The Princeton union., 1896-07-09
IA'|z.!.MAGE,8 SERMON.
He was a mighty hunter before the
Lord. -" Genesis x.:9

eAe lduuS ana the times infested with
Wild beasts it was matter Of life anC
t1'Rst cath with the people, 1t was very
different from going out on a sunshiny
afternoon with a patent breech-loadel
to to shoot reed birds on the flats, when
/ PolluX and Achilles and Diomedes
went out to clear the land Of lions and
tigers and bears. My text sets forth
Nlmrod as a hero when it represents
him with broad shoulders and. shaggy
apparel and un-browned face, and arm
punched with muscle-..a mighty hun
ter before the Lord" I think he used
the bow and the arrows with great sue
cess practicing archery.
have thought if it is such a grand
thing and such a brave thing to clear
WHO beasts out of a country, if it is
not better and Drawer thing to hunt
/. down and destroy those great evils Of
society that are stalking the land with
fierce eye and bloody jaw, and sharp
tusk and quick spring. 1 have won
dered if there is not such a thing as
Gospel archery, by which those who
have been flying from the truth may
be captured for God and heaven. The
Lord Jesus in his sermon used the art
of angling for an illustration when he
said: Il will make you fishers Of
men, And SO think have authority
Tor using hunting as an Illustration Of
Gospel truth; and l pray God that
there may be many a man to-day who
Will begin to study Gospel archery, Of
whom it may be said, after a while,
sde was a mighty hunter before the
Lord
How much awkward Christian work
there is done in the world! How many
good people there are who drive souls
away from Christ instead of bringing
them to him! All their fingers are
ADMINISTRATIONS blunderers who up
set more than they right. Their gun
has crooked barrel, and it kicks as
it goes off. They are like a clumsy
comrade who goes along with skillful
hunters; at the very moment when he
ought to be quiet he is cracking an
an alder or falling over log and
frightening away the game. How few
Christian people have ever learned the
lesson of which read at the beginning
OF this service, how that, the Lord
Jesus Christ at the well went from
talking about cup of water to the
most practical religious truths, which
won the Woman's soul for God! Jesus
in the wilderness was breaking bread
to the people. I think it was good
bread; it was very light bread and the
yeast had done its work thoroughly
Christ, after he had broken the bread,
said to the people, Beware of the
yeast, or of the leaven, of the Phara,
sees" So natural transition it was;
and how easily they all understood
him! But how few Christian people
there are who understand how to fast
en- the truths of God and religion to
the souls of men. Truman Osborne,
one of the evangelists who went
through this country years ago, had a
wonderful art in the right direction.
He came to my fathers house one day,
and while we were all seated in the
room he said: "Mr. Talmage, are all
your children Christians?'' Father
said: "Yes, all but Dewitt" Then
Truman Osborne looked down into the
storm that came on the mountains and
and all the sheep were in the fold; but
there was one lamb outside that per-
in the eye, I should have been an
gered when he told that story; but he
looked into the fireplace and it was so
pathetically and beautifully done that
/ never found any peace until I was
inside the fold where the other sheep
We're.
The archers of olden times studied
their art. They We're very precise in
the matter. The old books gave special
directions as to how an archer should
go, and as to what an archer should
do. He must stand erect and firm, his
left foot a little in advance Of the right
foot. With his left hand he must take
hold of the bow in the middle, and
then with the three fingers and the
thumb of the right hand he should lay
hold of the arrow and affix it to the
string-so precise was the direction
given. But how clumsy we are about
religious work! How often our arrows
miss the mark! Oh, that there were
more institutions established in all the
towns and cities of our land where
men might learn the art of doing good
studying spiritual archery and known
as mighty hunters before the Lord. -
In the first place, if you want to be
efectual in doing good, you must be
very sure of your weapon. There was
something very Fascinating about the
archery Of olden times. Perhaps you
. do not know what they could do with
the bow and arrow Why, the chief
battles fought by the English Planta-
genets were with the long bow. They
would take the arrow Of polished wood
and feather it with the plume of a bird,
and then it would fly from the bow
string of fsplaited silk. The broad fields
of Agincourt and SolWay Moss and
Neyille's Cross heard the loud thrum
of the archer's bow string. Now, my
Christian friends we have a mightier.
weapon, than that. It is the arrow Of
the Gospel; it is a sharp arrow; it is a
straight arrow; it is feathered from the
wing of the dove of Gods spirit; it
flies from a bow made out of the wood
Of the cross. AS faras can estimate
or calculate, itshas brought down 400, q
OO0,0OO souls. Paul knew how to bring.
the notch Of that arrow on to that bow
string, and its Whirr was heard
through the Corinthian theaters, and
through the court room, until the knees.
of Felix knocked together. It was
that arrow that stuck In Luther's heart
when he cried out, ssOh, my sins! Oh,