Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-05
RIZPAH ON THE ROCK.
Lessons Drawn by DR.. Talmage From
a Typical Mothers Love.
WEAK WOMAN'SSUBLIME COURAGE
The Duty of Children Not to Abuse Her
Undying Affection.
WEAK KWOMAN'SSUBLIME COURAGE
MATERNAL WATCHING AFYER DEATH

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO fHE D1sPATcH.l
BROOKLYN. Dec. 4-fDE Talmage Sc
lected for his text TO-DAY Second Samuel,
xxi. 10: "And Rizp2h, the daughter of
Allah, took sackcloth, and spread it for her
upon the rock, from the beginning of har-
vest until water dropped upon them out Of
heaven, and suffered neither the birds of
the air to rest on them by day, nor the
beasts of the field by night.
In the time of the text those regions were
populous with multitudes o; jackals and
lions. Seven sons of Saul had been crucified
on hill. Rizpah was mother to two, and
relative to five OF the boys. What had these
boys done that they should be crucihed?
Nothing except to have bad father ana
grandfather. But new that the boys were
dead why not take them down from the gib-
bets? NO. They are sentenced to hang
there. SO Rizpah takes the sackcloth, a
rough shawl with which in mourning for
her dead she had wrapped herself, and
spreads that sackcloth upon the rocks near
the gibbets, and acts the part of sentinel.
Rizpah is on guard both day and night and
for half a year. What nerves she must have
had to stand that All! do you not know
that a mother can stand anything?
What hard thing that those seven boys
shoulI suffer Tor the crimes of a father and
grandfather! Yes. But it is always So Let
everyone who does wrong know that he
wars not only as in this case against two
generations children and grandchildren,
but against all the generations of coming
time. That is what makes dissipation ana
uDcieRnliness so awful
The Highest Persons Are Brought Low.
Furthermore. this strange incident in
Bible story shows that attractiveness of
person ana elevation of position are no Sc
curity against trouble. Who is this Rizpah
sitting in desolation? One of Sauls lavor-
ties. Her personal attractions had won his
heart. She had been caressed of fortune.
Some of the worst distreSses have come to
scenes OF royalty and wealth.
The wheel Of fortune keeps turning, and
mansions and huts exchange, and he who
rode the chariot pushes the barrow. and in
stead OF the glare of festal lights Is the
simmering of the Deat-fire, and in place of
Saul's palace is the rock, the cold rock, the
desOlate rock. But that is the place to which
God comes.
Again: the tragedy of the text displays
the courage OF woman amid great ener-
gencies. What mother or sister or daughter
would dare 20 out to fight the cormorant
and jackalG RiZpah did 1t. And so would
you il an emergency demanded. woman
Is naturally timid and shrinks from eX-
posure and depends on stronger arms for
the achievement of great enterprises. And
she il often troubled lest there might De
occasions demanding fortitude when she
would TAIL Not so. Some of those who are
afraid to look out of door after nirhtfall.
and who quake in the darkness at the least
uncertain sound, and who start at the siam
of the door, and turn pale in a thunder
storm, if the day of trial came would be
heroic and invulnerable. God has arranged
it so that woman needs the trumpet of some
great contest OF principle or affection to
rouse up her slumbering courage. Then
she will stand under the cross fire OF oppos-
ing hosts at Chalons to give wine to the