Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1893-12-29

was here predicted. Not only robust men
should 20 forth and gather the spoils OF con-
quest. but even men crippled OF arm and
crippled Of foot should 90 out and capture
much that was valuable. Their physical dis
advantages should not hinder their great en-
richment So it has been in the past ; so 1t
is now: so il will be in the future. So II is
in all departments. Men laboring under
seemingly great disadvantages and amid the
most unfavorable circumstances, yet making
grand achievements, getting great blessing
for themselves, great blessing for the world,
great blessing for the church, and so "the
lame take the prey"
Do you know that the three great poets of
the world were totally bllnd-Homer o.
sian, John Milton2 Do you know that Mr..
Prescott. who wrote that enchanting book
1.-The Conquest OF Mexico" never saw
Mexico, could not even seq the paper on
which he was wrting2 A framework across
the sheet, between which, up and down,
went the pen immortal. Do you know that
Gambassio the sculptor could not see the
marble before him or the chisel with which
he cut II into shapes bewitching2 Do you
know that Alexander Pope, whose poems
will last as long az the English language,
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 ALP
Do you know that Stuart, the celebrated
painter, did much of his wonderful work I'M
der the shadow OF the dungeon where he had
been unjustly imprisoned for debit Do you
know that Demosthenes. by almost superhu-
man exertion first had TO conquer the lisp
OF his own speech before he conquered as
semblaCes with his elouuence2 Do YOU know
that Bacon struggled all through lnnumcr-
able sicknesses, and that Lord Byron and Sir
Walter Scott went limping on cluhfoot
through all their life, and that many OF the
great poets and painters and orators and his
torians and heroes of the world had some
thing to keep them back and pull them
down, and impede their way. and cripple
their physical or their intellectual move
ment, and yet that they pushed on and
pushed up until they reached the spoils Of
worldly success, and amid the huzza Of
Nations and centuries tho lame took the
prey
You know that a vast multitude OF these
men started under tho disadvantage of OBJ
sCure Observation-Disclosures the son OF the
weaver; Ferguson, the astronomer, 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 il moro
true in spiritual and religious directions md
| proceed to prove it.
There are in all communities many inva-
lids. They never know well day They
adhere to their occupations but they 80
painting along the streets with eXhauslons
and at eventlme they lie down on the lounge
with achings beyond all Inducements. They
have tried all prescriptions, they have gone
through all the cures which were proclaimed
infellible, and they have now come to sur
render to perpetual ailments They con-
slider they are among many disadvantages
and when they see those who are buOyant in
health pass by, they almost envy their robust
frames and easy respiration.
But | have noticed among that invalid
class those who have the greatest knowledge
OF the Bible, who are in nearest intimacy
with Jesus Christ, who have tho most glow
ing experiences OF the truth, who have had
the most remarkable answers to prayer, and
who have most eNhilarant anticipatops OF
heaven. The temptations which weary US
who are in robust health they have con-
quercd.
Many who are alert and athletic and
swarthy loiterin the way-''ths lame take
the prey Robert Hall an invalid, Edward
Payson an invalid, Richard Baxter an inva-
lid, Samuel Rutherford an invalid. This
morning. when you want to call to mind
those who are most Christ-lke, you think OF
some darkened room in your fathers house
from which there went forth an influence
potent for eternity.
A step farther: Through raised letters tho
art OF printing has been brought to the atten-
ton OF the blind.
You take up the Bible for tho blind, and
you close your eyes, and you run your fingers
over the raised letters and you say: "Why,
l never could get any information In this
way What slow, lumOrous way OF read
ing God help the blind ~
And yet find among that class OF persons.
among the blind, the deaf and the dumb, tho
most thorough acquaintance with Gods
word. Shut out from all other sources OF
Information, no sooner does their hand touch
the raised letters than they gather "a prayer.
Without eyes, they look Off upon the king
doms OF Gods love. Without hearing, they
catch the mnistre!sy OF the skies Dumb,
yet with pencil, or with irradiated counte-
nance, they declare the glory OF God.
large audience assembled in New York
at the anniversary OF the Deaf and Dumb
Asylum, and one of the visitors with chalk
on the blackboard wrote this question to the
pupils, do you not find it very hard to be
deaf and dumbI' And ono of the pupil.
took the chalk and wrote on the blackboard
this sublime sentence in answer, "When the
song Of the angels Shall burst upon our en-.
raptured ear. we will scarce regret that ouI
ears were never married with earthly sounds
Oh, the brightest eyes in heaven will be
those that never saw on earth. The ears
most alert In heaven will be those that in
this world heard neither voice OF friend nor
thrum OF harp, nor carol OF bird nor doXol-
ogy Of congregations.
A lad who had been blind from infancy
was cured. The oculist operated upon tho
lad and then put very heavy bandage over
the eyes, and after few weeks had gone by
the bsndage was removed and the mother
said to her child: "Wllle. can you see?"
He said: ooh, mamma, is this heaven"
The contrast between the darkness before and
the brightness aftervard was overwhelming.
And I tell you the glories OF heaven will be a
thousandiold brighter for those who never
! uat n,xth tprv an rth IL Il
good vision closed their eyes in eternal night,
and many who had good, artistic and cul-
tured car went down into eternal dlscord,
these afflicted ones cried unto the Lord in
their trouble, and he made their sorrows
their advantage, and so "the lame took the
prey"
In the seventh century there was le-
gend OF st. Modobert. 1t was said that his
mother was blind, and one day while look
ing at his mother he felt 30 sympathetic for
her blindness that he rushed forward and
kissed her blind eyes, and the legend says
her vision came Immediately. That was
only legend, but 1t Is a truth, n glorius
truth, that the kiss OF Gods eternal love has
brought to many blind eye eternal illumi-
nation.
step farther There are those In all COM
munities who toll nightly for livelihood.
They have scant wages. Perhaps they arc
diseased or have physical inflrmitles, 80 they
are nindered from doing continuous DAYS
work. A city missionary finds them up the
dark alley, with no fire, with thin clothing,
with very coarse bread. They never ride in
the street car they cannot afford the five
cents. They never see any pictures save
those IN the show window ON the street, from
which they are often jostled and looked at by
some one who seems 30 say in the look:
"Move onl What are you doing hero look
ing at pictures?"
Yet many of them live on mountains OF
TRANSPORTATION. At their rough table Hs
who fed the 5000 breaks the bread. They
talk often of the good times that are coming.
This world has no charm for them, but
heaven entrances their spirit. They often
divide their scant crust with some forlorn
wretch who knocks at their door at night.