Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-12-18
FAINT NHT PURSUING
GRAND ACHIEVEMENTS MADE UNDER
NATURAL DISADVANTAGES.

NASHVILLE, Dec. l7.-Rev. DR.. r.
mage, who is now In this city on
western lecture tour, selected as !
topic for today text full of spiritu
encouragement for those who labor II
der disadvantage in the struggle Of lif
The text chosen was Isaiah xxxiii. Q
THE lame take the prey"
The utter demolition of the Assvr;o
host was here predicted. Not only p
bust men should go forth and gather II
spoils Of conquest, bat even men cri,
pied Of arm and crippled of foot shout
go out and capture much that was yalr
able. Their physical disadvantage
should not hinder their great enrich
ment. So it has been in the past; SO /
is now; so it will be in the future. So 1
is in all departments. Men laboring nm
der seemingly great disadvantages an(
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 Miltonf Do you
know that Mr.. Prescott, who wrote that
enchanting book, "The Conquest Of Mex
leo" never saw Mexico, could not even
see the paper on which he was writingi
"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
gusge, was 30 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-
ioned for debit Do you know that
Demosthenes, by almost superhuman ex-
ertion,. first had to conquer the lisp of
his own speech before he conquered as
with his eloquence? Do you
know that Bacon struggled all through
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
,eep them back. and pull them down, and
impede their way land cripple their phys
cal or their intellectual movement, and
ct that they pushed on and pushed up un-
il they reached the spoils of worldly sue
;ess, and amid the ehuzza Of nations and
"the lame took the prey"
You know that q vast multitude Of
shese men started under the disadvan-
age of obscure parentage-C Columbus,
he son of the weaver; Ferguson, the as
sronomer, the son Of the shepherd.
America the prey of the one; worlds on
worlds the prey Of the other. But what
s true in secular directions is more true
n 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
hey go painting along the streets with
and at eventime they lie
iown on the lounge with achings beyond
III medicaments. They have tried all
they have gone through
III the cures which were proclaimed In
'allible, and they have come now to sur
,ender to perpetual ailments. They con-
Iider they are among many disadvan-
ages; and when they see those who are
ouoyant in health pass by. they almost
,nvy their robust frames and easy respi'
-ation.
But have noticed among that inva-
i'd class those who have the greatest
of the Bible, who are in near
,st intimacy with Jesus Christ, who have
he most glowing experiences Of thetruth'
who have had the most remarkable an
,wers to prayer and who have most ex-
lilarant anticipations of heaven. The
which weary us who are In
.obust health they have conquered.
..rHR LAME TAKE THE PREY"
Many who are alert and athletic ana
loiter in the way-''the lame take
he prey Robert Hall an invalid, Ed
ward Payson an invalid, Richard Baxter
IN invalid, Samuel Rutherford an IN
valid. This morning. when You want to
,all to mind those who are most Christ
Ike, You think of some darkened room
n your fathers house from which there
vent forth an influence potent for eter'
iity.
A step farther: Through raised letters
he art OF printing has been brought 70
he attention Of the blind. =.
You take up the Bible for the blind,
md you close your eyes, and you run
,our fingers over the raised letters ana
You say: why, l never could get any
in this way. What a slow,
way Of readingi God help tns
,lindr
And yet / find among that class OF PEI
ons, among the blind, the deaf ana tne
lnmb, the most thorough acquaintance
NTH Gods word. Shut out from All
,ther sources Of information, no sooner
Ioaa their hand touch the raised letters