The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-02-08
DIR. TALMAGFS SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BYTHE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject: "The Power OF Perseverance''-
The Successful Are Not the Most Bril-
liant, But Those Who Everlastingly
Stick to Ono Line Of Endeavor.


Stick to Ono Line of Endeavor.
TEXT: "But when the children OF Israe
cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised then
up deliyerer, Ehud the son OF Gera, {
Benjamlte. q man left handed; and by hin
the children OF Israel sent present unto
Eglon, the-king Of Moab. Judges ILL.,, 15
Ehud was ruler in Israel. He was lef
handed, and what was peculiar about the
tribe Of Benjamin, to which he belonged
therewere in 1t 700 left handed men, ind yet
80 dexterous had they all become In the use
OF the lett hand that the Bible says they
could sling stones at hairbreadth and not
miss. Well, there was king by the name
OF Eglon, who was an oppressor OF Israel
He imposed upon them most outrageous
-,Ehud, the man of whom first spoke
had a divine c0mmNssstioe2p- to destroy that
oppressor. he came preterfas'@s s4a. ses as
was going to pay the tax and asked t6See
Eglon. He was told that he was in the SUM:
mer house, the place to which the king re.
tired when 1t was too hot to lit In the
palace, This summer house was a; place
surrounded by flowers and trees and spring
ing fountains and wafbling birds. Ehud
entered the summer house and said to
Eglon that he had secret errand with him.
Immediately all theattendants were waived
cut 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 a dagger and
thrusts Eelon 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 marshaled, and proud Moab sub
mits to the conquerer and Israel Is free.
So, o Lord, let all Thine enemies perishl
So, Lord, let all Thy friends triumph!
learn first from this subject the power
Of left handed men. There are some men
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
Rhud had some defect In bis right hand
which compelled him to use his lett. Oh,
thespower OF left handed menl Genius is
often self -obseryant, careful OF itself. not
given to much toll, burning incense to Its
own ACKNOWLEDGMENT, while many man
with no natural endowments, actually de-
fective In physical and mental organlza-
tion, has an earnestness for the right, pa
tlent industry, all consuming persever-
dom OF Christ. Though left handed as
Ehud. they can strike down sin as great
and imperial as Eglon.
Ihaye seen men Of wealth gather about
them all their treasures, snumng AT the
world lying in wickedness, roughly order
ing Lazarus of their doorstep, sending
their dogs, not to lick his sores, but to
hound him of their premises; catching all
the pure rain OF Gods blessing into the
stagnant, ropy, frog inhabited pool OF
their own selashness-right handed men
with large heart and little purse has out
OF his limited means made poverty leap Tor
ioy and started an influence that overspans
the grave and will swing round and round
the throne Of" God world without end.
Alb, me! 1t Is high time that you LETT
handed men, who have been longing Tor
this Gift and that eloquence and the other
mans wealth, should take your hands out
OF your pockets. Who made oil these rail-
roads? Who set up all these cities? Who
started all these churches and schools and
asylumss Who has done the tuggi1g and
running and pulling? Men OF no wonder
ful endowments, thousands OF them ac-
snowledging themselves to be lett handed,
and yet they were earnest, and yet they
were triumphant.
But I do not suppose that Ehud, the first
time he took a sling In hts loft hand could
throw q stone ut q hair-breadth and not
miss. suppose 1t WAS practice that gave
him the wonderful dexterlty. Go forth to
your spheres Of duty and be not discour-
aged II, in your first attempts you miss the
stone, put It carefully into the sling, swing
II around your head, take better aim and
the next time you will strike the centre.
The first time mason rings his trowel
upon the brick he does not expect to put
In q perfect wall. The first time carpen-
ter sends the plane over board or drives
a bit through beam he does not expect
to make perfect execution. The hrst
time boy attempts rhyme ne does
not expect to chime "Lalla Rookh, or
"Lady of the LAKE," Do not DO
good you are not very largely successful.
Understand that usefulness Is an art, SCI
ence, q trade. There was an Qcultst per-
forming very difieult operation on the
human eye. A young doctor stood by and
said: chow easily you do that; 1t don't
seem to cause you any trouble at an
nAh." said the old ocu!ist, "lt isvery easy
now, but spoiled hatful OF eyes to learn
that" Be not surprised II 1t takes some
practice before we can help men to moral
eyesight and bring them to vision OF the
GROSS. Left handed men, to the worS!
Take the gospel for sling and faith and
repentance for the smooth stone from the
brook. take sure aim, God direct the weap-
on, and great Goliaths will tumble before
you.
When Garibaldi was going out to battle
he told bis 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," be replied, "I don't know
what else you will get, but you Will get
hunger, and cold, and wounds and death.
How do you like it2" His men stood be-.
fore him for little while in silence and
then they threw up their hands and cried,
1--WE are the men! We are the menP inc
Lord Jesus Christ calls you to His service.
do not promise you an easy time in this
world. You may have prosecutions, and
afterwards there comes an eternal weight
of glory, and you can bear the wounds,
and the bruises, and the misrepresenta.
tions, II you have the reward aGterward.
Have YOU rot enough enthusiasm to cry
out, "We arc the menl We are the menl"
We laugh at the children OF Shinar for
trying to build tower that could reach to
the heavens, but think II our eyesight
were only good enough We could see
Babel In many dooryard. Oh, the strug-
gle Is fierce! 1t Is store against store,
house against house, street against street,
nation against nation. The goal fof which
men are running is chairs and chandeliers
and mirrors and houses and lands and
presidential equipments. II they get what
they anticipate. what have they? Men are
not safe from calumny while they live. and,
worse than that, they are not safe after
they are dead, ;or have seen swine root
up graveyards. One day man goes, up
into publicity, and the world does him
honor, and people climb into sycamore
trees to watch him as he passes, and as he
goes along on the shoulders OF the people
there is a waving OF hats and n wild huzza.
Tomorrow the same man is caught be-
tween the jaws OF tho printing press and
mangled and bruised, and the very same
persons who applauded him before cry.
Down with the traltorl down with him!"
Belshazzar sits Mt the feast, the mighty