The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1893-12-22
FAINT YET PURSUING
GRAND ACHIEVEMENTS MADE UNDER
NATURAL DISADVANTAGES.

Rev. DIR. TaImage breaches an Eloquent
Text Spiritual Encouragement For the
Weak and Humble-A Breezy Discourse.
NASHVILLE, Dec. 17.-Rev. DR.. Tai
mage, who is now in this city on his
western lecture tour, selected as his
topic for today text full of spiritual
encouragement for those who labor I'M
der disadvantage in the struggle of life.
The text chosen was Isaiah xxxiii, 80,
"The lame take the prey"
The utter demolition of the Assyrian
host was here predicted. Not only ro-
bust men should go forth and gather the
spoils Of conquest, but even men Grip
pied of arm and crippled of foot should
go out and capture much that was valu-
able. Their physical disadvantages
should not hinder their great enrich
ment. So it has been in the past; so it
is now; SO twill be in the future. So it
is in all departments. Men laboring I'M
der seemingly great disadvantages and
amid the most unfavorable circum-
stances, yet making grand achievements,
getting great blessing for themselves,
great blessing for the world, great bless
ing for the church, and so 'the lame
take the prey"
CASES IN POINT.
Do you know that the three great
poets of the world were totally blind
Homer, Ossian, John Milton? Do you
know that Mr.. Prescott, who wrote that
enchanting book "The Conquest of Mex
ico," never saw Mexico, could not even
see the paper ON which he was writing?
A framework across the sheet, between
which, up and down, went the pen i'm
mortal. Do you know that Gambassio
the sculptor could not see the marble
before him or the chisel with which he
cut it into shapes bewitching? Do you
know that Alexander Pope, whose po-
ems will last as long as the English Ian
guage, was SO much of an invalid that
he had to be sewed up every morning in
rough canvas in order to stand on his
feet at all?
Do you know that Stuart, the cele-
brated painter, did much of his wonder
full work under the shadow of the dun
geon where he had been unjustly impris-
toned for debt? Do you know that
Demosthenes, by almost superhuman ex-
ertion, first had to conquer the lisp of
his own speech before he conquered as
semblages with his eloquence? Do you
know that Bacon struggled all through
innumerable sicknesses, and that Lord
Byron and Sir Walter Scott went limp
ing on clubfoot through all their life,
and that many of the great poets and
painters and orators and historians and |
heroes of the world had something to !
keep them back, and pull them down, and
impede their way, and cripple their phys
ical or their intellectual movement, and |
yet that they pushed on and pushed up I'M
til they reached the spoils of worldly sue
cess, and amid the huzza of nations and
centuries ''the lame took the prey"
You know that vast multitude of |
these men started under the disadvan-
tage of obscure parentage-Columbu
the son of the weaver; Ferguson, the as
tronomer, the son of the shepherd. |
America the prey of the one; worlds on
worlds the prey of the other. But what |
is true in secular directions is more true |
in spiritual and religious directions, and |
/ proceed to prove it.
There are in all communities many in
valids. They never know well day. !
They adhere to their occupations, but |
they go painting along the streets with
exhaustions, and at eventime they lie
down on the lounge with achings beyond
all indictments. They have tried all
prescriptions, they have gone through
all the cures which were proclaimed in
fallible, and they have come now to sur
render to perpetual ailments. They con-
slider they are among many disadvan-
tages; and when they see those who are
buoyant in health pass by, they almost
envy their robust frames and easy respi-
ration.
But have noticed among that inva-
lid class those who have the greatest
knowledge of the Bible, who are in near
est intimacy with Jesus Christ, who have
the most glowing experiences of thetruth,
who have had the most remarkable an
swers to prayer and who have most ex-
hilarant anticipations of heaven. The
temptations which weary us who are in
robust health they have conquered.
1.-THE LAME TAKE THE PREY"
Many who are alert and athletic and
swarthy loiter in the way-"the lame take
the prey" Robert Hall an invalid, Ed ,
ward Payson an invalid, Richard Baxter .
an invalid, Samuel Rutherford an in ,
valid. This morning, when you want to s
call to mind those who are most Christ /.
like, you think of some darkened room :
in your fathers house from which there !
went forth an influence potent for eter-
nifty.
A step farther: Through raised letters /
the art of printing has been brought to 1
the attention of the blind. 9
You take up the Bible for the blind. 4
and you close your eyes, and you run q
your fingers over the raised letters and g
you say: why, never could get any g
information in this way. What a slow. 9
Humorous way of readingi God help the !,
blindr' =
And yeti find among that class of per O
sons, among the blind, the deaf and the q
dumb, the most thorough acquaintance |,