Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-12-22
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn DivineS Sun,
day Sermon.
Subject; "Under Disadvantages"

TEXT "The lame take Gic prey. Isaiah
Xxxiii., %.
The utter demolition of the Assyrian host
was here predicted. Not oniy robust men
should go forth and gather the spois OF con-
quest, but even men crippled OF arm and
crippled Of foot should go out and capture
much that was valuable Their physical dis
advantages should not hinder their great en-
richment So it has been in the past so it
is now so it will be in the future So ii is
in all departments. Men laboring under
seemingly great disadvantages and amid the
most unfavOrable circumstances, yet making
grand achievements, getting great blessing
for themselves great blessing for the world,
great blessing for the church, and so 'the
lame take the prey"
Do YOU know that the three great poets OF
the world were totally blind-Homer, Os-
sian. John Miton2 Do you know that Mr..
Prescott. who wrote that enchanting book,
1.-The Conquest OF Mexico never saw
Mexico. could not even see the rAper on
which he was writing? A framework across
the sheet. between which, up and down,
went the pen immortal. Do you know that
Gambassio. the sculptor could not see the
marble before him or the chisel with which
he cut it into shapes bewitching? Do you
know that Alexander Pope. whose poems
will last rs long as the English language,
was so much OF an invalid that he had to be
! sewed up every morning in rough canvas ~
order TO stanl on his feet at all?
Do you know that Stuart, the celebrated
painter, did much Of his wonderful work un-
der the shadow Of the dungeon where he had
been unjustly imprisoned for debt? Do you
know that Demosthenes, by almost superhu-
man exeriion. first had 10 conquer the lisp
OF his own speech before he conquered as
| sembages with his elOquence? Do YOU know
that Bacon struggled all through inuumer-
able sicknesses, and that Lord Byron and Sir
Walter Scott went limpng on clubioot
| through all their life. and that many of the
great poets and painters AMI orators and his
| tOrians and heroes Of the world had some
thing TO keep them back, and pull them
| down, and impede their way. and cripple
! their physical or their intellectual move
ment, and yet that they pushed on and
pushed up until they reached the spOils Of
worldly success. and amid the huzza Of
! Nations AMI centuries "the lame took the
prey
You know that a vast multitude Of these
men started under the disadvantage of OBJ
scure 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.
| But what is true i'll secular directions is more
| true in spiritual and religious directions, and
! | proceed to prove IT,
/ There are in all communities many inva-
! lids. They never know a well day. They
4 adhere TO their occupations, but they go
| painting along the streets with exhaustons,
/ and at overtime they lie down on the lounge
with achings beyond all medicaments. They
/ have tried all prescriptions, they have gone
/ through all the cures which were proclaimed
/ infallible. and they have now come 10 sur
1 render TO perpetual ailments. They con-
slider they are among many disadvantages ;
| and when they see those who are buoyant in
4 health pass by, they almost 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 have the most glow
ing experiences OF the truth, who have had
the most remarkable answers to prayer. and
who have most exhilarant anticipatiOns OF
heaven. The temptations which weary us
who are in robust health they have con-
| quered.
Many who are alert and athletic and
swarthy lOiter in the way-'the lame take
the prey. Robert Hall an invalid, Edward
PaysOn an invalid, Richard Baxter an inva-
! lid, Samuel Rutherford an invalid. This
morning when YOU want to call TO mind
some darkened room III your fathers house
from which there went forth an influence
potent for eternity.
step farther Through raised letters tho
art OF printing has been brought to the atten-
ton 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
I IL To-, .I.,-,, q ao1
ing God help the blind I"
Aud vet l find among that class OF persons,
among the blind, the deaf and the dumb, the
most thorough acquaintance with God
word. Shut out from all other sources OF
information, no sooner does their hand touch
the raised letters than they gather prayer.
Without eyes. they look off upon the king
doms Of Gods love. Without hearing, they
catch the minstrelsy Of the skies Dumb
yet with pencil or with irradiated counte-
nance. they declare the glory OF God.
A large audience assembled in New York
at the anniversary OF the Deaf and Dumt
ASYLUM. and one of the visitors with chalk
on the blackboard wrote this question to the
pupils. DO you not find il very hard to be
deaf and dumb?" And one OF the pupil:
took the chalk and wrote on the blackboard
this sublime sentence in answer, when TIT
song of the angels shall burst upon our en-
[ TdDIuTt0
ears were never marred with earthly sounds.
! Oh. the brightest eyes in heaven will bt
/ those that never saw on earth. The ear
most alert in heaven will be those that il
| this world heard neither voice Of friend mol
| thrum Of harp. nor carol of bird nor doxol
ogy Of congregations.
A lad who had been blind from infancy
was cured. The oculist operated upon the
lad and then put very heavy bandage over
the eyes and after few weeks had gone by
| tho bandage was removed and the mother
said TO her child "Willie. can you seey'
! He said "Oh, mamma, is this heayenY
! The contrast between the darkness before and
! the brightness aiterward was overwhelming.
! And tell you the glories of heaven will be a
! thoussndfold brighter for those who never
saw anything on earth. While many with
/ good vision closed their eyes in eternal night,
| and many who had a good, artistic and cul-
! tured ear went down into eternal discOrd,
/ these afflicted ones cried unto the Lord in
/ their trouble, and he made their sorrows
/ their advantage, and so "the lame took the
prey.
In the seventh century there was le-
| gend Of st. Modobert II was said that his
! mother was blind. and one day while look
! ing at his mother ne felt 50 sympathetic for
| her blindness that he rushed forward and
! kissed her blind eyes, and the legend says
her vision came Immediately. That was
only a legend, but it is a truth, a glorius
truth, that the kiss Of Gods eternal love has
brought to many blind eye eternal illumi-
nation.
A step farther There are those in all COM
munities who toll nightly for a livelihood.
/ They have scant wages. Perhaps they are
/ diseased or have physical infrmities. 80 they
] are hindered from doing continuous day =
work. A city missionary finds them up the
dark alley, with no fire, with thin clothing.
/ with very coarse bread They never ride in
the street ear they cannot afford the five
/ cents. They never see any pictures save
those in the show window Onthe street, from
! which they are often jostled and looked at by
some one who seems TO say in the look
''Moye on What are you doing here look
| ing at piciuresY
| yet many Of them live on mountains Of
| TRANSPORTATION At their rough table He
who fed the 5000 breaks the bread. They
| talk often OF the good times that are coming.
! This world has no charm for them, but
! heaven entrances their spirit. They often
! divide their scant crust with some forlorn
wretch who knocks at their door at night.
and on the blast OF the night wind. as the
| door opens to let them in. is heard the voice
of Him who said, ~ was hungry, and he fed
| Me-" No cOhort Of heaven will he too bright
10 transport them. By Gods help they have
yanquished the Assyran host. They have