upon the battlefield. AS
the chess player can move forward his
queen and knights and pawns, I'm order
10 overthrow the stronghold of his am
taconist. so the commanding general
must haze absolute control OF au the
army or else there is no practical use
for a rear guard. And it IS the general
who has the most perfect control of
all his troops who can make 'he most
effective use Of his rear guard
Perhaps yOu have seen that wonder
ful picture OF Napoleon at Auster.itz.
There he is upon the hillside, seated
upon his famous white horse, overlook
ing the field Of battle He IS surround
ed by his staff The field glass Is in his
hands. The orderlies are ganoping ey-
erywhlther. on IN the distence you
can see the smoke of carnage. You
can almost hear the shouts of triumph
and tho groans Of the dying. Yet you
focus your study not so much upon the
battlefield as on the flashing eye of
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NE Dh,ae.,tn o.a e,aai. , ,.o-1
ond NE troons r,oro I'm str,.t of..1f
onco ~ bis WIN Now tho o,nii.otfo,
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