Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-02-05
REf. DR.. TaLuaGE.

| REl. DR.. TaLQaGE.
The Eminent Divine's Sunda,
Sermon
Subject: "The Power Of Example. {,
TEXT: "An Abimelech took an Ak in hi,
nand and cut down a bough from the tree,
and took 1t and laid II on his shoulder and
sald unto the people that were with him
"haf We have seen me do make haste and
DO rs 1 have DONE Aud all the people like
wise cur down every man his bough."-
Judges tx, 4s
Abimelech is-a name malodorous in Bibl.
history and yet full of profitable suggestion.
6noys are black and uncomely, but they tell
where the rocks are. The snakes rattle n
htdeous. but it gives timely warning. From
tne plazza OF my summer home night by
nlRhf saw lighthouse fifteen miles away.
not placed there for adornment, but to tell
mariners to stand of from that dangerous
point. SO all the iron-bound coast or moral
kehoboam and Jezebel and AbimeIech.
These bad people are mentioned in the Bible
not only as warnings, but be ause there were
sometimes flashes Of good conduct in their
lives worthy Of imitation. God sometimes
drives very straight nail with q very poo,
hammer.
The city OF Schechem had to be taken, and
Aoimeech and his men were 10 do il. 1 see
the dust rolling up from their excited march.
near the shouting OF the captains and the
yell OF the besieyers. The swords clack
sharply on the parrying shields. and the yo.
ciferation Of two armies in death grappIs ia
horrible to hear. The battle goes on ali day.
and rs the sun Is setting Abimelech and his
army cry "Surrender!" TO the beaten foe
and. unable longer to resist, the city OF
Shechem falls, and there are pools Of blood
and discovered limbs an glazed ewes look
ing up begglnRly for mercy that war never
shows, and dying soldiers with their head on
the lap of mother or wife or sister, who have
come out for the last offices of kindness and
affection, and groan rolls across the cjty.
stopping not. because there is no spot for ii
TO rest. so full is the place Of other groans
city wounded! A city dyingi A city dead
Wall for Snechem, all ye who know the hor.
rOrs Of "a sacked town.
As / look over the city I find onIy one
building standing, AMI that is the temple OF
the god Berth. Some soldiers outside OF
the city in "a tower. finding that they can no
longer defend Shechem now begin to look
out for their own personal safety, and they
ny to this temple of Berth. They go within
the door. shut it. and they say: ''Now we
are safe. Abimelech has taken the whole
city, but he cannot take this temple of
Berth. Here We shall be- under the protec-
tion of the gods" o Berth, the god, DO
your best now for these refugees. II YOU
have eyes pity them. II you have hands.
help them. If you have thunderbolts, strike
Tor them. But how shall Abimelech and his
army take this temple of Berth and the men
who are there fortifiedl Will they do 1t with
the sword? Nay. Will they do it with the
spear? Nav. With the battenng ram rolled
up by hundred armed strength crashing
against the walls? Nay. Abimelech marches
his men to wood in Zalmon. With his AK
he hews OF limb Of tree and puts that
limb upon his shoulder and then he saws to
lis men. You do the same"
They are Obedent to their commander
There is a struggle as to who sba' Il have axes
The who = wood is full of bending bouvbs.
and the cracking aud the hacking and the
cutting. until every one OF the host has a
limb of a tree cut down. and not only that
but has put it on his shoulder just a. Abb.
melech showed him how. Are these men all
armed with the tree branch? The reply
comes, "Al armed" And they march on.
Oh. what IA strange army. with that strange
equipment! They come up to the foot OF
he temple at Berth, and Abimelech takes
lis limb of a tree and throws it down, and
The first platoon Of soldiers come up. and
hey throw down their branches, and the
second platoon; and the third, until all
around about the temple Of Berth there is
pile OF tree branches. The Shechemites lock
out from the window of the temple upon
what seems to them childish play on the
parts OF their enemies. But soon the fiinfs are
struck, and the spark begins to kindie the
brush, and the flame comes up all through
the pile. and the red elements leap TO the
easement. and the woodwork begins to blaze,
and one arm of flame Is thrown up on the
right side Of the temple, and another arm of
lame Is thrown up on the left side of the
temple, until they claso their iurid palms
under the wild night sky and the cry OF
Fire" within and IF re" without announces
the terror, and the srranguiatiOn. and the
doom Of the Shechemit.s and the complete
overthrow OF the temple of the god Berth.
Then there went up a shout, long and loud,
from the stout lungs and swarthy chests OF
Abimelech and his men as they stood amid
the ashes and the dust crying, Victory
,ictoryr'
Oh. my friends thee,ospel is not a syIIo-
zism; It is not casuistry; it is not polemics. or
the science Of squabbles. 1t is blood red fact;
II is warm hearted invitation; it Is leaping
bounding, fying good news; it is eff1orescent
with all light; it is rubescent with a sum-
merry glow; 1t is arborescent with all sweet
shade. have seen the sun rise on Mount
there was no beauty in that compared with
the dayspring from on high when Christ
gives light TO a soul I have heard Parepa
sing, but there was no music in that COM
pared with the voice of Christ when He said,
'.Thy sins are forgiven thee; 20 in peace"
Good newsl Let every one cut down branch
OF this tree Of life and wave 1t. Let him
throw 1t down and kindle 1t. Let all the way
from Mount Zalmon to Shechem be filIel
with the tossing joy. Good news! This bon
~ Rhx.s zr,al. hall Ill
pie Of sin, and will illumine the sky with
apocalyptic joy, that Jesus Christ came into
the world to save sinners. Any new plan
that makes man quit his sin, and that pros
trates II wrong, am as mu h in favor of as
though all the doctors, and the bishops, and
gownsmen Of Christianity sane
toned IT. The temple of Berth must come
down, and l do not care how it comes.
Still further learn from this subject the
power of example. If Abimelech had sa,
down on the grass and tod his men to go and
would never had gone at all, or II they had |
It would have been without any spirit or
effective result, but when Abimelech goes |
with his own AK and hews down branch
and with Abimelech's arm puts 1t on Abime-
lech's shoulder and marches on, then. my
text says. all the people did the same. How !
natural that was! What made Garibaldi and |
Stonewall Jackson the most magnetic com.
manders of this century? They always rode |
ahead. Oh, the overwhelming power of ex- |
ample! Here is the father on the wrong road. |
AL his boys go on the wrong road. Here is |
q father who enlists for Christ. His children
enlist. saw in some OF the picture CALLER |
les Of Europe that before many Of the great |
works OF the great masters, the old masters,
there would be sometimes four and five ar.
fists takirg copies Of pictures. These copies |
they were going to carry with them. per; |
hsps to distant lands, and 1 have thought |
that your life and character are a mas
terpiece, and 1t Is being copied, and long af. |
ter you are gone will bloom or blast in the |
homes Of those who knew you and be Cor. |
gon or Madonna. Look out what you say.
Look out what you do. Eternity will hear |
the echo. The best sermon ever preached is |
Q holy life. The best music ever chanted is |