The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-20

converted.
NASHVILLE, Dec. 17.-Dr. Talmage,
who is now in this city on his western
lecture tour. selected as his topic for to-
day a text full of spiritual encourage
ment for those who labor under disad-
vantage in the struggle of life. The text
chosen was Isaiah Xxziii, %, THE lame
take the prey"
The utter demolition of the Assyrian
host was here predicted. Not only TO-
buss men should go forth and gather
the spells Of conquest. but even men
crippled of arm and crippled Of foot
should go out and capture much that
was valuable Their physical disad-
vantages should not hinder their great
enrichment. So it has been in the past
so it is now. 50 it VIII be in the future,
so it is in all departments. Men labor
ing under seemingly great disadvantages
and amid the most unfavorable circum-
stances, yet making grand achieve
ments, getting great blessing for them
selves, great blessing for the world
great blessing for the church. And so
"the lame take the prey.
Do you know that the three great
Homer. Ossian. John Milton? DO you
know that Mr. Prescott. who wrote that
enchanting book. "The Conquest of Mex
tco," never saw Mexico could not even
see the paper on which he was writing?
A framework across the sheet. between
which. up and down, went the pen inn
mortal Do you know that Gambassio,
the sculptor, could not see the marble
before him. or the chisel with which he
cut il into shapes bewitching3 Do you
know that Alexander Pope whose poems
will last as long as the English Ian
guage, was so much Of an Invalid that
he had 10 be sewed up every morning
in rough canvas in order TO stand on
his feet at all?
Success Despite Disadvantages.
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 inn
prisoned for debt? Do you know that
Demosthenes by almost superhUman ex-
ertion first had to conquer the lisp of
his own speech before he conquered as
sembIages with his eloquence2 Do you
know that Bacon struggled all through
innumerbale sic1nesses. 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
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 world
" success. and amid the huzza OF ma
lions and centuries the lame took the
prey?"
these men started under the disadvan-
tage of obscure tage-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. But what
is true liz secular directions is more
true IN spiritual and religious directions,
and / proceed TO prove it.
There are in all communities many in
valids. They never know a we'll day.
They adhere TO their occupations. but
they go painting along the streets with
exhaustiOns, and at eventime they lie
down on the lounge with aChings beyond
all indictments. They have tried all
prescriptions. they have gone through
all the cures which were proclaimed in
fallible, and they nave come now to
surrender to perpetual ailments They
consider they are among many disad-
vantages. and when they see those who
are buoyant in health pass by they al
most envy their robust frames and easy
respiration
But have noticed among that Invalid
class those who have the greatest
knowledge Of the bible. who are in
nearest intimacy with Jesus Christ who
nave the most glowing experiences Of
the truth, who have had the most re-
variable answers TO prayer. and who
nave most exhtlarant anticipations OF
heaven. The teIlptations which weary
US who are in robust health they have
conquered
Many who are alert and athletic and
swarthy lingeT ID the way. The lame
take the pTey-Robert Hall an invalid
Edward Payson. an invalid. Richard
Baxter, an invalid, Samuel Rutherford
an invalid. This morning, when YOU
want to call TO mind those who are
Christlike, you think Of some darkened
room in your fathers house from which
there went forth an influence potent for
eternity
A step farther: Through raised let
tiers the art Of printing has been brought
to the attention Of the blind
You take up the bible for the blind
and you close your eyes, and you run
your fingers over the raised letters. and
you say: Why, / never could get any
information in this way. What a slow.
Humorous way Of reading, God help the
bIindy'
And yet I find among that class of
persOns-among the blind the deaf and
the dumb-the most thorough acquaint-
ance with Gods word. shut out from
all other sources Of information, no
sooner does their hand touch the raised
letters than they gather q prayer With
out hearing, they catch the minstrelsy
Of the skies. Dumb yet with pencil or
with frradiated cOuntenanCe, they de-
clare the glory OF God.
Comfort for the Blind.
A large audience assembled in New
York at the anniversary of the deaf and
dumb asylum, and one Of the visitors
with chalk on the blackboard wrote this
question 70 the pupils. DO you not find
it very hard to be deaf and dumb?"
And one OF the pupils took the chalk
and wrote on the blackboard this sub
lime sentence in answer: When the
song OF the angels shall burst upon our
enraptured ears. we will scarce regret
that our ears We're never marred with
earthly sounds" On, the brightest eyes
in heaven will be those that never saw
on earth The ears most alert in heaven
will be those that in this world heard
neither voice Of friend nor thrum OF
harp. nor carol Of bird, nor doxology OF
congregations
A lad who had been blind from infancy
was cured The Ocuiist operated upon
the lad and then put n very heavy
bandage over his eyes and after a few
weeks had gone by the bandage was re-
moved, and the mother said to the child
willie can Won seq" He said "Oh