The free press., 1893-06-22
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
sHR HHoOHLYR DIyINE's SUN
DAY SERMON.

deElceTeT. Eh04, UtP SOft " bcJ ~ % A'''Jel"'-
tie, a man iett handed Judges ILL.,, 10.
Ehud was ruler in Israel. He was left
handed. and what was peculiar about the
tribe OF BENJAMIN to which ne belonged,
there were In it 700 left handed men, and
vet 90 dexterous had they all become in the
use OF the LETT hand that the Bible says they
could sling stones at a hairs breadth and
not miss.
Well. there was a king OF the name OF
Eglon VINO was an oppres5or OF lsrae. he
imposed upon them most outrageous tax.
Thud. the man of whom | first spoke, had
divine commission to destroy that oppressor.
He came. pretending that he was going to
pay the tax, and asked to see King ESlon. He
was told he was in the summer house. the
place to which the king retired when 1t was
too hot to sit in tho palace Ih1s summer
house was o place surrounded by flowers and
trees and springing fountains and waroling
birds.
Ehud entered the summer house and said
to King Eglon that he had q secret errand
with him. Immediately all the attendants
were waved out Of the royal presence. King
Eglon rises up to receive the messenger.
Ehud, the left handed man. puts his left hand
to his right side, pulls out a dagger and
thrusts Eglon through until the haft went
in after the blade. Eglon fails. Ehud comes
forth to blow trumpet Of recruit amid the
mountains OF Fphraim, 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, Lord, let
all Thy friends triumph
learn first from this subject the power OF
left handed men. There are some men who
by physical organization have as much
strength in their left hand as in their rig1t
hand, but there is something in the writing
of this text which implies that Ehud had
some defect in his right hand which com
PEELED him to use the left. Oh, the power OF
left handed men Genius is often self obser-
want careful OF itself, not given to much toll,
burning incense to its own agSrand1zement,
while many man with no natural endow-
ments. actually defective in physical and
mental organization. has an earnsstness for
the right, patient industry, an all consum-
ing 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.
I have seen men of wealth gathering about
them all their treasures, snuffing at the cause
Of o world lying in WlckednesS, roughly
ordering Lazarus off their doorstep, sending
their dogs, not TO lick his sores but to hound
him of their premises, catching all the pure
rain Of Gods blessing into the stagnant, ropy,
frog-inhabited pool OF their own sefshness
right handed men, worse than useless
while many man with large heart and little
purse has out of his limited means made
poverty leap for Joy and started an influence
that overspans the grave and will swing
round and round the throne OF God, world
without end. amen.
All, ne, il is high time that you left handed
men Wno have been longing for this gilt and
that eloquence and the other mans wealth
should take your left hand out OF your pock-
ct Who made all these railroads? Who's
up 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
to be left handed, and yet they were earnest
and yet they were determined, and yet they
were triumphant.
But do not suppose that Ehud the first
time ne took a sling in his hand coula.hrow
q 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 care
fully into the { lg, 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 he
does not expect to put up perfect wall.
The first time a carpenter sends plane over
a board or drives bit through a beam he
does not expect to make perfect execution.
The first time q boy attempts a rhyme he
does not expect to chime 'Lalla Rookh'
or Lady of the Lake" Do not be sur
prsed il in your first efforts at doing good
you are not very largely successful Under
stand that usefulness is an art, a science,
trade
There was an oculist performing very
difficult operation on the human eye. A
young doctor stoodby and said "How easily
you do that. 1t doesn't seem to cause you
any trouble at all" "Ah," said the old ocu-
hst, ''it is very easy now but l spoiled a hat
ful of eyes to learn that" Be not surprised
ii it takes some practice before we can help
men to moral eyesight and bring them to Il
vision OF tine cross Left handed men to the
work Take the gospel for sling and faith
and repentance for the smooth stone from
the brook, take sure aim, God direct the
weapon, and great Goliaths will tumble be-
fore you.
learn also from this subiect the danger
OF worldly elevation. This Eglon was what
the world called a great man. There were
hundreds OF men who would have considered
1t the greatest honor OF their life Just to have
him speak to them. Yet. although he is 50
high up in worldly position he is not beyond
the reach of Ehud's dagger. l see a great
many people trying to climb up in social
position, having an idea that there is a safs
place somewhere far above, not knowing that
Ihe mountain Ol lame mas q top IKE Mount
Blanc, covered with perpetual snow
We laugh at the children Of Shinar for try
ing to build tower that could reach to the
heavens. but / think if our eyesight were
only good enough we could see Babel in
many dooryard. Oh, the struggle is fierce
1t is store against store house against
house, street against street. Nation against
Nation The goal for which men are run
ming is chairs and chandeliers and mirrors
and houses and lands and presidential equip
ments. II they get what they anticipate,
what have they got? Men are not sale from
calumny while they live, and. worse than
that, they are not safe alter they are dead,
for 1 have seen swine root up graveyards.
One day man goes up into publicity,
and the world does him honor, and
people climb up into sycamore trees to
watch him as he passes, and as he
goes along on the shoulders OF the people
there is a waving of hats and wild huzza.
Tomorrow the same man is caught between
the jaws OF the printing press and mangled
and bruised. and the very same persons who
applauded him before cry Down with the
traitor Down with him ~
Belshazzar sits at the feast, the mighty men
OF Babylon sitting all around him. Wit
sparkles like the wine and the wine like the