Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1899-01-26
LESSONS FROM EHUD.
Dr.. Talmage on the Subject of Is
rael's Deliverer.
his Divine tommissis % '.-s
nm OpPress,r-Denu
Worshipers of Va

falma" = discouse draws los
tc for this time us
| ..,riatc Tor the time
."c event occurred many cen
turics ago; text. Judges, 3:l5, hut
Nhcn the children of lsIael cried unto
| the Lord. the Lord raised them up II de
| livcrer. Ehud, the son Of Cora. a Ben
| jamite. Il man left handed; and 10y him
the children of Israel sent a present un-
to Eglon, the King of Moab"
Ehud WAS a ruler in racl. lie was
| left handed. and what was peculiar
about the tribe of Zen jumin, tn v Inch
he belonged, there were in il 200 left
handed men, and yet 81 deNtrous had
they all became in the use OF the left
hand that the Bible says they could
sling stones at a hairbrcadth and not
mss We'll, there was IA king by tie
name of Eslon. who was an oppressor
of Israel. lie imposed upon them II
most outrageous tax. Ehud. the man
Of whom first spoke. had a Divine com
mission to destroy that oppressor. lie
came pretending that he was going to
Ion. lie was told he was in the summer
house, the place to which the king re-
tired when II 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 n
/ ...l. a
all the attendants We're waved out of
the royal presence. King ESlon 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 halt
went in after the blade. Egion falls
and Ehud comes forth to blow a trum-
pet of liberty amid the mountains of
Ephraim. and a great hos; is marshaled,
and proud Moab submits TO the con-
queror, and Israel is free. So, D Lord.
let all Thine enemies perish. So, o
Lord. let all Thy friends triumph.
| | 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 Ia use his left. Oh, he
power of left-handed men! Genius is
often self-obseryant. careful of itself,
not given to much toll. burning incense
to its own aggrandizemrnt. while many
a man. with no natural endowments,
actually defective in physical and men,
tai organization. has an earnestness for
the right, patient industry, an all-con-
suming perseverance, which achieve
marvels for the kingdom OF Christ.
Though left-handed, rs Ehud, they can
strike down sin as great and imperial
as Eglon.
| | have seen men of wealth gathering
about them all their treasures, snufling
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 of
their premises; catching all the pure
rain of Gods blessing into the stag
mint, ropy. frog-inhabited pool of their
own seltishness right-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 oyerspans the grave and will swing
round and round the throne of God
world without end Amen.
All. me! 1t is high time hat you lef;.
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 en-
lowments. thousands of then acknowl-
edging themselves to be left-handed
and yet they were earnest, and We!
they were determined, and yet they
were triumphant.
But | do not suppose that Ehud, the
first time he took a sling in his left
/
breadth and not miss. suppose ii was
practice that gave him the wonderful
dexterity. Go forth to your spheres OF
duty and he not discouraged if, in your
first attempts, you miss the mark
Ehud missed it. Take another stone
put il carefully into the sling, swing
il around your head, take better aim
will ril ya hs
center. The first time a 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 a board or drives a bit through
beam he does not expect to make per
feet execution. The first time a boy
attempts a rhyme he does not expect tC
chime a "Lalla Rookh" or a Lady o.
the Lake" DO not be surprised if in
your first efforts at doing good you ar,
not very largely successful. Under
stand that usefulness is an art, {
science, a trade. There was an oculis
performing a very difficult operation OF
the human eye. A young doctor stoot
by and said: "Iow easily you do that
|
at ALL" "Ah," said the old oculist, ii
is very easy now, but spoiled hatfu
of eyes to learn that" BE not surprised
if it takes some practice before we cal
help men to moral eyesight and bring
them 10 vision Of the cross. Left
handed men, to the work! Take tn,
Gospel for sling and faith and repent
ance for the smooth stone from tn,
brook, take sure aim, God direct tn,
weapon, and great Goliaths will tumbl,
before you.
When Garibaldi was going out TO bat
tie he told his troops what be wanted
them to do, and after he had described
what he wanted them to do they said
"Well, general, what are you going Il
give us-for all this?" "Well," he replied
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