The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-06-16
LEFT-HANDED MEN.
DR.. Talmage Discourses on Their
Mission on Earth.
1t Is Those Who Struggle Against Diff
culties That Accomplish the Most
Practice In Christian
Work.

In recent sermon at Brooklyn Rev.
Z. Dewitt Talmage took his text from
Judges iii. Is: But when the children
of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord
raised them up a deliverer, Ehud, the
son of Gera, Benjamite, man left
handed" The preacher said:
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 become in the use of the left hand,
that the Bible says they could sling
stones at a hairs breadth and not miss.
Well, there was a king by the name of
Eglon, who was an oppressor of Israel
He imposed upon them a most out
rapeous tax. Ehud, 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 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 a place sur
rounded BY flowers and trees and
springing fountains 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
L l. ~
thrusts Eglon through until the haft
went in after the blade. Eglon falls.
Ehud comes forth 30 blow a trumpet of
recruit amidst the mountains of
Ephraim, and a great host is marshaled,
and proud Moab submits to the con-
queror, and Israel is free. So, o Lord,
let all thy enemies perish! So, o Lord,
let all thy friends triumph
I learn first, from this subject, the
power of left-handed men. There are
some men who, by physical organiza
ton, 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 de-
feet in his right hand, which compelled
him TO use the left Oh, the power of
left-handed men! Genius is often self
observant, careful of itself, not given
TO much toll, burning incense to its
own aggrandizement; while many
! man, with no natural endowmentS,
actually defective in physical and men,
tai organization, has an earnestness 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 a sin as great and imperial
as Eglon.
have seen men of wealth gathering
about them all their treasures, shutting
at the cause of world lying in wick
edness, roughly ordering Lazarus off
their doorstep, sending their dogs, not
to lick his sores, but to hound him off
their premises: catching all of Gods
blessing into the stagnant, ropy, frog
inha bited pool of their own selfishness
-right-handed men, worse than use
less-while many a man, with large
heart and little purse, has, out of his
limited means, made poverty leap for
Joy, and started an influence that over
spans the grave, and will swing round
and round the throne of God, world
without end. Amen.
All me, it is high time that you left
handed men, who have been longing
for this great gift, and that eloquence,
and the other mans wealth, should
take your left hand out of your pockets.
Who made all these railroads? Who
set up all these cities? Who started all
these churches, and schools and asy-
lums? Who has done the Juggling, and
running, and pulling? Men of no won
derful endowments. thousands of them
acknowledging themselves to be left
handed, and yet they were earnest, and
vet they were determined, and yet they
were triumphant.
But l do not suppose that Ehud, the
first time that he took a sling in his
left 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 CEN
ter The first time a mason rings his
trowel upon the brick. he does not eX-
pect to put up perfect wall. The first
time carpenter sends the plane over a
board, OF drives bit through a beam,
he does not expect 10 make perfect ex-
ecution. The first time boy attempts
a rhyme he does not expect to chime a
"Lalla Rool1h," or a Lady of the
Lake" Do not be surprised if, in your
first efforts at doing good, you are not
very largely successful Understand
that usefulness is an art, science, a
trade.
There was an oculist performing a
very difficult operation on the human
eye. a young doctor stood by and said:
"How easily you do that; it don't seem
to cause You any trouble at all" ''Ah. -"
said the oculist, 1T is very easy now,
but spoiled hatful of eyes to learn
that BE not surprised if it takes
some practice before we can help men
to moral eyesight, and bring them to a
vision of the cross Eeft-handed men
10 the work! Take the gospel for a
sling, and faith and repentance for the
smooth stone from the brook; take sure
aim, God direct the weapon and great
Goliaths will tumble before you.
When Garibaldi was going out TO bat
tie, he told his troops what he wanted
them to do, and after he had described
what he wanted them to do, they said:
well, general, what are you going TO
give us for all this?" well" he re-
piled, Il don't know what else you will
get, but you will get hunger, and cold,
and rro1nnds and daath Hnrr do ro,,