Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-01-28
STRIKING DOWN SIN.
GENIUS NOT NECESSARY TO COMBAT
POWERS OF EVIL.

GENIUS NOT NECESSARY TO COMBAT
POWERS OF EVIL.
Rev. DR.. Talmngc Admonishes US 10
Perseverc In Doing Good -Perne-
we're In the Face OF FnIlure-Enthu-
sinsm VIII Overcome Difiiculties.
copyright 1899. |by American Press Asso-
ciatlon.l
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22.-From scene
in ancient story DR.. Talmage, in this
discourse, draws lessons rs appropriate
for this time as they were appropriate
for the time when the event occurred
many centuries ago; text, Judges iii,
is, "But when the children of Israel
cried unto the Lord the Lord raised
them up deliverer, Ehud, the son OF
Gera, a Beniamite. man left handed,
and by him the children of Israel sent a
present unto Eglon, the king of Moab. >
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 it 700 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 hairbreadth and not
miss. Well, there was n king by the
name of Eglon, who was an oppressor
of Israel. He imposed upon them a
most outrageous tax Ehud, the man of
whom first spoke had divine conf
mission to destroy that oppressor. He
came, pretending that he was going to
pay the tax, and asked to see King
Eglon. He was told he was in the sum-
mer house, the place to which the king
retired when it was too hot to sit IN the
palace This summer house was 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 Il secret
errand with him. Immediately all the
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 u dagger and thrnsts
Eglon through until TIE haft went after
the blade. Eglcn falls Ehud comes
forth to blow trumpet CT liberty amid
the mountains OF Ephraim, and great
host is marshaled, and proud Moab sub
mits to the conqreror, and Israel Is
freel So O Lord, let all thine enemies
perish. So, O Lord, let all thy friends
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 the writing of this text
which implies that Ehud had some de-
feet 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
mt, while ma1g man
with no natural endowments, actually
defective in physical and mental organ
ization. has an earnestness for the right,
a patient industry. an all consuming
which achieve marvels for
the kingdom of Christ. Though left
handed, as Ehud, they can strike down
q sin as great and imperial as Eglon.
1 have seen men of wealth gathering
about them all their treasures, snuffing
at the cause of a world lying 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 stagnant, ropy,
frog inhabited pool of their own self
handed men, worse than
useless-while many man with large
heart and little purse has, out OF his
limited means, made poverty leap for
joy and started an influence that over
spans the grave and will swing round
and round the throne of God, world
without end Amen
All, mel 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
and schools, and asylums
Who has done the tugging, and run
ming, and pulling2 Men of no wonder
full endowments, thousands of them ac-
knowledging themselves to be left hand
ed, and yet 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 u sling in his left
hand could throw a stone at a hair
breadth and not miss suppose it was
practice that gave him the wonderful
de1terity. 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 1t around
your head, take better aim, and the
next time you will strike the center.
The first time mason rings his trowel
upon the brick he does not expect to
put up perfect wall. The first time a
carpenter sends the plane over o board
OF drives bit through beam he does
not expect to make perfect execution.
The first time boy attempts rhyme
he does not expect to chime a 'Lalla
Rookh'' or .'Lady Of the Lake. f" Do
not be surprised if in your first efforts
at doing good you are not very largely
successful. Understand that usefulness
is an art, science, trade. There was
an oculist performing very difficult
operation on the human eye. A young
doctor stood by and said GLOW easily
YOU do that. 1t don't seem to cause you
any trouble at all. I" "Ah," said the
old oculist, sit is very easy now, but ]
enoiled a hatful of eyes to learn that. y