Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-12
A LESSON FROM THE RING.
A Chicago Minister Finds n Moral In the
Sullivan kilrnin Fighf-Proof That the
World Has Advanced Since the Days of

World Has Advanced since the DAYS OIL
Rome.
From the Chicago Tribune.l
"If Mr.. Brobst has never been professional
trainer his sermon is great compliment to his
Imagination" said a gentleman from Clark
street who was attracted to the Westminster
Presbyterian Church last evening by the an
nouncement that the minister would preach on
"Prize Fights"
Mr.. Brobst turned the thoughts of his audi
ence into pugilistic channels at the outset by
reading about Gods strong right arm" in the
ninth verse of the ninety eighth Psalm. He
quickly followed this by lesson from Paurs
passage: 81 have fought good fight" Then
he prayed that the audience might enter the
arena of Christian faith. Finally he selected
for the choir the most combative hymn in the
song book, Brightly Cleans Our Bannerr'
Having thus prepared his audience, Mr..
Brobst rolled up his sleeves a little from the
cuffs, and attacked the subject of the dis
course. His text was the sentence In PauPs
first letter to the church in Corinth: 80 hight
i, not as one beating the air."
''The gaze of this nation and foreign coun-
tries" be said lis now centered on two men.
The telegraph is throbbing with their move
Of their condition. The pictorial press is filled
with cuts of their every muscle The world
has followed them south to New Orleans. Three
Governors have issued proclamations to pre-;
they will meet tomorrow.
'Who are these two men? They are two
trained pupilists-two men of Drawn. One Is
John l. Sullivan, who has amassed fortune of
over 100000 through his proves in the prize
ring The other is Jake Kilrain, who thinks he
can knock the Boston champion out.
"See them as they face each other for the
ightP,
He threw his fists before his breast in de-
fensive, yet ready attitude. He slugged from
shoulder sDarreQ. COunteTe0,
closed with the pulpit, and could easily have
thrown 1t over the ropes-from the rostrum.
People almost rose in their seats In the in
tensiJy of their interest
A Sign of Progress.
HAS the world advanced since the days Of
the Coliseum" asked Mr.. Brobst, after pause
in which he rubbed himself down with his
handkerchief. HAS the world advanced? See
the money poured out like water to witness
this modern encounter. 1t used to be poured
out in Rome in the same way. But Cesar then
poured it out The nobility poured it out.
Maidens poured it out. But the President of
the United States is not on his way to New Or
leans. And the three Governors who have is
sued their proclamations will not act as ref
erees. No ladies will be present. In view of
this difference in the class of attendants then
and now, / say the world has advanced.
Look at the preparation these two men
have gone through" he said. "A short time
ago they were drinkers, sensual, beastly. But
for weeks and months they have been temper
ate-they have denied themselves They have
passed through the severest training. Talk
about taking up your cross, Christiansl You
ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Take a
lesson in h hardship and d denial from from these @
ready for night which may last only half
hour.
What a lesson this is to usr' went on Mr..
Brobst. MANY of US are letting the time for
preparation slip by when We have heavens
battle to fight.
'See the force they exert in the ring" said
They hurl themselves against each other. They
struggle for hour after hour, round after
round, until one falls.
They bend their every muscle and every
They are willing to kill themselves to achieve
victory. Take another lesson. ChristIansi
Then look at their skill. They have spent
years learning the art of parrying and striking
and graphing. Their training has aroused the
faculties of their brains that they rational
in their work. They know what they are doing
in the thickesr of the fray. Ministers hear 1t
said that if they want TO preach good sermons
they should go into the pulpit and leave it to
God to tell them what to say; But it takes
skill to preach good sermon. Ministers, take
a lesson from the prize fghtersi Christians
take another lessonI
A Lesson for Christians.
Look, next, at the courage of these two men,
We hear OF Sullivan's boasting and Kilra;n's
self-confidence. If We could get near enough
to them tonight, Just on the eve of the battle
tomorrow morning. l expect we could hear
their hearts beat with anxiety. Reports get
started that this one and then that one is going
to back down. You hear 1t said that their train
ers have to spur them up to make them come to
the scratch. Well. it takes courage to walk into
a prize ring and stand up before a human cata.
pult, and take the chance of having your jaw
bone knocked out of recognition. But did you
ever hear of prize fighters failing to come to
time? These men will come to time in the
morning, just as the Brooklyn champion a few
weeks ago showed up fresh after losing one
side of his face.
"The eyes OF the world are ON these men,
said Mr.. Brobst, "and they will face each other.
Take another lesson from their courage Chris
tians!
Look at the toughness of these two men.
They are no delicate fellows. They are not to
be scared by firecracker. They are not to be
paralyzed by a scratch. They stand up as that
man in Brooklyn did and take OK x-felling blows
What contempt these men in their toughness
have for suffering! Take another lesson. Chris
tiansl We are called on to suffer. Learn how
to do it from these pugllstsr'
Mr. Brobst made q rush at the pulpit, grap-
pied with it in an eloquent peroration, and pro-
nounced Ihe benediction over an audience
which would have backed him on the SPOT
against any feather weight in the ministry