Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-06-05
"a LEFT HANDED MAN
DR. TALMAGE GIVES ADVICE TC
THOSE WHO WOULD BE USEFUL.

BROOKLYN. June 4.-The sermon Sc
lected by Rev. Dr. Talmage for this fore
noon is founded on the text Judges
Iii, Is, But when the children of Israel
cried unto the Lord the Lord raised
them up deliverer. Ehud, the son OF
-Gera, Benjamite, a man left handed
Ehud was ruler in Israel He was
left handed, and what was peculiar
about the tribe of Benjamin, to which
he belonged, there were in it 700 left
handed men, and yet so dexterous had
they al become in the use of the lef,
hand that the Bible says they could sling
stones at hairs breadth and not miss.
Well, there was king of the name of
Eglon who was an oppressor of Israel.
He imposed upon them most outrage
Gus tax. Ehud, the man of whom first
spoke, had a divine commission to de-
stroy that oppressor. He came, pretend
ing that he was going to pay the tax,
and asked to see King Eglon. He was
told he was in the summer house, the
place to which the king retired when it
was too hot to sit In the palace. This
summer house was place surrounded
by flowers and trees and springing foun-
tains and warbling birds.
Ehud entered the summer house and
said to King Eglon that he had a secret
errand with him. Immediately all the
attendants were waved out of the royal
presence. King Eglon rises up to re-
ceive the messenger. Ehud, the left
handed man, puts his left hand to his
right side, pulls out dagger and thrusts
Eglon through until the haft went in
after the blade. Eglon falls. Ehud
comes forth to blow trumpet of re-
cruit amid the mountains of Ephraim,
and a great host is marshaled, and proud
Moab submits to the conqueror, and
Israel is free So, o Lord, let all thy
enemies perish! So. o Lord, let all thy
friends Triumph!
LEFT HANDED MEN.
1 learn first from this subject the pow
er of left handed men. There are some
men who by physical organization have
as much strength in their left hand as in
their right hand, but there is something
in the writing of this text which implies
that Ehud had some defect in his right
hand which compelled him to use the
left. Oh. the power of left handed menl
Genius is often self observant, careful of
itself, not given to much toll, burning
incense to its own ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
while many man with no natural en-
dowments, actually defective in physical |
and mental organization, has an earnest
ness for the right, patient industry,
an all consuming perseverance which |
achieve marvels for the kingdom of |
Christ Though left handed as Ehud, |
they can strike down sin as great and
imperial as Eglon.
L hoI of
about them all their treasures, snufing
at the cause of world lying in wicked
ness, roughly ordering Lazarus off their
doorstep, sending their dogs, not to lick |
his sores, but to hound him off their
premises, catching all the pure rain of |
Gods blessing into the stagnant, ropy,
frog inhabited pool of their own selfish
ness-right handed men, worse than use
less-while many a man with large |
heart and little pulse has out of his linn
tied means made poverty leap for joy
and started IN influence that overspans
the grave and will swing round and /
round the throne of God, world with +
out end. amen.
All, me. it is high time that you left |
handed men who have been longing for |
this gift and that eloquence and the /
other mans wealth should take your left
hand out of your pocket. Who made
all these railroads? Who set up all these
cities? Who started all these churches
and schools and asylums? Who has done
the Juggling and running and pulling?
Men of no wonderful endowments, thou
sands of them acknowledging themselves
to be left handed, and yet they were ear
nest, and yet 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 hairs breadth and
not miss. | suppose it was practice that
gave him the wonderful dexterity. Go
forth to your spheres of duty and be not
discouraged if in your first attempts you
miss the mark Ehud missed it. Take
another stone, put it carefully into the
sling, swing it around your head, take
better aim. and the next time you will
strike the center. The first time a ma
son rings his trowel upon the brick he
does not expect to put up a perfect wall
The first time a carpenter sends a plane
over Il board or drives a bit through a
beam he does not expect to make perfect
execution. The first time boy attempts
a rhyme he does not expect to chime a
.sLalla Rookh' or ''Lady of the Lake"
Do not be surprised if in your first eff
forts at doing good you are not very
largely successful. Understand that use
fitness is an art, science, a trade.
There was an oculist performing
very difficult operation on the human
eye. 4 young doctor stood by and said:
"How easily you do that. 1t doesn't
seem to cause you any trouble at all
h caid the old nc11liSt eft is 1-n-,- |