The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-02-07
POWER OF EXAMPLE.
Rev. Or. Talmage Takes the story
Of Abimelech
A. an Illustration Of tho Mighty Force ~
the Example Of Ono Human he
Ing ON the Conduct Of
His Fellows.

HIS Fellows
The following discourse upon s.Tbe
Power OF Example" was delivered bv
Rev. 7. Dewitt Talmage before his
Warrington congregation. 1t is based
on the text:
And Abtmelcch took an az In his hand. and
cut down Dough from the trees. and took Il
and laid 1t on his shoulder and said unto the
people tnat were with him. What We have
seen me do, mako haste and do as have done
And all the people likewise out down every mar
his ugh,-Judges TX, AS-4o
Abimelech is name malodorous in
Bible history, and yet full of profit.
able suggestion. Buoys are black and
uncomely, but they tell were the rocks
are. The snakes rattle is hideous, but
1t gives timely warning. From the
piazza OF my summer home, night by
night, saw a lighthouse Is miles
away, not placed there for adornment,
but to tell mariners to stand off from
that dangerous point. So all the iron
bound coast Of moral danger. is
marked with Saul, and Herod, and
Rehoboam, and Jezebel, and Abb
melech. These bad people are men
TONED in the Bible not only as warn
ings, but because there were some
times flashes Of good conduct in their
lives worthy of imitation. God some
times drives a very straight nail with
q very poor hammer.
The city of Shechem had to be taken,
and Abimelech and his men were to do
it. see the dust rolling up from their
excited march. hear the shouting of
the captains and the yell Of the be-
siegers. The swords clack sharply on
the parrying shields, and the vocifera-
ton Of two armies in death grapple is
horrible to hear. The battle goes on
all day; and as the sun is setting Abb
melech and his army cry: ''Surren-
der!" to the beaten foe. And, unable
longer to resist, the city of Shechem
falls; and there are pools of blood, and
discovered limbs, and glazed eyes look
ing up beggingly 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 affec-
ton; and groan rolls across the city,
stopping not, because there is no spot
for it to rest, SO full is the place Of
other groans. A city wounded! A city
dying! A city dead! Wall for Shechem,
all We who know the horrors Of a sacked
town!
As / look over the city, can find
only one building standing, and that
is the temple of the god Berth. Some
soldiers outside Of the city in tower
finding that they can no longer de-
fend 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, and they
say: "Now we are safe. Abimelech
has taken the whole city, but he can
not take this temple Of Berth. Here
we shall be under the protection of the |
gods" O Berth, the god! do your
best now for these refugees. If you
have eyes, pity them. If you have
hands, help them. If you have thun-
derbolts, strike for them. But how shall |
Abimelech and his army take this tenn
pie of Berth and the men who are
there fortified? Will they do it
with sword? Nay. With batterlng-
ram, rolled up by hundred-armed
strength, crashing against the walls?
Nav. Abimelech marches his men to
a wood in Zalmon. With his ak he
hews off limb of tree, and puts
that limb upon his own shoulder, and
then he says to his men: "You do the
same" They are obedient to their
There is struggle as to
who shall have axes. The whole wood
Is full of bending boughs, and the
and the hacking, and the
quitting, until everyone of the host
has limb of tree cut down, and not
only that, but has put it on his shout
Ter Just as Abimelech showed him
how. Are these men all armed with a
rec branch? The reply comes: "All
armed" And they march on.
oh, what strange army, with that
strange equipment They come up to
he foot Of the temple at Berth, and
Abimelech takes his limb of tree and
throws it down; and the first platoon
# soldiers come up and they throw
Town their branches; and the second
,latoon, and the third platoon, until
i'll around about the temple of Berth
here is pile of tree branches. The
look out from the win
low of the temple upon what seems to
hem childish play on the part of their
But soon the fints are
truck, and the sparks begin to kindle
he brush, and the flame
omes up all through the
lie. and the red elements
cap to the easement, and the wood
york begins to blaze, and one arm of
lame is thrown up on the right side of
he temple, and another arm of fame