Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-03-02
SERMONS OF THE DAY

UIIIyjOUO VI I'LL OuI
"StirrinE Folks Up"-Fourteenth Sermon
in the Now York Herald's Competitive
Series Il bva Pennsylvania Minister
DR.. Talmage On Ordinary People.
"Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife stirred
up."-I. Kings, xxi, 25.
large part of the evil and larger part
Of the good in the world would never be
done but for the doers being stirred up
to it.
Life is much like the sea; there seems al
ways some wind to smite the surface or
some stealthy undercurrent to send its rest
lessness up from the depths.
The lesson is many sided; IL fully consid-
cred 1t covers the whole complex question
of life's relationships. 1t is not one part of
the world against the other; part of the
pressions. for one who is stirred up by evil
may be constant impulse to another's
good.
No matter how weak one may be or how
dependent on others, there is still some
power going forth-consciously or uncon-
sciously-which makes more positive the
good or evil of the worlds conflicting
forces.
We find ourselves pressed by life's i'm
pulses or irritations. Its attractions and
repulsions find ready allies in our inclina-
tioDs and often we fail because we under
realize that we have been fmpelled to a
usefulness we had thought beyond our
power.
The example of Jezebel-the Lady Mac
beth of Scripture, the ''new woman" of
nearly three thousand years ago-is not
chosen because women are more prone to
stirring up to evil than men, though blessed
is the woman who ''stirs up her husband
whenever he needs it, and happy is the
man who never stirs up his wife to any
thing but good.
We are ready to condemn Jezebel for
having stirred up Ahab to evil, but we Of
ten lose sight of how Ahab Influenced Jeze
bel. His negative weakness provoked her
positive badness, We sometimes comfort
ourselves that we are not bad because we
do not great sins, forgetful that our very
weakness may provoke some one else into
shining.
Ahab wanted piece of ground that was
near the royal palace. 1t was the property
of Nabotb, who, with true ancestral rever-
ence, refused to part with it, Piqued by
Naboth's refusal, !Ahab went to bed, turned
his face to the wall and refused to eat.
Ahab, the king, peevish as a child because
he could not have his own wayi 1t was
then Jezebels murderous plans were
formed. Ahab's peevish sulkiness stirred
up the wickedness of Jezebel. Had lie been
noble she could not have been SO evil.
"Whom Jezebel his wife stirred up'-
stirred up to evil. Had that power been
turned to good even weak Ahab might have
been one of the worlds helpers.
The power for great evil reveals the pos
sibility of great good; the power in the
direction of wrong is the measure of benefit
If turned in the opposite direction.
Who can estimate what the world would
have lost had not Wendell Phillips heard
his true hearted wife say, wendell don't
shilly-shally!" That put an end to possible
vacillation. Was Lady Palmerston's ''stir-
ring up worth while? She spent her life
in placing and keeping" her husband in
his proper position.
What a rare tribute was paid by General
Charles H. Taylor to the memory of Eben
d. Jordan when in a Boston Globe editorial
he said, mo man of my acquaintance ever
possessed rarer gift of developing the gifts
of other men, and no one ever helped others
with more patience and generosity" He
stirred up to their best possibilities those
whom he met; he made them by his help
what, possibly, they never could have been
without him.
Are those who are near you weak and
sinful because you have not stirred them
up to be their best selves?
The world will ever be grateful to DIR. W.
Robertson Nicholl for his persistent stir
ring up of Ian Maciaren. He gave him no
rest until he led the world to the Bonnie
Brier Bush," which. like the bush Moses
saw, is aglow with God.
Despondent we sometimes are because
all the world seems against us.
If we put ourselves in right relations
with God He will give us of His power and
we shall be masters, not servants, of fate.
Most happily it has been said:
Like the winds of the sea are the waves of
fate
As we journey through life;
'Tis the set of soul
That decides its goal,
And not the calm or the strife.
How are YOU using the forces which
come upon you? Have you so ''set the
sails" that the very winds which are in
tended tc drive you far out on the tempest
tossed sea shall help you into harbor of
safety? Are the burdens so numerous and
heavy that they press you to the earth?
Then learn of the fabled hero who by every
touch gained increase OF strength.
Jesus ''set His face steadfastiy to go to
Jerusalem" because His soul was set on
doing Gods will. Paul said, "All things
work together for good to them that love
God" To soul set on doing right even
the opposing forces will bring benefit.
J From the naggings of jealous wife John
Wesley learned lessons of patience, from
the stormy days of companionship with
scolding xantippi Socrates drew lessons OF
self-discipline.
We influence by what we are. Not our
seeming but our being sends forth its infiu-
ence to stir up to right or wrong. You have
watched the groundswell as the waves
dashed, surging and moaning, upon the
rocky shore and though there was no Wis
( ible cause. you knew of the tempest far ont
I on the ocean. So we influence and are in
fluenced.
You have taken in your hand an opal
the sympathetic stone. 1t was dull and
colorless until the warmth of your hand
caused it to glow with radiance of color
I SO there are lives about us; dull and unin-
teresting they seem. but the stimulus oi
human sympathy will make them shine as
with Gods own glory.
You are stirring folks up-to what?
| HORACE r. GooDCHILD,
Pastor Baptist Church, Clarion, Penn.