The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-05-31

BROOKLYN, May 27.-At the Tabernacle
This morning the Rev. T. Dewitt Tai
mage, D. D., read the account of the mar
helpless at the beautiful gate OF the tenn
pie. He then gave out the hymn begin
ming
"a cloud of witnesses around
Hold thee in full survey;
Forget the steps already trod,
And onward urge thy way"
The subject of the eloquent doctor;
discourse was: "Disabled Hunters
Bringing Down the Most Game" His
Text was from Isaiah, chapter xxxiii
verse 23. "The lame take the prev. ="
Following is the Sermon
The utter demolition of the Assyrian
host was here predicted Not only
robust men should go forth and gather
the spoils of conquest but even men
crippled of arm and crippled of foot
should go out and capture much that
was valuable. Their physical disad-
vantages should not hinder their great
enrichment So it has been in the past
20 it is now, so it will be in the future
So it is in all departments. Men labor
under seemingly great disadvantages and
amid the most unfavorable circum-
stances, yet making grand achievements
getting great blessing for themselves
great blessing for the world great blessing
for the church, and so ''the lame take the
j prey"
Do you know that the three great poets
OF the world were totally blind ? Homer.
Ossian, John Milton. Do you know that
Mr.. Prescott, who wrote that enchanting
book "The Conquest OF Mexico" never
saw Mexico, could not even see the
paper on which he was writing? A
framework across the sheet between
which, up and down, went the pen i'm
mortal.
Do you know that Gambasso, the
sculptor could not see the marble before
him, or the chisel with which he cut it
into shapes bewitching9 Do you know
that Alexander Pope, whose poems will
last as long as the English language, was
30 much of an invalid that he had to be-
sewed up every morning in rough canvas
in order to stand on his feet at all?
Doyou know that Stuart the celebrated
painter, did much of his wonderful worlI
under the shadow of the dungeon, where
he had been unjustly imprisoned for
debt? Do you know that Demosthenes
by almost superhuman exertion. first had
to conquer the lisp OF his own speech he
fore he conquered assemblages with his
eloquence Do you know that Bacon
struggled all through innumerable sirk.
nesses, and that Lord Byron and >ir Wal.
ter Scott went limping on clubfoot throuoh
all their life, and that many OF the great
poets and painters and orators and 6isto.
risns ard heroes of the world had some
thing to keep them back, and pull them
down, and impede their way and cripnla
their physical or their intellectual move.
ment and yet that they pushed on and
pushed up until they reached the spoiIs
of worldly success, and amid the huzfa of
nations and centuries 'the lame took the
prey?
You know that a vast multitude of
these men started under the disadvantage
of obscure parentage. Columbus, the
son OF the weaver. Ferguson, the astron-
omer, the son OF the shepherd America
the prey of the one; worlds on worlds
the prey of the other But what is true
in secular directions it more true in spi-
ritual and religious directions, and / |
proceed to prove it.
There are in all communities manv in
valids. They never know a we'll dav.
They adhere to their occupations, but
they go painting along the streets with
exhaustlons, and at eventime they lie |
down on the lounge with achings beyond
all medicament They have tried all
prescriptions, they have gone through all
the cures which were proclaimed infalli-
BILE, and they have come now to sur
render to perpetual ailments. They con-
slider they are among many disadvant.
ages and when they see those who are
buoyant in health pass by, they almost
envy their robust frames and easy respi-
ration, --sAsu.s
But have noticed among that invalid
class those who have the greatest knowl-
edge of the Bible, who are in nearest
intimacy with Jesus Christ who have
the most remarkable answers to PRAYER.
and who have most exhilarant anticipa-
tions of heaven. The temptations which
weary us who are in robust health they
have conquered. They have divided
among them the spoils of the conquest.
Many who are alert and athletic and
swarthy loiter in the way. These are the
lame that take the prey. Robert Hall an
invalid, Edward Payson an invalid,
Baxter an invalid, Samuel Ruth.
ford an invalid. This morning, when
you want to call to mind those who are
most Christ-like, you think OF some
darkened room in your fathers house
from which there went forth an influence
potent for eternity.
A step farther Through raised letters
the art of printing has been brought To
the attention of the blind.
You take up the Bible for the blind
and you close your eyes, and YOU RIM
your fingers over the raised letters, and
you say, "Why, l never could get anv
in this way. What a slow
!umbrous way Of readingl God help the
blind"
And yet / find among that class of
persons, among the blind, the deaf and
the dumb, the most thorough acquaint-
ance with Gods word! Shut out from
all other sources of information, no
sooner does their hand touch the raised
letter than they gather a prayer. With
out eyes they look off upon the king
1oms of Gods love. Withnul hearing