The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-12-20
THE LAME TAKE THE PREY.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Bases a Discourse
Upon the Above Text.
What Has Been Accomplished by the
Blind and Lame-spiritual EncouS
agement for Those Laboring
Under Physical Infirmitics
In This Life.

lsalan NXxll, 70; Inc laIne luhc Ihe
prey" He said: al. .-,
The utter demolition Of the Assyrian
host was here predicted. Not only ro'
bust men should go forth and gather
the spoils of conquest, but even men
crippled of arm and crippled Of foot
should go out and capture much that
was vnIua BILE. Their physical disad'
vantages should not hinder their great
enrichment So it has been in the past,
so it is now, so it will be in the future.
So it is in all departments. Men 10
boring under seemingly great disad'
vantages, and amid the most unfavora'
BILE circumstances, yet making grand
achievements. getting great blessings
for themselves, great blessings for the
world, great blessings for the church,
and SO "the lame take the prey"
Do you know that the three great
poets of the world were totally blindi
Homer, Ossian, John Milton. Do you
know that Mr.. Prescott, who wrote
that enchanting book, THE Conquest
of Mexico" never saw Mexico, could
not even see the paper ON which hc
was writing? A framework across the
sheet, between which, up and down,
went the pen immortal. Do you know
that Gambassio, the sculptor, could moi
see the marble before him, or the
chisel with which he cut it into shapes
bewitching? Do you know that Alex
ander Pope, whose poems will last as
long us the English language, was sc
much of an invalid that he had TO be
sewed up every morning in rough
canvas in order to stand on his feet al
all?
10 you know that Stuart, the ccle
brated painter, did much of his won
derful work under the shadow OF the
dungeon where he had been unjustly
imprisoned for debt? Do you know
that Demcsthenes, by almost super
human cxertion, first had to conquer
the lisp Of his own speech before he
conquered assemblages with his elo-
quence? Do you know that Bacon
struggled all through innumerable
sicknesses, and that Lord Byron and
Sir Walter Scott went limping on club
foot 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 keep
keep them back, and pull them down,
and impede their way. and cripple
their physical or their intellectual
movement, 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
"the lame took the prey?'
You know that vast multitude ot
these men started under the disadyant
age of obscure parentage. Columbus
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. Blu
what Is true in secular directions y
more true in spiritual and religious di
rections, and proceed to prove 1t.
There are in all communities many
invalids They never know well day
They adhere to their occupations, bu
they go painting along the streets will
exhaustions, and at eventime they lii
down on the lounge with achings be
yond all medicaments. They hav,
tried all prescriptions, they have gon
through all tho cures which were pro
claimed infallible, and they have com
now to surrender to perpetual ail
ments. They consider they are amoni
many disadvantages; and when the.
see those who are buoyant In healtl
pass by, they almost envy their robus
frames and easy respiration.
But have noticed among that in
valid class those who have the creates
knowledge of the Bible, who in neal
estintimacy with Jesus Christ, who hav
the most glowing experiences OF tn
truth, who have had the most remark
able answers TO prayer and who hav
most exhilarant anticipations Of IIeav
en-. The temptations which weary u
who nre in robust health they hav
conquered.
Many who are alert and athletic an
swarthy, loiter in the way-the lam
take the prey. Robert Hall an invali'
Edward Payson an invalid, Richar
Baxter an invalid, SAMUEL Rutherfor
an invalid. This morning, when yo
want TO call to mind those who al
most Christlike. you think of SON
darkened room in your fathers hou'
from which there went forth an inh'
ence potent for eternity. A step farthe
through raised letters the art of prin
ing has been brought to the attentio
Of the blind.
You. take up the Bible for the blin
and you close your eyes, and you ru
your fingers over the raised letters an
Won say: "Why never could get NJ
information in this way What a slo'
lumbrous way Of reading! God he
the blindl''
And yet, I find among that class
persons, among the blind, the dea
and the dumb, the most thorough a
ouaintance with Gods word. Shut o
from all other source Of informatio
no sooner do their hands touch q
| raised letters than they gather
prayer. Without eyes. they look {
|. upon the Kingdom of Gods love- wit
out hearing, they catch the minstrel
Of the skiea Dumb, yet with penc
. or with irradiated countenance, tn
: declare the glory OF God.
: A large audience assembled In M
York at the anniversary Of the De
and Dumb asylum, and one OF the VI
Il a.. ...l4t. eha1L ~. tha hin olr h0a