Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-08-29
TROUBLE ON BOTH SIDES"
CLIMB UP INTO THE SUNLIGHT
OF GODS FAVOk AND CON-
ISOLATION.
THE MAN WITH HOME TROUBLE
AND OUTSIDE PERSECUTION
AT THE SAME TIME.
A WASTED LIFE ON ONE SIDE AND
AN ILLUMINATED ETERNITY
ON THE OTHER.
DIR. TALMAeE's SERMON, SUNDAY, AUG. 10.
DIR. TALMAeE's SERMON, SUNDAY, AUG. 10.

DRooKLYN, August 19.-The Rev. DR..
ID T. Dewitt Talmage's subject to-day
was: "Trouble on Both Sides," and his
text: "There was sharp rock on the one
side, and sharp rock on the other side'-
I. Samuel ch. xiv, v. a.
The cruel army of the Philistines must be
taken and scattered. There is just one man,
accompanied by his bodyguard, to do that
thing. Jonathan is the hero of the scene.
l know that David cracked the skull of the
giant with a few pebbles we'll slung and
that three hundred Gideonites scattered
broken crockery; but here is more wonder
full conflict Yonder are the Philistines on
the rocks. Here is Jonathan, with his body
guard, in the valley. On the one side is a
rock called Bozez; on the other side is q
rock called Seneh. These two were as IA
nous in olden times as in modern times are
Plymouth Rock and Gibralter. They were
precipitous, unscalable, and sharp. Be.
tween 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, and
slip, and bruise, suppose, but still on and
up, first goes Jonathan, and then goes his
bodyguard. Bozez on one side, Seneh on the
other. After sharp tug, and push, and
clinging, l see the head of Jonathan above
the hole in the mountain; and there is a
challenge, and fight, and supernatural
CONSERVATION. These two men, Jonathan
and his bodyguard, drive back and drive
down the Philistines over the rocks, and
open campaign which demolishes the ene-
mics of Israel. suppose that the over
banging and oyershadowing rocks on either
side did not balk, or dishearten Jonathan
or his bodyguard, but only:.roused and filled
them with enthusiasm as they went up.
"There was sharp rock on the one side,
and a sharp rock on the other side."
My friends, you have been, or are now,
some of you, in this crisis of the text. If q
man meets one trouble, he can go through
with it. He gathers all his energies, con-
centrates them upon one point, and in the
strength of God, or by his own natural de-
termination, goes through it. But the man
who has trouble to the right of him, and
tronble to the left of him is to be pitied.
Did either trouble come alone, he might en-
dure it, but two troubles, two disasters,
two overshadowing misfortunes, are Bozez
and Seneh. God pity him! "There is a
sharp rock on the one side, and 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-five years of age. There is some COL
lision in commercial circles, and they stop
payment. 1t seems as if every man must
put his name on the back of note before
he learns what a fool man is who risks all
his own property on the prospect that some
man will tell the truth. 1t seems as if
man must have large amount of unsala-
BILE goods on his own shelf before he learns
how much easier it is to buy than to sell. 1t
seems as if every man must be completely
burned out before he learns the Importance
of always keeping fully insured. 1t seems
as if every man must be wrecked in a finan-
cial tempest before he learns to keep things
snug in case of a sudden euroclydon. Wien
the calamity does come. it is awful. The
man goes home in despair, and he tells his
family: "We'll have to 60 to the poor
house." He takes dolorous view of ev-
erythiDg. 1t seems as if he never could
rise. But little time passes, and he says:
"Why, am not so badly off after all; l
have my family left"
Before the Lord turned Adam out OF
Paradise. 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 ol
romance in his composition, to say, that if,
when mans fortunes fail, he has gooG
wife-a good Christian wife-he ought mo-
to be despondent. "Oh," you say; "tha