Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-02-07
RRV. DR. TALHAGR
The Eminent Washington Divine's
Sunday Sermon.
subject: "The Power of Example"

Text: dan Abimelech took an ak IN his
nand and cut down a, bough from the trees
and took il and laid it on his shoulder and
said unto the people that were with him:
what We have seen me do make haste and
do as have DONE. Aud all the people like
wise cut down every man his bough! -
Judges IL, As
Abimelech Is a name nalodorous in Bible
history and yet full Of profitable suggestion;
Buoys are black and uncomely, but they tell
where the rocks are. The snakes rattle Is
hideous. but it gives timely warning. From
the piazza Of my summer home night by
night 1 saw lighthouse fifteen miles away,
not placed there for adornment, but to tell
mariners to stand off from that dangerous
point. So all the jfoh-bOund coast or moral
danger is marked with Saul and Herod and
Rehoboam and Jezebel and Abimelech.
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 very poor
hammer.
The city of sahechem had to be taken; and
Abimelech an | his men were 10 do it. see
the dust rolling up from their excited march.
hear the shouting Of the captains and the
/ yell of the besiegers The swords c!ack
| sharply on the parrying shields, and the vo-
ciferation of two armies in death grapple is
horrible to hear. The battle goes on all day,
and as the sun is setting Abimelech and his
army cry "Surrenderl' 10 the beaten foe,
and, unable longer to resist, the city OF
Shechem falls, and there are pools OF blood
and discovered limbs an glazed eyes look
ing up beggingly for mercy that war never
shows, and diving 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 city,
stopping not, because there is no spot for 1t
| to rest so full is the place OF other groans.
A city wounded A rity dyingl Acity deadl
| Vail for Slechem, all ye who know the her
rors OF sacked town:
As l look over the city find only one
building standing, AMI that is the temple OF
| the god Berth. Some soldiers outside OF
the city in tower finding that they can no
| longer defend Shechem now begin TO look
| out for their own personal safety, and they
fly to this temple Of Berth. They go within
the door, shut it. aud they say: 'Now we
ara SAFE Abimelech has taken the whole
city, but he cannot take this temple OF
Berth. Here we shall be- under the protec-
ton OF the gods" o Berth, the god, do
YOUR best row for these refugees II you
have eyes. pity them. II you have hands.
help them. If you have thunderbolts, strike
for them. Bnt how shall Abimelech and his
army take this temple of Berth and the men
who are there fortihed2 viii they do it with
the sword? Nay. VIII they do it with the
spear? Nay. With the battering ram rollel
| up by hundred armed strength crashing
against the WALSH Nay. Abimelech marches
his men to wood in Zalmon. With his ak
| ho h.,r-c off iuoh IF thur
limb upon his shoulder, and then he says to
his men. you do the same"
They are obedient to their commander.
There is a struggle as 10 who shall have axes.
The whoe wood is full of bending bougbs,
AMI the cracking and the hacking, and the
cutting. until every one OF the host has
limb of q tree cut down, and not only that,
but has put it on his shoulder Just as Abb
melech showed him how. Are these men all
armed with tho tree branch2 The reply
comes. "All armed" And they march on.
Oh what strange army. with that strange
equipment They come up to the foot OF
the temple at Berth, and Abimelech takes
his limb of a tree and throws it down, and
the first platoon of soldiers come up, and
they throw down their branches, and the
second platoon; and the third, until all
around about the temple OF Berth there is q
pile of troe branches. The Shechemiles look
out FROM window of the temple upon
what gems to them childish play on the
parts of their enemies But soon the fiints are
struck, and the spark begins to ktndle the
brush and the fame comes up all through
the pile, AMI the red elements leap to the
easement, and the WOO work begins to blaze,
aud one arm Of fame is thrown up on the
right side of the temple, aul another arm OF
fame is thrown up on the left side OF the
temple, until they CLASP their lurid palms
under the wild night sky, and the cry OF
Fire. within and Pre- without announces
the terror. and the stranguatiOn. and the
doom of the Shecliemites, and the complete
overthrow OF the temple OF the god Berth.
Then there went up scout. long and loud,
from the stout lungs and swarthy chests OF
Abimelech and his men as they stood amid
the ashes and the Gust crying, victory,
victoryr
Now learn first from this subject the folly
of depending upon any one form of tactics
in ANYTHING we nave to do for this world OF
for God. Look over the weap0nry Of oldcn
times-javelins. batteaxes, ha5ergeonus, and
show mo single weapon with which Abime'
lech and his men could have gained such
complete triumph. Itisno easy thing to take
4 temple thus armed, l have seen house
where, during Revolutionary times, a man
and his wife kept back whole regiment
hour after hour, because they were inside
he house aud the assaultiDg soldiers were
outside the house. Yet here Abimelech and
his army come up, they surround this tenn
pie, and they capture it without the loss OF {
single man on the part of Abimelecb, although
suppose some Of the old Israelitish heroes
.old Abirelecb, "You are only going NJ
here TO be cut to pieces" Yet you are will
ing to testify to-day that by no other mode
certainly not by ordinary modes-could thai
temple so easily. so thoroughly, have beer
taken Fathers ana mothers, brethren an(
sisters in Jesus Christ, what the church mos
wants to learn this Cay is that any pan il
right. is lawful, is best. which help
TO overthrow the temple of SIN ant
capture this wor for God. w
are very apt to stick to the old modes Of al
tack. We put on the ol style coat OF mail
We come up with the sharp, keen, gitterinl
steel spear OF argument. expecting In tina
way to take the castle, hut they have
thousand spears where we have ten. Ana 8
J the castle of sin stands. Oh, my friends
! we will never capture this world Tor Goa D
any keen saber Of sarcasm. by any glitterln
Iances Of rhetoric by any sapping and mir
t ing Of profound disquistion, by any CUR
. powdery explosions of indignation, b
sharpshootings of wit, by howitzers
!. mental streng made TO swing she'll nv
I miles, by cavalry horses gorgeously caparl
Q soned paving the air. In vain all the a
> tempts on the part Of these ecclesiastie'
, foot soldiers, light horsemen and grenadier
My friends, propose a different style
: tactics. Let each one 60 to the forest {
:. Gods promise and invitation and hew dow
branch and put it on his shoulder, and Il
us all come around these obstinate iniquitie
. ana then with this pile kindled by the fire
!. Of a holy zeal and the flames Of 4 cOnsecrAte