The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-01-06
BATTLES.
Or. Talmage Exhorts His Hearers
to Wrostle With Evil
10 DO 50 Successfully. They should APP
rroach ~ Win Politenes-. Suavity
of Manner aud Feet Firmly
Planted on the Rock
of Ages.


Planted on the Rock
OF Ages.
I'm the following practical sermon
one Of the boldest figures in the Bible
is selected To present encouraging
truths. The text is Ephesians 8: -:
1--WE wrestlc not against flesh and
blood. but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers Of
the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places
Saueamishness and fastidiousness
were never charged against Paurs rhe-
toric. In the war against evil he took
the first weapon he could lay his hand
on. For Illustration. NE employed the
theatcr. the arena. the foot race, and
there was nothing in the Isthmian
game with its wreath Of pine leaves;
or Pvthian game. with its wreath of
laurel and palm: or Nemean game,
with its wreath of parsley; or any Ro-
man circus. but he felt he had a right
to put it i'm sermon or epistle. and are
You not surprised that in my text he
calls upon a wrestling bout for sugges-
tiyencss? plutarch says that wrestling
is the most artistic and cunning of
athletic games. We must make "A wide
difference between pugilism. the low
est OF spectacles. and wrestling. which
is am effort i'm sport 10 put down an
- 4 al
of MS INDUCED i'm it in our boyhOod
days. If we were healthful and pluclIy.
The ancient wrestlers were first bathed
I'm oil. and then sprinkled with sand.
The third throw decided the victory.
and many man who went down in
the first throw or SECOND throw. in the
third throw was on top and his OPP
p0nent under. The Romans did not
like this game very much. for il was
not savage enough, no blows or kicks
being allowed in the game They pre-
fcrrcd the foot of hungry panther on
the breast of fallen martyr.
notice that as these wrcstlers ad-
vanccd To- throw each Otherthey bowed
one to the other 1t was a civilty. not
only in Grccian and Roman games. but
in later day. in all the wrestling bouts
at ClcrLcnWell. England. and i'm the
famous wrestling match during the
reign of Henry ILL.,. i'm 81. Giles Field,
between men of eStminstcr and peO-
pie of London. However rough twist
and hard pull each wrestler contem-
plated giving his opponent they APP
preached each other with pOliteness
and suayity The gcnuleNions, the af-
liability tine courtesy i'm nowise him
dcrcd the dccisivcness of the contest.
Well. Paul. see what You mean. in
this awful struggle between right and
wrong. we must not forget to be gen
tlemcn and ladies'. Affability never
binders. bat always helps. You are
p0werless as soon as you get mad. Do
not call rumsellers murderers. Do not
call inidels fools DO not call higher
critics reprobates. DO not call all card
players and theater-goers children Of
the devil. DO not say that the dance
breaks through into hell. Do not deal
in vituperation and billingsgate and
contempt and adiectives dynamite.
The other side can beat MS at that.
Their dictionaries have more objurga-
tion and birthstone.
We are in the strength Of God to
throw Hat on g. back every abomina-
ton that ours the earth, but let MS
approach our mighty antagonist with
suavity. Hercules. son of Jupiter and
Alcmene, will by precursor of smiles,
be helped rather than damaged for the
performance Of his twelve labOrs."
The translatOrs of the Bible made an
unintentional mistake when they rep
resented Paul as insulting the people
of Athens by speaking of ''the un-
known God whom We ignorantly wor-
ship" Instead of charging them with
ignorance. the original indicates he
complimcnted them 10y suggesting that
they were very religious, but as they
confessed that there were some things
they did not understand about God. he
proposed to say some things concern
ing Him. beginning where they had
left off. The same Paul who said in
one place. BE Courteous and who
had noticed the bow preceding the
wrestling match. here exercises suay-
tiles before he proceeds practically to
throw down the rocky side Of the
Acropolis the whole parthenon Of idol
atries. Minerva and Jupiter smashed
up with the rest of them. In this holy
war pol shed rifles will do more execu-
ton than blunderbusses. Let our
wrestlers bow as they go into the
struggle which will leave all perdition
under and AN Heaven ON top.
Notice also that the success Of a
wrestler depended on his having his
feet well planted before he grappled
his opponent Much depends upon the
way the wrestler stands. Standing on
am uncertain piece of ground. or bear
inc all his weight OH right foot or all
his weight ON left foot. he is not ready.
A Slight cuff of his antagonist will
capsizc him. a stroke of the heel of
the other wrestler will trip him. And
I'm this struggle for God and righteous
ness. as well as for our own souls. We
want our fe-t firmly planted in the
gospel both feet on the Rock of Ages.
Notice also that in this science of
wrestling To which Paul refers i'm my
text. IL was the third throw that de
cidcd the contest A wrestler might
be thrown once and thrown twice. but
the third time he might recover him