Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-01-04
THE LANE TAKE THE PREY
Rev. DR.. Telmage B SEES Discourse
Upon the Above Text.
What Has Been Accomplished by ths
Blind and Lame. piritusl Encour-
agement for hose Laboring
Under Physical Infirmities
In This Life

HHlRS p4SACieu ScflllOu lrulu Tic OSAe
Isaiah xviii -: 1.-The lame take the
prey lie said:
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 60 out and capture much thai
was valuable. 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 la
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
roets of the world were totally blind?
Homer Oss,an. John Milton. DO you
know that MIR. Prescott, WHO wrote
that enchanting book. The Conquest
of Mexico" never saw Mexico, could
not even see the paper on which he
was writing? A framework across the
sheet, between which, up and down,
vent the pen immortal Do you know
/ that Gambassio, the sculptor, could not
see the marble before him, or the
! chisel with which he cut il into shapes
bewitching? DO You know that Alex
ander Pope, whose poems will last as
long as the English language. was so
much of an invalid that he had to be
sewed up every morning in rough
canvas in order to stand on his feet at
all?
Do you know that Stuart, the cele-
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 Demosthenes by almost super
human exertion, 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
sicllnesses, 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 OF
these men started under the disadvant-
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. But
what is true in secular directions Is
more true in spiritual and religious di'
rections. and proceed to prove it,
There are in all communities many
invalids. They never know well day
They adhere to their occupations, but
they 90 painting along the streets with
exhaustions and ut eventime they lie
down on the lounge with achings be
vond all Inducements They have
tried all prescriptions, they have gone
through all the cures which were pro
claimed infallible. and they have come
now to surrender to perpetual all
ments. They consider they are among
many disadvantages; and when they
see those who are buoyant in health
pass by. they almost envy their robust
| - amen ,.aSairafion
But have noticed among that in
valid class those who have the greatest
knowledge of the Bible, who are in near
est intimacy with Jesus Christ, who hav,
the most glowing experiences of the
{ truth. who have had the most remark
! able answers to prayer and who have
most exhilarant anticipations of Heav
on. The temptations which weary Us
who are in robust health they have
conquered.
Many who are alert and athletic anC
,, swarthy. ioiter in the way-the lam'
I take the prey. Robert Hall an invalid
,, Edward Payson an invalid. Richard
I Ra xter an invalid. samuel Rutherford
an invalid. This morning, when yor
: want to call to mind those who arr
I most Christlike. you think of som'
I darkened room in your fathers hous'
from which there went forth an infiu
ence potent for ctern ty. A step farther
through raised letters the art of print
inc has been brought to the attention
of the blind.
You take mp the Bible for the blind
and YOU close yonr eyes and Won run
: vonr fingers over the raised letters an
YOU say: "Why I never could get an
, i,forma ton in this way What slow
. ipnbrous way of reading. God he'll
: the blindr'
And vet | find among that class o
,crsons. among the blind. the deaf
: and the dumb. the most thorough &C
q ,ua;ntanee with Gods word Shut on
f-orn all other source of information
E No sooner do their hands touch tn
: raise letters than they gather
A nrayer. without eyes. they look OF
. upon the kingdom of God 5 love. With
r ont hearing. they catch the minstrels.