The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-06-05
DEATH CAME IN AN ARBOR.
The Killing Of King EglOn by Ehad
the Text Of a Sermon.

the Lesson IL Teaohes-Death Often
Comes When Least Expected and
Amidst the Pleasantest Surround-
ings.
Brooklyn, June 4.-The sermon selected
by Rev. DIR. Talmage for this forenoon
Is founded on the text Judges iii., Is; "But
when the children Of Israel cried unto the
Lord the Lord raised them up de-
liverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, q Ben1a-
mite, man left-handed"
Ehud was a ruler in Israel He was
left-handed and, what was peculiar about
the tribe of Benjamin, to which he be-
longcd, there were in il seven hundred
left-handed men and yet, so dexterous
had they all 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 most outrage
GUS 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 place surrounded by flowers
and trees, and springing fountains and
warbling birds. Ehud entered the sum
mer house and said to King Eglon that
he had n secret errand with him Imme-
diately all the attendants were waved out
OF the royal presence. King Eglon rises
up TO receive the messenger. E,hud, the
left-handed man, puts his left hand to his
right side pulls out dagger, and thrustS
Eglon through until the haft went in
Ia uFHf.. 4
forth TO blow trumpet Of recruit amidst
the mountains of Ephraim; and a great
host Is marshaled, and proud Moab sub
mits to the conqueror, and Israel is free.
So, . Lord, let all thy enemies perishi
So, o Lord, let all thy friends triumph
| learn first, from this subject the
power of left-handed men. There are
have as much strength in their left hand
as In their right hand but there is some-
thing in the writing of this text which
implies that Ehud had some defect in his
right hand, which compelled him TO use
the left. o, the power of left-handed
menl Genius Is often self-observant,
careful of itself, not given to much toll,
burning incense to its own aggrandize-i
ment; while many man, with no natural
endowments, actually defective in ply
sicnl and mental organization, has an
earnestness for the right, a patient in-
dustry, an all-consumins 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.
| have seen men of wealth gathering
about them all their treasures, snufing 90
the cause of world lying in wickedness,
roughly ordering Lazarus Off their door
step. sending their dogs, not to lick his
sores, but to hound him OF their premises;
catching all the pure rain of Gods bless
Ing into the stagnant, ropy, fIog-inhabited
pool of their own selhshness- right
handed men, worse than useless-while
many man, with large heart and iittles
purse, has, out of his limited means, made
poverty leap for Joy, and started an infiu-t
ence that overspans the grave, and win I
swing round and round the throne of ,
God, world without end Amen.
All me, IL is high time that you left
handed men, who have been longing for
this gift, and that eloquence, and tho
other man's wealth, should take your
left hand out Of your pockets Who made
all these railroads. Who set up all these
citiesl Who started all these churches,
and schools, and asylumsi Who has done
the tugging and running, and pullingR
Men of no wonderful endowments. thou
sands 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 he took a sling In his left hand,
could throw stone hairs breadth, and
not miss. Isuppose it was practice that
gave him the wonderful dexterity Go
forth 10 your spheres Of duty, and be not
discouraged if, In your first attempts, you
miss the mark. Ehud missed IL. Take
another stone put it carefully into the
sling swing 1t around your head, take
better aim, and the next time you will
strike the center. The first time mason
rings his trowel upon the brick he does
not expect to put up perfect wall. The
first time a carpenter sends the plano
over a board, or drives bit through
beam, he does not expect to make perfect
execution. The first time a boy attempts
a rhvme he does not expect to chime
"Lalla Rookh," :" or 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, a science. trade.
There was an oculist performing very
difficult operation on the human eye. "A
young doctor stood by and said, How
easily you do that; II don't seem TO cause
you any trouble at all" "Ah,n said the
old oculist lit is very easy now, but
spoiled hatful of eyes to learn that,n
BE not surprised If IL takes some practice
before we can help men to moral eycsight,
and bring them to q vision of the cross.
Left-handed men to the work Take the
gospel for sling, and faith and repent
ance for the smooth stone from the brook;
take sure aim, God direct the weapon,
and great Goliaths will tumble before
you.
E3When Garibaldi was going out to battle
he told his troops what he wanted them
TO do, and after he had described what he
wanted them to do, they said: We'll, gem
eral, what are you going 70 give us
for all this}" "Well,n he replied,
Il don't know what else You will
get, but you viii get hunger and cold,
and wounds, and death. How do you
like it," His men stood before him for
little while in silence, and then they
threw up their hands and cried: eve
are the menl We are the menp The
Lord Jesus Christ calls you to his serv-
ice. ] 90 not promise you an easy time in
this world. You may have prosecutions,
and trials, and misrepresentation but
afterward there comes an eternal weight
of glory, and you can bear the wounds,
and the bruises, and the misrepresenta-
tions, If you can have the reward after
ward. Have you not enough enthusiasm
to cry out: eve are the men! We are
the men!n
learn also from this subject the danger
of worldly elevation. This Eglon was
what the world called great man. There