Rensselaer Republican, Volume 28, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 October 1895 — TALMAGES SERMOND. [ARTICLE]

TALMAGES SERMOND.

ATA^^OTf?« MWfimsMmsask Useless Lumber in Lebanon MounfetlepfePS i>etficiLci&\rfiscl«if<»} the Lesson of JHis Wonderful Vietopj-.j feSiMYBDJ In his sermon last Sunday Kisv. Dr. Talmage discussed u subj<jft wibteh iy,vfy apec-ia l in t e rest do ts «nSo y ; and. scholars the Jirespnuimie, Jjuirn;, with tlfe-' M-iahumc# nWr < Mount Gilbou. Judges vii., 20, 2l: “And the Three companies blew ?the truttTl'FTS, had brake-then pitchers, And hcid t lio lamps in'tlit*i¥4eft hands and the trumpets, pu jthfffr fisfil. hands to blow withal. And, stood., ev)sU*y man in his place round about the camp, and all the host ran add cried and -a -0.1 - * tied. That is the strangest battle ever fought. , , God had told Gideon to go down and ' thrash the. MidiauitesTbrtf his 'array is too large; for the glory must be given to God and not to man.. And so proclarua- ' tion is made that all those.of. the troops ;\vho are cowardly and want to go home may go, and 22,(XX) of then! whimpered away, leaving only 10,000 men.; But God says the army, is too large yet, and so lie orders these 10,000 remaining to march .'down through a stream and commands Gideon to notice in what manner these men drink of the water as they pass through it. If they get down.on all fours and drink, then they are td be pronounced lazy and incompetent for the campaign, but if, in passing through the. stream, they scoop up the water jn the palm of their hand and drink and pnss on, they are to be the men selected for the battle. Well, the 10,000 men marched down in the stream, and the niOst of them conic down on all fours and plunge their mouths, like a horse or an ox, riuto the water and drink, but there sire 300 men who, Instead of stooping, just dip the palm of their hands in the water aiid bring it to their lips, “lapping it as a dog lappeth.” Those 300 brisk, rapid, enthusiastic men are chosen for the campaign. They are each to take a trumpet in the -right lmiKkaiid ft piteheF m-the left hand and a lamp inside the pitcher, and then, at a given signal they are to blow the trumpets and throw down the pitchers and hold up the lamps. So St was dome. The Bout of the Midianites. It is night. I see a great host of Jjidinnites sound asleep in the valley of Jex- _ reel. Giddon comes up with his 300 picked men, and when everything is ready the signal is given, and they blow the trumpets, and they throw down the pitchers and hold up the lamps, and the great ! liost of Midinnites, waking out of a sound steep, take the crash of the crockery and the glare of the letups for the coming on of an overwhejijiipg foe, aigd they run and cut themselves t,o pie'egs 'and 1 horribly perish. In ' ’• - *'■ ' t »• •/, 1 'The- lessons of this fftib]ject> , ittr#t very '' spirited and impressive. ’ Wnlueless lump of quartz has, thq pure, gold iu it. The smallest dew'drom on the meadow at night has a star sldfpifig hi its bosom, and the most insfgnlficfttft passage of Scripture has in it a shining .truth. , God's mint eoinsrno small change. I lenrn in the first place, from thissubi .jeet,; the lawfulness of'-Christian strata* gem. You kuow very well that the greatest victories ever gained by Washington “or hl;w)oteon i 'gaTne(T 'thrfiiigh’' ATiiV fact that they came when and in a way they were not expected—sometimes fall"lnfe bijek totlnlw out the sod, stpvjetiinos out from amhnshj' scfch(ftFinds crossing 1 a river on unheard of rafts; all the time keeping the npppsipg forces ji) wonderment as to w.hat VvatiUlfW <loae. next. You all know what strntegjinraAu'iiJilH tary affairs. Now I think it is high time we had this v prt; papetififid gps;.flpiyit<pil-’, ized. In the church, when we are about to make a Christian assault, we send word to the opposing force when we ex*pect to .odWKV lid tv 'mahbHtciifrl' we have and how many rounds of shot, and whetherer we will come with artillery, infantry or cavalry, and of course we are defeat- ' ''ed. - There ate thoiisuifd-s I 'p!f' : me{i' : 'Vt.lM 1 1 iinight ! ho surprised God. We need more tact and ingenuity —in-ChristiaH -work. It ia in-apiritmfi fairs as in military, that success do/spends in attacking thVif ifniT of fie <*04134' j. which is not armed and iiityqh«’l|<|b v ' ’ 1 The Power of Christian Htrrtfnjreni. J For instance, here is aT man' all formed on the doctrine, pf tslwfifeite ,*!}. Afr iWfelJs f i j of .argument and prejudice, arfe.pjt that particular gate; f ba»t#r, aygyi. at that sideKif the castle for fiftnr ylpars,, | ajidfpiju wfll fjb(; t*|ks i| v bu£ inst whoi-l * your troops to the side gate of the 11 n'eTy. h.£fe4Piiiu tes yo«\pa pi Jgf&jki Qi&fif! WjjNSf a man. te bei Hf&ttUffh' a Gvitlinift ; m-; fcnmmt hook men into raw k*ingdPm‘io*. by the Jioroqi Theitei rir ■ is ajttfnn, mgfiejd'-Ml the HHbjpcftlai i (of, “ftftrhrck him af'Tliu't point, and he, wifi., persevere to the yery last in nqA bfjjgy-' , lag it. Ilered^.almnn arnied-onjtlie sub{Ject of papti’siß. belieF^: jg l klihg orliinmemion. All yoipt dirinussTon of ecclesiastical hydropathy will not change him. I remember when I was a boy that with other boVs I went into tlio. :i river on-a summer day to ba»hef and we ; used to dgslf Water but nkver got pny rpsitlf tkV.i.wirioyesr , were blinded, and; nil thin'fcplstihinrftmlf Wafer between 1 BilptWts WfiVf never results in anything but the blupwng.! of fbg spiritual icyeslghy In other wbrdHi' you cap never ’capture' a man’s sodl-diT ‘Vho point at Which he da especHlly m’""fWhtthedl" tiut these inun’s hgnrt a holt that ,ean be.tavslly shoved. *A‘little child 4‘yehrs dfd mhy touch .Hhfrt", bolt, and it will spring buck, and the mw. will swing open, and Ohi'ist’WrtPeSmd-in;> t-fiVrft think ijat the finestTof-hll fdie ! ‘frhei 1 -.«rtk is the brt of doing gc£o<f, nnd'yet, art4s kingdom of God to-dny enough f. to conqnen the wlH>le oar«lr|fprrChrikkrtf (l oi.tve' wdy l liad Skillful rfikhehvcrPng, r, ,A< nt Vrdiild nitlihr haVe Mlm ■,: e i00,000,./drawn awards p('.MkprHry pad, ccclesiastienl conrtwit, at «"lineK) * iochk # leatp frpny this hmall.parkpC.th.e, nxnw.Qf, God will have to'an T all 'the uara tljStfinng. Gi<leonffn n rmy composed df iCf.WVJ' ~ men, but they went off.untiL tlmre ,weret H hnlV 10.000 left, add tHa¥ L/oSemimatil tibere 4rfcre /tfti>J)3Ooifrtlte Is Wv same in all ages of the Cj|*»kfVM(jH>J>rch; a few men have to do the hard fighting. Take a membership of 1,000, and you generally find that fifty people do the work. Take a membership of 500, and

Useless Cowards and Dronjestuio >! less lumtSer in tne mountains of Ldl«iijh}jJ! mfftp- Wkooo|)J»fi|inirsMp:af t ehureh would be stronger. You know that tte| fi roues th|re are* mrlQliy army me weaker it is. Ij would. th^dntv.tif liie church of God to ridesovaf, IhoHUitlH*' quicker it does it the;dft?ck i ' ! er it does its duty. . T V-’: ■! fk Cftrfa r tsni, r if .yjmiiiate: jto do more than your share of the work. thank (Jod that called-^' pu-,tp. be one of the pickeid;<nieni fib belong to the host of Strag- - glers. IVould not you rather be ode of 'the 3ioo-' t : hnt : fighf flfAtf if-hiit Ktrpfittel I thhlA? '<ihWArillj- QhJeohites who went off congratulated: fhfem- ! selves. They said; “We got rid: of all that fighting, did jve ,not? How lucky we have been/ That battleeosts us 'nothing at all.” But they got none of the spoijs of the victory. After-the battle the 000 men went down and took the wealth of the Midinnites, hud out of the cups and plotters of their enemies they feasted. And the time will come, my dear brethren, when the hosts of darkness will be routed and Christ will say to his troops: “Well done, my brave men. Go up and take the spoils. Be more than conquerors forever. f ” And in that day all deserters will be shot. Again, I learn from this subject that God’s way is different from man’s, but is always the best way. If we had the planning of that battle, we would have taken those 32,000 men that originally belonged to the army, and we would have drilled them and marched them, up and down by the day and week: and, month, and we would have had them equipped with swords or spears, according to the way of arming in those times, and then we would have marched them down in solid column upon the foe. But that is not the way. God depletes the army, and tabes away all their weapons, and gives them a lamp, and a pitcher, and a trumpet, nud tells them to go down and drive out the Midianites. I suppose some wiseacres were there who said: “That is not military tactics. The idea of. 300. men, unarmed, conquering such a great host of Midianites!” It was the' best way. Wlmt sword, spear or cannon ever .accomplished shell a victory aslthe lamp, pitcher and trumpet? God’B Way the Best. God's way is different from manhs, way, but it i« always best! Take,:forlnjstgiice, thb composition of : the Bible; • H yve had had the writing of the Bible, we would have said: “Let one man write jit. If you have twepty or thiyty td write a poem', or. Make a statue, or .write ft* hig- j tory, or make an argnment, there (will fie flaws and: contradictions.” But Gofl says, ‘-Let not; one man do h.lbuhiforfy ‘Men' gbalj dp, differlug 1 enough to show ‘there had been n<) collu- ’ sTouJ Between . thbm, , J)Ul f 'ifcV c»ntradiet' mg tach other oft ally -'iinpc/rtand point; while , thefy alt ; wrote! fAMpi ‘ theit oeWn jstnndpoiiiG and, temperament.: So tliafc :th° niatter of fact ,ipan pis Moses; the romantic nature his Kzeki'el; the epigrammatic his Solomon; the warilior .Joshua; the sailor his Jonah; the: loving, his John; jiip.Kaul. instead of tills'Bible, which L 6hn lift •ip my , hand—instead; of the Bjple t)jk child the little Bible the sailor can put iti ! hist : jacket when he goes to sea—if it hqd beeu left |o. men, tq .wpjuid havelbeen! ' • a llfousaud - tlue nmonpt of icclesiSktrcaP-' cSTtroversy which has arisen. Gdd’s way is different i kep man’s, but it is best, infinite!y-best., * V So it is in regard to the Chri,stiaiW If we,had had the planning of a Qjpffsp,i tiaii'y ?rfA,‘ : wi' would have said: VLet, j him have eighty years of sunshinet a fini?' Hl#e in. Let his surroundings all be agreeable. Let him have sound health- t ktf, no throvgh hi^,, limbs, no pain ache his brow or rouble shadow his soul.” I enjoy the proipegjty;. of others so much I would let every,man. have as much money as he wants'.ami tains ..of gluduesrs glanging itfithei • large ' B«t ; thaftd»'hbt v God’s .fttaij-.s i _lt seems as if man must be cut aruT 'pouniTecTjust fii "proportion”"nu bg ia \isefui. His ghjld story ' ! viifitlnkv and hhsJits liffi tftifeliAl out. His 1 most ! investment tumbles;, hid l into ‘ His friends, on whom life is a'Biinitiin defeat. Instead of 32,- • <VPo(iad rigßtiMsfts«; U« t-kAsi «nlys -3JOPO. ’ 1 M.90, : •••onlySOOMrye,!ifioiie. 4tiaflrt i Ahiy.i .abioui. fUV I ? - bv/eWipod, nlioufc their reini-f . ■ tjation.n :But they . find, out it is the, <jhpiU J tMt.,nk!ilwl«ites t'beir advantages ■ just' fod'the sattie treitSon-ihe detdetpd the ,kkiily',’bflGhlefin^-tli.ill l .jd'jiyr jbp.hj’tjtebsvhw* on'ilia hpnfy.. ener. A iifrrapotfi s«ys in the > earlyi spring: through dt» win‘ter! ‘ I( shaU liavo no uapre troilhjo now! thUnmeT!Wßßtiler will come, and the garbe very beautiful!” But tl e gardrner cgmes and cuts tile vine here; jiipl there with his kni/e. The twigs btgin to', tkt f gTßg>evme cries out: Hliir-' dot! Whar riffi 'yhu mttting mejf6r?’f’ “Ah,” snyp.jtlnygardener, “I don’t'stcan . tp.-ki,!! J’pu.., ft ,1 pot 7 d<} t thik ■ would ibeiUie -Jnugliiug sUwk-.of .all the other (vlnek bofOre the aeasori 'Js' Over;” Kcoutea under tMytnellusowWe owwil clus--‘terbi'of grapes hang; and tho ’grapevine d not Jiave done nnythmg so, kind as td have 'mft raid *\vith' tnku knife. 1 ’ 1 Whopi the fcow* ItrvWh '-hh' chflsti*nkth'. v ’"WO pruu‘ ,oebattle, jot ri«t»cry,i(no cross,. no wowu! I* 'So (’JotltpWayl 'ih the redemption bf the ioiw war,) we woqW hanci luwbJeiwk spud j»n fth»i door <O6 hoove* aiud 'heckhilJthe naWKmm* <»• 'tUMgeJ?, fjyWg.hKdpMd ,4ltq ;«a*tliul*P 'hum•ingi*hw t unsearcha’bte rlched 'bf C lirist. txvhett Gwf-<ootildf>lhoWk themooff? Wlr>mmmmrzaz 11 way ikm I order ■ .aha t< <nll ’g»u«rtakie n s UUKTi »£■«% nbup«q«intrttaii>iaia these pyramids of igj;q '4p in height will they come ghastliness of * hob'ikohT , a O thou iniquity! Isl thou eanst hear my voice above the crackling of the flames, drive on thy projects, dispatch jtho emissaries, build thjr temples

Tiferforge tfiy chains, Tutkno w t lat thy fall from was not great, r than qrorttePW wh»a:he t )rh< o'thba: y fiery litional r:hfeU> of fßrr#'fiMrrOd::ftitd v ftvitje li 'itngiHs^ ’ilspwSiilft * jfu, ' heaven shall shopt at the. oventhrb'w as _frpm the ransomed earth the pong breaks, l-uu&ugtilfliewflffi: .’'. <f ilalielujah! fpT thiS Lo.rd. Gpd Omnipotent reieneth!, *Holl«ft .kstseabecoine the kfngdoips' df 'dir .Loeff . Ghiastian dlf*ctGod’k.'>W«y -lii'fhk' jnedHxip-. ‘ft? eKgpjgfwtoi m guts jv ay* bbtnbe J oM9ghori*di Mj» edkrfwslb nf t?esa»»fl j ~ Godfbc Great r,.v##hri»iifnrartthig.s«b|ect'.that t%qv*y. q thtww’-of God’a ehemihs wiH: be Arid tieriige. '.There is,,the army!of thd’ Midianites down,ln the valley of isuPIMWe. their-ipighty mha aie dreauijpg. of vietdry: Mount GilbOa nevor stood, aehtfuelr fog-so-.large a host. The. spears' and- the shields of the Midianites gleam , in the moonligbt.and glance on the ejje of. the Israelites, who,hover like.a battle of, Eagles* ready to! swoop from the cliff. Sleep on, O artny of tlie Midiauiteg! With the night to hide them, and the mountain to .guard, them,<«nd strong arms! to der let, m slumbering foenjan dream of disaster! Peace to the captains and the* spearmen! ‘sc Crash go the pitchers* Up flare the Jaipps! To the mountains! Fly! Fly! Troop running against troop, thousands trampling upon thousands. Hark to thb scream and groan pf the routed foe, with the Lord God Almighty after them! How sudden the onset, how wild the consternation, how utter the defeat! Ido not fear Sb much what is against me if God is not. You w-a n t a bbfter'sword or carbine than I have ever seen to go out and fight against ithe Lord Omnipotent. Give me God for my ally, and you may have all the battlements and battalions. I so,\y the defrauder in his splendidhouse,, It seemed as if he had conquered God as hp.stooihqmid the blaze of chandeliers and pier mirrors. In the diamonds of the wardrobe I savy the tears of the widows whom hp jnul robbed, and in the snowy satin; the pallor ,of the whi?eeheeked orphans whom he had wronged. The blood of the oppressed glowed in the deep crimson of the imported chair. The music trembled: with the sorrow of unrequited toil. But the, wave of mirth dashed lngher on reefs of coral and pearl. Tho days and the nights went merrity. .No sick child dared pull that silver doorbell.! No beggar dat-ed sit On that marble step. No yoiee of prayer floated amid that tape?tar*. shadqw of a judgment day darkened that fresco. No tear of human sympathy dropped upon that upholstery. Pomp strutted the hall, and dissipation filled her cup, and all seemed safe as the the valley of ; Jezreel. But .God. camp. '..Calamity smote the money mjiilet: ‘ partridge left its eggs unhatched.. Cpnsh Went all the porcelain pitdhers? l Ttniii,’- roftt, dismay and ;woe in the valley of Jhzrekl! '' feukrieiidpr^yertTa.Too'Late:”'ll- - fer thosi^Who fight againslt God! Only- two aides; - Man irnmortal,; which. . m<le’aife‘yt(tt‘oa? Wdmaii immortal; whiqh side ade you 'onT'Bio yOn'belong to tpe 3,00 that jade/going to Win the day'of; to tile igr«gti host q£ Midianites asleep in the vai-' Icy;.only to -be roused up in coiistornatioii : and the geldetf-Bowl of. life will be broken and the trumpet blown int * - cometh as ; a thief in. i -Ijsfld,-.aiaMed-FZswu&i, ifc®,‘jipon the 'Sipping' foe. -j jfav Ca«st ; jhdtl pluOk.up ebufage fog thp day when •the- trUmpet which hath never been , bfOWta shall-Spekk the roll call of the dead, altd< tlie*'earth,' dashi'fig against m'lokt* IrtoteorAftaW ftk YnOuiifairis to the sthrt Slid:oceans tteptied in the.air? 'OhJ'.fihea;-. what 'will :! become Of .you? What Avlll ibecomk of me ? ' j if If .those Midhniitofe had: only given up their swords the day before the disaster, aIL-WnultLhaxeJbeea well, and if yep, will now surrender the sins with which you :ht*TO ’beeto TSghtiiigfjrgoJiiSt God, yow Will be safe. Oh, make peace tyith himVnew, (tbrwugh .toStiftOhrist the ix/rdl With the cjlwteb jlfia Kllei*pUss. # U Christ, wA*h i side,.ask§ you ;to. t, - ■ A,’ tMdpiSftifc'l/uilt -See Oive- tiok -it idtirney I South 'Ciii'Pliiia. ipcfik'S AVith [ 'Pnth‘Uslasm pf the fdrmefs aud other plain peopfef With! whdto'* he shopped from time to time. On one occaslon he toolTdinner at a farm house, apid as. tdrWktd‘jsafi:Ui«)u'’th4 ttutit‘itorch;talking. tO'ihik Ukst tgttd thlnkingfjto poltBflpo his departure thl ther coed’ of the evening.,!, , :•[ -u . i!j ; r kept examiiling the, sky,f ky , storm, and Wlth,d4muy, gt, his. cirops scat;, teped oypr the, flelds p pyidenl.ly. j fearl ng that they wmild be.ruined.,,. | yWhjit g, piece bf'Bpbtbe.rp sMftless■ness!”"'thd BAsfohra’n "said t‘o himself®: “This lazy fellow prefers gossiping tef working althovurli, the probabiity is that bik’ W'tlljbe ruined before nightfall!- ' | r^r,.: gdAfflerla white; howevfer.ThoTdeaj bhnie' Jnlft thftNprthiernftf’s liead.thatiperhaps and so rfiaf asking, the news frpin tbe fiu<t teiyng hpmprous anqodoXes, WPW/- *° No sooner did the traveler grpive at this possible explanation ot his thbstTdr conduct than he bade him a cordiul biit brief farewell, sprang upon Ills horse, and j;ode away.rrw;*-, m>-*-LI Tppttlngiin,!!!* saddle a moment l latfed; he Vi? his, host iy i tip gpitchforft rctffg hand dashing at full, speed roitnd the corner of the house to G»e barn, dhgt I ,he might get outbislihrsc and set to work.!