The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-02-02

IlAL i M "A GEES 81 RMON.

1' A sUMMER-tio usE TRAGEDY.
n 9 SUNDAYS s. BJECT. #
4 from Judges H., u ., 3as Follows: But
When the Chiidren Of q Israel cried
Onto the Lord, the Lord Raised Them
Up = Deliverer. Ehud. the, son 81 Gera.,.
Ehud was a ruler in Israel. He was
sgeft-h landed and, what was peculiar
Iflbout the tribe of Benjamin, to which
ne belonged, there were in it seven
hundred left hand ed men. and, vet, so
lexterous had they all become in the
I Use Of the left hand, that the Bible says
hey could sling stones at a hairs
oreadth, and not miss. Well, there
IFas e king by the name Of Eglon, who
vas an oppressorssof Israel He im-5
posed upon them q most outrageous
AK. Ehud, the man Of whom I first
spoke, had a divine commission to de-;
Bstroy that oppressor. He came, pre-.
lending that he was going to pay the
tax, and asked to see King Eglon. He
was told he was in the sunlmer-ho use,
! The place to which the king retired
when it was too hot to sit in the
palace. 4 This summe house was a
place surrounded by flowers, and trees,
and springing fountains, and Warbling
birds. Ehud entered the summer
house and said to King Eglon that he.
| had a secret errand with him. Imme-3
diately all the attendants were waved
/ out OF the royal presence. King Eglon.
rises up to receive the messenger.
Ehud, the left-handed man, puts his
left hand to his right side, pulls out
dagger, and thrusts Eglon through I'M
It'll the haft went in after the blade.
5Eglon falls Ehud comes forth to blow
q trumpet Of liberty amidst the noun
tains Of Ephraim, and great host is
marshaled. and proud Moab submits to
the conqucror, and Israel is free. See,
- Lord, let all thine enemies perish!
So, @ Lord, let all thy friends tri-
aumph! s 81. .ss.5.
Ef@ I learn first from this subject the
power of left-handed men. There are
some men who, by physical organiza-
ton, have as much strength in their
left hand as in their right hand, but
there is something in che writing Of
this text which implies that Ehud had
some defect in his right hand which
compelled him to use his left. Oh, the
power of left-handed men! Genius is
often -observant, careful of itself,
not given to much toll, burning incense
to its own aggrandizement; while
many man, with no natural endowi
ments, actually defective in physical
and mental organization, has an ear
|nestness for the right, a patient indus
try an all-consuming perseverance,
which achieve marvels for the king
dom Of Christ. Though left-handed, as
Ehud, they can strike down sin as
great and imperial as Eglon.
have seen men Of wealth gathering
about: them all their treasures, snuff
ling at the cause Of a world lying in
kedness, roughly ordering Lazarus
of their doorstep, sending their dogs,
not to lick his sores, but to hound him
off their premises; catching. all the
pure rain of Gods blessing into the
sstagnant, ropy, frog-inhabited pool Of
their own selfshness- right-handed
men, worse than useless-while many
"a man with large heart and little
purse, has, out Of his limited means,
made poverty leap for joy, and started
an influence that overspans the grave,
and will swing round and round the
throne of God, world without end:
Amen. ~... 4 -..EsI =. *. +
All, me! it is high time that you left
handed men, who have been longing
for this gift, and that eloquence, and
the other mans wealth, should take
your left hand out Of Your pockets.
Who made all these railroads? Who
set up all these cities? Who started
all these churches, and schools, and
asylums? Who has done the Juggling,
and running, and pulling? Men Of no
wonderful endownments, thousands Of
them acknowledging themselves to be
left-handed, and vet they were earnest,
and yet they were determined, and yet
they were triumphant.
But I do not suppose. that Ehud, the
first time he took a sling in his left
hand, could throw a stone at a hairs
breadth, and not miss. I suppose it
was practice that gave him the won
derful dexterity. Go forth to your
spheres Of duty, and be not discour-
aged If, in your first attempts, you
miss the mark. Ehud missed it. Take
another stone, put it carefully into the
sling, swing it around your head, take
better aim, and the next time you will
strike the center. The first time a
mason rings his trowel upon the brick
he does not expect to put up a perfect
wall. The first time carpenter sends
the plane over a board, or drives a bit
through beam, he does not expect to
make perfect execution. The first time
a boy attempts a rhyme, he does not
expect to chime a "Lalla Rookh, ? or
a Lady Of the Lake" Do not be sur
prised if, in your first efforts at doing
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