The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-01-27
miscellaneous.
REV, I, DEWITT TALMAGE.
STRUGGLES WHICH ALWAYS
PRECEDE VICTORY.
NO Shining Ladders Now to Let the Angels
DOwn-But Fierce Combat That Lasts
to the Edge Of the Grave.
gURJEor-tIsrUaaLR AND VICTORY"


Day Breaketh."
The dust arose from travelling hero
of cattle, and sheep, and goats, and cam
els. They are the presents Jacob sends
TO gain the good will of his offended
brother. That night Jacob halts by the
brook Jabbok. But there is no rest toi
the weary man-no shining ladder tC
let the angels down into his dream, but
q fierce combat, that last until the morn
ing, with an unknown visitor. The un'
known visitor, to reveal his superior
power, by q touch wrenChes Jacobs
thighbone from it's socket, perhaps Grip
pling him for life. AS on the morning
Bky the clusters of purple clouds begin
to brighten, Jacob sees it is an angel he
has been Contending with, and not one
of his brothers Coadjutors. "Let me
90, the day breaketh," )" says the angel.
You see, in the first place, God allows
His people sometimes to get into a terri
BILE trouble. Jacob was good man, but
here he is left alone in the midnight to
Wrestle with a tremendous influence by
the brook Jabbok. For Joseph, a pit;
for Daniel, a wild beast den; for David, a
dethronement and exile; for st. Paul, a
Bhipwreck; for Peter, prison; for John,
desolate Patmos; for John Wesley, sto'
ming; for Josephine, banishment; for Mrs
Sigourney, the agony Of drunkard'a
wife; for Latimer, the stake; for Christ,
the cross. Some one said to a Christian
reformer, "The world is against you;"
he replied, "And am against the world.'
1 will go further, and say Every Christ.
ian has his struggle, This man had his
combat in Wall street; this one on Broad
street; this one on Fulton street; this
one on State street. With financial mis-.
fortune you have had the midnight
wrestle. Redhot disasters have dropped
into your store from loft to cellar. What
you bought you could not SELL Whom
you trusted, fed. The help you expect
ed, would not come. Some giant panic,
with long arms and death.like grip, took
hold of yon in an awful wrestle, from
which you have not yet escaped; and the
result is uncertain. Here is another soul
in struggle with some bad appetite. He
said, "For the sake of my soul, my FAM
lily, and my God, must stop this" And
behold, he found himself alone by the
brook of Jabbok, and it was midnight.
That evil appetite seized upon him, and
he upon it, and oh, the horror Of the
conflict When once bad habit hath
reused itself up to destroy man, and
the man sworn that by the help Of God
he will destroy it, all heaven draws itself
out in long line of light to look from
above, and all hell stretches itself in
myrmidons of spite to look up from be.
meath. l have seen men rally them
selves for such a struggle, and they have
bitten their lip and ClenChed their fist,
and cried with a bloodred earnestness
and rain of sCalding tears, "God help
mer
From a wrestle with habit l have seen
men fall back defeated, calling for no
help, but relying on their own resolution
they have come into the struggle, and
for time it seemed as if they would
succeed. But that habit rallied again it's
internal power, and lifted the soul from
its standing, and with force borrowed
from the pit, hurled it into outer dark
ness. First, l saw the auCtioneer's NAL.
let fall on the pictures and musical in.
and the rich upholstery of
his family psrlor. After a while l saw
him fall into the ditch. Then, in the
midnight, when the children were all
dreaming, and Christian households
were silent in slumber, angel watched, l
heard him give the sharp shrek that
followed the stab of his own poinard. He
fell from an honored social position; he
fell from family circle of which he was
the chief attraction; he fell from the
House of God, at whose altars he had
been Consecrated-h he fell, foreverI But,
thank God, | have often seen better
than that. l have seen
men prepare for such a wrestling. They
laid hold Of Gods help as they went into
the combat. The giant, Habit, RECALLED
by the cup Of many dissipatioDs, came
out strong and defiant. They clenChed.
There were the writings and distortions
of fearful struggle; but the old giant
began to waver, and at last, in the mid.
night, alone, with none but God to wit.
ness, by the brook Jabbok, the giant fell
and the triumphant wrestler broke the
darkness with the cry, "Thanks be unto
God, who giveth ms the victory through
our LORD Jesus ChTlst."
There Isl widows heart, first was des-
Olated by bereavement, and since by the
snxieties and trials that came from the
support of family. 1t is sad thing to
See man contending for livelihood
under disadvantages; but to see delicate
woman, with helpless ones at her back,
fighting the giants of poverty and sor.
row, is more affecting. 1t was an hum
BILE home, and passersby knew not that
within those four walls were displays of
courage more admirable than that of
Hannibal crossing the Alps, or in the
pass Of Thermopyl@, or at Balaklava,
where "into the jaws OF death rode the
six hundred" These heroes had the
whole world TO cheer them on; but there
were none to applaud the struggle going
on in that humble home. She fought
for bread, for clothing, for shelter, for
FIRE, with aching head and weak side and
exhausted strength, through the long
night, by the brook Jabbok. Could It be
that none would give her help2 Had
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