The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1899-01-27
LESSONS FROM EHUD.
Dr.. Talmage on the Subject of Is
rael'S DeliVerer.
His Divine Commission to Destroy
an OppressG sGr-DenunciatiOn of
WOrshIpcrs of MammOn,
Who ScofY at Sin.
fWaShington,

| Washington, Copyright, 1897
From a scene IN ancient story DR.
Talmage in this discouse draws les
sons as appropriate for this time as
| they were appropriate for the time
| when the event occurred many cen.
| turies ago; text, Judges, 1915, But
| when the children of Israel cried unto
| the Lord, the Lord raised them up de-
| Iiverer. Ehud, the son of Gera, Ben
| jamite, a man left-handed; and by hin
the children of Israel sent present un
to Eglon, the king of Moab"
Ehud was a ruler in Israel. He was
left-handed, and what was peculiar
about the tribe of Benjamin, to which
he belonged, there were in it 700 left
handed men, and yet so deXtrous haG
they all became in the use of the left
hand that the Bible says they could
sling stones at a hairbreadth and not
miss. Well, there was a king by TIE
name of Eglon, who was an oppressoI
of Israel. He imposed upon them a
most outrageous tax. Ehud, the man
of whom | first spoke, had Divine com
mission to destroy that oppressor. He
came pretending that he was going to
pay the tax, and asked to see King Egg
lon. He was told he was in the summer
house, the place to which the king re-
tired when it was too hot to sit in the
palace. This summer 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. Immediately
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 until the haft
went in after the blade. Eglon falls
and Ehud comes forth to blow trum-
pet of liberty amid the mountains of
Ephraim, and great host is marshaled,
and proud Moab submits to the con-
queror, and Israel is free. So, o Lord,
let all Thine enemies perish! So, o
Lord, let all Thy friends triumph!
l 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 the writing of
this text which implies that Ehud had
some defect in his right hand which
compelled him to use his left. Oh, he
power of left-handed meni Genius is
Oh f,,1 - IL
not given to much toll, burning incense
to its own aggrandizement, while maEy
a man, with no natural endowments,
actually defective in physical and men
tai organization, has an earnestness for
the right, patient industry, an all-coI-
suming perseverance, which achieve
marvels for the kingdom of Christ.
Though left-handed, as Ehud, they can
strike down a sin as great and imperial
as Eglon.
have seen men of wealth gathering
about them all their treasures, snuffing
at the cause of world lying in wicked
ness, roughly ordering Lazarus off
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 stag
nant, ropy, frog-inha abited pool of their
own selfishnes ess-right-h 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.
All, me! 1t 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 tugging and running
and pulling? Men of no wonderful en-
dowments, thousands of them acknowl-
edging themselves to be left-handed,
and yet they were earnest, and yet
they were determined, and yet they
were triumphant.
But do not suppose that Ehud, the
first time he took a sling in his left
hand, could throw a stone at a hair
breadth and not miss. I suppose it was
practice that gave him the wonderful
dexterity. Go forth to your spheres of
duty and be not discouraged 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 cot
expect to put up a perfect wall. The
first time a carpenter sends the plane
over a board or drives bit through
a beam be does not expect to make per-
feet execution. The first time a boy
attempts rhyme he does not expect to
chime a "Lalla Rookh" or a Lady of
the Lake" Do not be surprised if in
your first efforts at doing good you are
not very largely successful. Under
stand that usefulness is an art, a
science, a trade. There was n oculist
performing a very difficult operation on
the human eye. A young doctor stood
by and said: How easily you do that;
it don't seem to cause you any trouble
at ALL" "Ah," said the old oculist, ''it
is very easy now, but l spoiled hatfuI
of eyes TO learn that" Be not surprised
if it takes some practice before we can
help men to moral eyesight and bring
them TO a vision of the cross.
When Garibaldi was going out to bat
tie he told his troops what he wanted
them 10 do, and after he had described
what he wanted them to do they said;