The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-02-03
DR.. TALMAGE's sERmo..
The Eminent Divine's Sunday
Discourse.

Subject: "The Power OF Perseverance'-
The Successful Are Not tho Most Bril-
liant, But Those Who Everlastingly
Stick to One Line of Endeavor.
TEXT: "But when tue children OF Israel
cried unto the Lord. the Lord raised them
up II delivcrer, Ehud the son OF 'Gera n
BenjGmite. man left handed; and by him
the children OF Israel sent a present unto
Egion, the kinS OF Moab.'-Judgss ill.,, 15
Ehud was Il ruler in Israel. He was loft
handed. and what was peculiar about the
tribe OF Benjamin, to which he belonged,
thcre,were In 1t roo left handed mon, and yet
80 deNterous had they all become in the use
OF the lett hand that the Bible saysk;they
could sling stones at Il hnirbreadth aud not
miss. We'll. there was 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 commission to destroy that
oppressor. He came pretending that he
was going to pay the tax and asked to see
ERlon. He was told that he was in the sum-
mer house, tho 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 spring
Ing fountains and warbling birds. Ehud
entered the summer house and said to
Eglon that he had IL secret errand with him.
Immediately all the attendants were waived
out OF tho 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 shaft went
In after the blade. Eglon falls. Ehud
comes forth to blow trumpet OF liberty
amid the mountains OF Ephraim, and u
host is marshuled, ana proud Moab sub
mits to the conqucrer and Israel is free.
So, U Lord, let all Thino enemies perishl
So, o Lord let all Thy friends Triumph
learn first from this subject the power
handed ThNrP
who by physical organization 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 f-observant careful OF itself. not
given to much toll, burning Incense to its
own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, while many a man
with no natural endowmentS, actually de-
fective in physical aud mental organiza-
ton, has an carnestness for the right, pn-
ticpt industry, all consuming perscver-
ance, 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 gather about
them all their treasures, snutfng at the
world lying in wickedness, roughly order
ing Lazarus of their doorstep, sending
their logs, not to lick his sores, but to
hound him of their premises; catching oil
the pure rain OF Gods blessing into the
staGnant. ropy, frog inhabited pool OF
their own selilshness-right handed men
worse than useless-while many II man
with large heart and little purse has out
Of his limited means made poverty leap for
Joy and started an influence that oyerspnnS
the grave and will swing round and round
the throne OF God world without end.
An me, 1t Is high ttmo that you left
handed mon, who have been longing for
plpunGnpp
man = wealth. should take your hands ont
Of your rockets. Who made all these rail-
roads? Who set up all these elites? Who
started all these churches and schools and
asylums! Who has done tho tuggihg and
running and pulling? Men of no wonder
iul cudowmonts, thousands OF them ac-
know!ciging themselves To be left handed,
and yet they were earnest, and yet they
were triumphant.
But do not suppose that Ehud, the first
time he took II sling in his left hand could
throw a stone ut II hair-broad.h and not
miss. suppose 1t WAS practic" that gave
him the wonderful dexterity. Go forth to
your spheres of duty and be not discour-
aged IT, IN your first attempts you miss the
mark Ehud missed it. Tako another
stone. pat it carefully into the sling, swing
ii around your head, take better aim and
tho naxi time you will strike the centre.
The ilist time mason rings his trowei
upoE tho brick lie does not expect to put
in perfect wall. The first time carpen-
ter sends the plane over n board or drives
a bit through II beam he does not expect
TO make perfect execution. The first
time 10Y attempts rhyme he does
a Lady OF the. LAKE," Do not be
surprised If I'm your first efforts at doing
good you are not very largely successful
Understand that usefulness is an art, II sci
ence, n trade. There was an ocuiist per-
forming very dinicult operation Oh the
h,p 4
said: "lIow easily you do that; it don't
seem to cause you any trouble at ALL
"Ah," said the old oculist. ''it is worry easy
now, but spoiled hatful ofeycs to learn
that" Bo not surprised IL 1t takes some
practice brfore we can help men to moral
eyeslght and bring them to vision Of the
cross Left handed men, to the work!
Take the gospel for sling and faith and
repentance for tho smooth stono from the
brook, take sure aim, God direct the weap-
on and great Goiiaths will tumble before
you.
When Garibaldi was going out to battle
he told his troops what he wanted them to
do, and after he had described what he
wanted them to do they said. "Well, gen.
eral, what are you going to give us for all
this?" Well he replied, 81 don't know
what else you will get but you will get
hunger, and cold, aud wounds aud death.
How do you like it?" His men stood be.
fore him for n little while in silence and
then they threw up their hands and cried,
"We are the men! We are the men, The
Lord Jesus Christ calls you to His service
do rot promise YOU an ensy time in this
world. You may have prosecutions, and
afterwards there comes an eternal weight
OF glory and you can bear tho wounds,
and the bruises, and tho misrepresenta
tlons, II you have the reward afterward.
Have YOU not enough enthusiasm to cry
out, eve nrc the men. We are the men!"
We laugh ut the children OF Shinar for
trying to build n tower that could reach to
the heavens. but think IL our eyesight
were only good enough We could see n
Babel In many "a dooryard. oh, the strug-
gle is fierce! 1t IL store against store,