Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-08-31
TROUBLE ON BOTH SIDES.
Talmage's Eloquent Sunday
Morning Discourse.

God, Climb Toward Heaven. Climb INTO
the Sunshine OF Gods Favor-Up Into the
Communion Of Saints-Up Into the Peace
that Passeth All Understanding-Up Into
the CcmpanionshiD of Angels.
BAoOKLYN, Aug. l9-The Rev Dr. T. De-
Witt Talmage's subject to-day was; Trouble
on Both Sides, B." and his text: There was a
sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock
on the other side. ~ Samuel, ch. xiv, " 4
The cruel army of the Philistines must be
taken and scattered. There is Just one man,
accompanied by his bOdygugEd, 10 do that
Thing. Jonathan is the hero Of the scene I
know that David cracked the skull OF the
giant with few pebbles we'll slung, and that
three hundred GideOnites scattered ten thou
sand AmalelIites by the crash Of broken crock
erys but here is a more wonderful conflict
Yonder are the Philistines on the rocks
here is jonathan with his bodyguard in the
valley. On the one side is q rock called
Bozezi on TIE other side is the rock called
semen. IneSS Two were as famous in Oiden
times, as in modern times are Plymouth Rock
and Oh braltas. They were precipituOus. I'M
scalaDles and sharp Between these two
rocks Jonathan must make his ascent. The
day comes for the scaling of the height
Jonathan, on his hands and feet, begins the
ascent. With strain, ana slip. and Druise,
suppose, but still on and up, first goes iona
than, and then goes his bodyguard. Bozez
on one side, Seneh on the other After a
sharp tug and push, and cliuging, I see the
mounLalni and there is a challenge,
and a light, a supernatural cOnsternR-
ton. These two men, Jonathan and his body
guard, drive back and drive down the
Phltstines over the rocks, and open
a campaign which demolishes the en-
emies Of Israel l suppose that tile over
hanging and oyershadOWing rocks on either
side did not balk or dishearten Jonathan or
his bOdyguard but only reused and filed
them with enthusiasm as they went up.
''Ihere was a sharp rock on the one side, and
sharp rock on the other side"
Ny friends, you have been, or are now, some
Of you, in this crisis Of the text If a man
meets one trouble, he can 90 through with it.
He gathers all his energies concentrates
them upon one point, and in the strength Of
God, or by his own natural determination,
goes through it. But the man who has trOu-
bic to the right Of him, and trouble to the
left Of him is to be pitied Did either trouble
come alone, he might endure il, but two
troubles, two disasters two OVershadOWiug
misfOrtunes are BOzez and Seneh. God pity
himl There is a sharp rock on the one side,
and a sharp rock on the other side'
In this crisis of the text is that man whose
fortune and health fail him at the same time.
Nine tenths Of all our merchants capsiZe in
business before they come to fOrtY-fVe years
of age. There is some collision in commercial
circles, and they stop payment. 1t seems as
II every man must put his name on the back
OF note before he learns what a fool man
is who risks all bis own property on the pros
pect that some man viii tell the truth. 1t
seems as if q man must have large amount
of unsuitable goods on his own shelf before
he learns how much easier it is to buy than TO
sell. 1t seems rs if every man must be com
pletely burned out before he learns the i'm
pCrIance OF always Keeping FULLY insured. It
seems as if every man must be wrecked in a
financial tempest before he learns to keep
things snug In case of a sudden eurOcly don.
When the calamity does come 1t is awful.
The man goes home in despair, and he tells
his family: 'We'u have to 90 to the poor
house" He takes dOlOrOus view of every
thing. 1t seems as if lie never could rise.
q "a nv
am not so badly of after all; 1 have my
family left"
Before the Lord turned Adam out of Para
disc he gave him Eve, so that when he lost
Paradise he could stand it. Permit one who
has never read but few novels in all his life,
and who has not great deal of romance in
his composition, to say that if, when mans
fortunes fail, he has a good Wife-a good
Christian wife-he ought not to be despOnd-
emit Oh" you say, "that only increases the
embarrassment, since YOU have her also to
take care Of" You are an migrate, for the
woman as often supports the man as the man
supports the woman. The man may bring all
the dollars, but the woman generally brings
the courage and the faith in God.
WE'LL this man of whom 1 am speaking,
looks around, and he finds his family is left
and he rallies, and the light comes to his
eyes, and the smile 10 his face, and the
courage to his heart. In two years he is quite
over it, He makes his financial calamity the
nrsG chapter IL new era OF prosperity. He
met that one trOuble-cOnQuered il. He sat
down for a little while under the grim shadow
Of the rock BOZeZ3 yet he soon rose, and be-
gan, like Jonathan, to climb. But how often
1t is that physical ailment comes with
financial embarrassment When the fortune
failed it broke the mans spirit. His nerves
were shattered. His brain was stunned. I
can show you hundreds of men In New York
whose fortune and health failed at the same
time. They came prematureIy to the staff.
Their hand trembled with incipient paralysis.
They never saw we'll day since the hour
when they called their creditors together for
q compromise. III such men are impatient,
and ocular, and irritable, excuse them.
They had two troubles; either one Of which
they could have met successfully. If when
/ the health went, the fortune had be en- retain
ed, it would not have been so bad. The man
could have bought the very best medical ad-
vice, and he could have had the very best
attendance ana long lines of carriages
would have stopped at the front door to in
quire as to his welfare. Bat poverty on one
side, and sickness on the other, are BOZeZ
and Seneh, and they interlOcI their shadows,
and drop them upon the poor mans way.
God help himl There Is sharp rock on
the one side, and a sharp rock on the other
side"
Now. what is such man to do? In the
same OF Almighty God, VIII tell him what
10 do. Do as Jonathan did-climb; climb up
into the sunlight Of Gods favor and con-
ISOLATION. L can go through the churches aud
show you men who lost fortune and health
at the same time, and vet who sing all day
and dream Of heaven all night If you have
any idea that sound digestion, and steady
nerves, and clear eyCsight and good hear
Ing, and plenty Of friends, are necessary 10
make man happy, you have miscalculaJed.
l suppose that these Overhanglug rocks only
made Jonathan acramble the harder and
faster to get up and out into the sunlight;
and this combined shadow of iuyalidism and
financial embarrassment has often sent a
man up the quicker into the sunlight Of GODS
favor and the MONDAY Of His glorious pro-
misses 1t is a difficult thing for a man to
feel his dependence upon God when he has
ten thousand dollars In Government securI-
ties, and a block of stores and three ships.
"Wel' the man says TO himself, sit is
silly Tor me to pray Give me this
day my daily bread, when NV pantry
is full, and the canals from the West are
crow ded with bread-stufIs destined for my