Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-11
PUGILISM FROM THE PULPIT.
A Presbyterian Divine Finds Valuable
Suggestions in the Recent Meeting.

uXs
From the Chicago Tribune
eff Mr.. Brobst has never been a 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"
MIR. Brobst turned the thoughts Of his audi
ence into pugilstic 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 Paul's
passage, II 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 combatlve hymn in the
song book, Brightly CLEANS our Banner"
Having thus prepared his audience, Mr..
Probst rolled up his sleeves little from the
cuffs and attacked the subject of the discourse
His text was the sentence in Pauls first letter
| to the church in Corinth: $50 fight l, not as
one beating the air."
The gaze o. this nation and foreign coun-
| tries" he said, sis now conferred on two men,
The telegraph is throbbing with their move
ments. The daily press is given up to accounts
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 prevent their meeting. But they will meet
and they will meet tomorrow!
"Who are these two men? They are two
trained pugilists-two men of Drawn. One is
John l.. Sullivan, who has amassed fortune of
over 10000 through his prowess in the prize
! ring. The other is Jake Kirain, who thinks he
can knock the Boston champion out.
See them as they face each other for the
ightl'
Mr.. Brobst squared himself behind the pull
pit. He threw his fists before his breast in a
defensive, yet ready attitude. He slugged from
| the shoulder. he spared, he countered, he even
closed with the pulpit, and could easily have
thrown it over the ropes-from the rostrum
People almost arose in their seats in the inten-
sity of their interest.
HAS the word advanced since the DAYS of
the Coliseum" asked Mr.. Brobst. after a 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 Caesar then
poured it out. The nobility poured it out
Maidens poured 1t 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 refer
ees. 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 temperate-they
have denied Themselves They have passed
through the severest training. Talk about taking
up your cross, Christians |! You ought to be
ashamed of yourselves. Take lesson in hard
ship and denial from these pugilistsl Think
how they have worked to be ready for a fight
which may last only half-hour.
what a lesson this is to us' went on Mr.
Brobst MANY of us letting the time for pre-
paration slip by when we have heavens battle
to fight.
..See the force they exert in the ring" said
Mr.. Brobst, 1.-The will power the determination,
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
| thought to the fight" continued Mr.. Brobst.
'They are willing to kill themselver to achieve
victory. Take another lesson, Christians
'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, 80 that they are ra-
| tional in their work. They know what they are
| doing in the thickest of the fray. Ministers
hear it said that if they want to preach good
sermons they should go into the pulpit and
it takes skill to preach good sermon Minis
ters, take lesson from the prize fightersi
Christians, take another lesson!
Look. next, at the courage of these two
men. We hear of Sullivan's Boosting and Kill
| rains self-confdence. If we could get near
| enough to them tonight, just on the eve of the
battle tomorrow morning, expect we could
hear their hearts beat with anxiety. Reports
get started that this one and then that one ia
going to back down. You hear it said that
their trainers have to spur them up to make
them come to the scratch. Well it takes cour-
age to walk into prize ring and stand up be-
fore human catapult and take the chance of
having your jaw bone knocked out of recogni-
ton. 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 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, land 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 a fire-cracker. They are not to
be paralyzed by a scratch They stand up AZ
that man in Brooklyn did and take ox-felling
blows. What contempt these men, in their
toughness. have for suffering! Take another
lesson, Christians! We are called ON to suffer
Learn how to do it from these pugilists!"
MIR. Brobst made a rush at the pulpit. gran
pied with it in an eloquent peroration, and pro-
nounced the benediction over an audience
which would have backed him on the spot
against any feather-weight in the ministry.
The action of Carneoie phip,,s 4 ~. - l.