Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-06-09
REV. DR.. 4ALMAGH.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine'S Sun
day Sermon.
subject: "Iessons Learned From the
Sorry of Ehud.'


there were in it 700 left handed men, ana
yet so dexterous had they all become In tne
use of the left hand that the Bible says they
could sling stones at hairs breadth anu
not miss.
Well, there was king Of the name o.
Eglon who was an oppressor OF lsraei. no
imposed upon them a most outrageous laA,
Ehud. the man of whom l first spoke, hau
divine commission to destroy that opptessOi,
He came, pretending that he was gong NJ 1o
pay the tax and asked to see King bglon .ho
was told he was in the summer nouse' vno
place to which the king retired when "@r
too hot to sit in the palace Ials suln, ond
house was place surrounded oy IL 'rorbIing
trees and springing fountains anu
birds. ,d oaid
Fhud entered the summer house ana sa'I
70 King Eglon that he had secret errauu
with him. Immediately all the attenI gi,
were waved out of the royal presence hlne
FoIon rises nm TO receive the messenSoi;
Fhud the left handed man, puts MS lell naIiI s
10 mis- right side. pulls out a dagger anu
thrusts Fglon through until tne hai' w.
in after the blade Eglon falls. Emu , oV1 ~
forth to blow trumpet oil recruits ecrul. au ~. e
mountains of Ephraim, ana 800 80. 80 the
-.o~ahoIad and proud Moab submits 10 ths
cononeror and Israel is free. SO, U Loru,
let all Thy enemies perish % "O'
ALI Thy friends triumph - -,
learn first from this subject the power ~
toft bonded men. There are some men WY
Inv nhysical organization nave as mu
:s-.,ii,.tb in their left hand as in their rlS't
Lan5 but there Is something In the WrItihg
~ tbis text which implies that bhuu hau
sone defect in his right hand whlch CON,
neIIed him TO use the left On, the power VI
ieft handed men Genius IS often sen Ouse,-
vant careful of itself. not given 10 Hiucu 'oi.'
k,,-,inc, incense to its own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Ill 1,anv a man with no natural endow-
,,,ants actually defective in physical ana
roentoi organization. has an earnestness Tor
tbe RIGHT a patient industry. an all consunl-
49,, ,,erseverance which achieve marvels LOT
tbs tinodom of Christ. Though left handed
as FbnS they can strike down sin as great
and imperial as Eglon.
- seen men of wealth gathering about
tbarn all their treasures, snuting az the cause
Of a world lying in wickedness, roughly
ordering Lazarus of their doorstep, sending
their dogs. not 10 lick his sores, but to houhd
him of their premises. catch'hS all the pure
rain Of Gods blessing into the stagnant, ropy,
frog-inhabited pool Of their own selhshness
-rirbt-handed men, worse than useless
while many a man with large heart and little
nurse has out OF his limited means made
poverty leap for Joy and started an influence
that oyerspans the grave and will swing
round and round the throne of God, world
without end, amen.
All. me. it is high time that you left handed
men who have been longing Tor this gilt ana
that eloauence and the other mans wealth
should take your left hand out of your peck
ct. Who made all these railroads? Whoset
m all these cities? Who started all these
churches and schools and asylums? Who
has done all the tugging and running and
pulling? Men of no wonderful endowments.
thousands OF them acknowledging themselves
10 be left handed. and yet they were earnest,
and vet they were determined, and yet they
were triumphant.
But | do not suppose that Ehud the first
time he took sling in his hand could throw
a stone a hairs breadth and not miss. l
suppose it was practice that gave him the
wonderful dexterity. Go forth to your
spheres of duty and be not discouraged II In
your first attempts you miss the mark. Ehud
missed il. Take another stone. put 1t care
fully into the sling, swing it around your
head. take better aim, and the next time you
will strike the center. The first time that a
mason rings his trowel upon the brick ne
does not expect to put up perfect wan.
The first time a carpenter SENDS plane over
a board or drives a bit through "a Deam ne
does not expect to make perfect execution
The first time boy attempts rhyme nc
does not expect TO chime "Lalla Rookh
or a LADY of the Lake" Do not be sur
prised if in your first efforts at doing good
Won are not very largely successful. Under
stand that usefulness is an art, science, q
trade.
There was an oculist performing very
difficult operation on the human eye. 4
Young doctor stood by and said; How easii,
YOU do that. 1t doesn't seem to cause you
any trouble at all" "Ah, said the old 0cu
list, lit is very easy now, but l spoiled nat
full OF ewes to learn that. BE not SURPRISE
il it takes some practice before we can neil
men 70 moral eyesight and bring them 10
vision of the cross Left handed men TO tn
work. Take the gospel for sling and iaitI
| and repentance Tor the smooth stone IRON
| the brook. take sure aim, God direct IN
] weanon. and great Goliaths will tumole DE
/ fore you.
7 learn also from this subject the DANCE
! of worldly elevation. This Eglon was VIVA
the world called a great man. Ihere WEI
hundreds of men who would have considers
n the greatest honor of their life Just to nav
| him SPEAK 10 them. yet although he is 5
| high up in worldly position, he is not beyon
/ the reach Of Ehud's dagger. | see a gre;
! many people trying to climb up in socii
position. having an idea that there Is sai
place somewhere far above. rot knowing thu
the mountain Of fame has top like Mour
Blanc, covered with perpetu d snow.
We laugh at the children OF Shinlr for try
ing 10 build tower that could reach to u
heavens. but | think if our eyesight wei
only good enough we could see Babel
many a dooryard.- Oh, the struggles 1lerc'
It is store against store. house again
Nn4fr ion N
Nation. The goal for which men are ru
ming is chairs and chandeliers and miro
and houses and lands and presidential equi
ments. II they get what they anticipat
what have they got? Men are not safe fro
calumny while they live, and. worse tn
that they are not safe after they are dea
for have seen swine root up graveyards.
One day man goes up INTO publicit
and the world does him honor. al
people climb up into sycamore trees
watch him as he passes, and as
goes along on the shoulders of the Poop
there is a waving Of hats and a wild huz7
Tomorrow the same man is caught betwe
, the jaws OF the printing press and mangl'
and bruised. and the very same persons vi
applauded him before cry Down with (
traitor Down with him ~
Beishazzar sits at the feast. the mighty m
OF Babylon sitting all around him. v
sparSles like the wine and the wine like I
wit Music rolls up among the chandelier
the chandeliers fash down on the decante
The breath of hanging gardens floats in
the night air the voice of revelry floats OF
Amid wreaths and tapestry and folded ba
ners a finger writes. The march OF host
heard on the stairs. Laughter catches in I
throat thousand hearts stop beatiI
The blow is struck. The blood on the flo
is richer hued than the wine on the tab
! The kingdom has departed.
| Bslshazzar was no worse perhaps than hu
| dreds Of people in Babylon, but his positi
II slew him. Oh, be content with idst sucl
\ position as God has placed you in 1t m
not be said Of us, He was great genera
or "Hs was an honored chieitain,' or .
WAS mighty in worldly Gttainments.' but t
thing may be said Of you and me, He wa
good citizen. faithful Christian, a friend
Jesus" And that in the last day will be
highest OF all eulogiums.
learn further from this subject that DEF
comes to the summer house. EgloD did ]
expect to die in that fine place. Amid all
flower leaves that drifted like snow into
!, window in the tinkle and dash Of the fol
tains in the sound OF a thousand leaves Il
tering on one tree branch in the cool brei
IA that came up TO shake feyerish trouble out
D. the kings locks. there was nothing that spa