The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-01-27
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
"a SUMMER TRAGEDY"
SUNDAYS SUBJECT.
From Judges Ill, is, as Follows; "But
When the Children of Israel Cried
Unto the Lord, the Lord Raised Them
Up Deliverer. Ehud. the soa OF Gera."

Ehud was ruler in Israel. He was
left-handed, and what was peculiar
about the tribe of Benjamin, to which
he belonged, there were in 1t seven
hundred left-handed men. and, yet, so
dexterous had they all become in the
use of the left hand, that the Bible says
they could sling stones at a hairs
breadth, and not miss. Well, there
was king by the name of Eglon, who
was an oppressor of Israel. He i'm
posed upon them most outrageous
tax. Ehud, the man of whom l first
spoke, had a divine commission to de-
stroy that oppressor. He came, pre-
tending that he was going to pay the
tax, and asked to see King Eglon. He
was told he was in the summer-house,
the place to which the king retired
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 secret errand with him. lmme-
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
til the haft went in after the blade.
Eglon falls. Ehud comes forth to blow
trumpet Of liberty amidst the noun
tains of Ephraim, and great host is
marshaled, and proud Moab submits to
the conqusror, and Israel is free. See,
o Lord, let all thine enemies perish!
So, o Lord, let all thy friends tri-
umphi .rs
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, the
power of left-handed men! Genius Is
often self-observant, careful OF itself,
not given to much toll, burning incense
to its own aggrandizement; while
many a man, with no natural endow-
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
ing at the cause of world lying in
wickedness, 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
stagnant, ropy, frog-inhabited pool OF
their own ight-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.
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 yet they were earnest,
and yet they were determined, and yet |
they were triumphant.
But l do not suppose that Ehud, the
first time he took a sling in his left |
hand, could throw stone at hairs
breadth, and not miss. l suppose it
Was pldCllCO thdl save ulul Tue MOU-
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 board, or drives a bit
through beam, he does not expect to
make perfect execution. The first time
n boy attempts a rhyme, he does not
expect to chime "Lalla Rookh," or
a Lady of the Lake" Do not be sur
prised if, in your first efforts at doing
good, you are not very largely success
full Understand that usefulness is an
art, science. trade. There was an
oculist performing very difficult OPP
Grafton on the human eye. A young
ioctor stood by and said: How easily
you do that; it don't seem to cause you
my trouble at ALL" "Ah," said the old
oculist, cit is very easy now, but
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