The Burke County news. [volume] (Morganton, N.C.) 1899-1901, 1899-02-10
family F|RES|DE Sermon.
PREPARED ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNG
AND OLD.
Subject: The Power or Perseverance"-
The Successful Are Not the Most Bril-
liant, But Those Who stingly
Stick to One Line OF Endeavor.

mp q deliverer. Ehud the son OF Gera, a
Gnnjamite. Il man left handed: and by him
tho children o. Israel sent a present unto
Cglan, the king Of M~oab.'-JudGes ill.,, ID.
Ehud was q ruler in Israel. lie was left
handed, and what was peculiar about the
tribe OF Benjamin., to which he belonged,
re in X 100 left LANDED men. and vet
40 deXterous had they all become in the use
OF the lett band that the Bible says they
could slim stones at a hairbreadth and not
miss. Well. there was q king by the name
of EglOn, who was an Oppfe-sOr OF Israel.
Tie imposed uron them \ most outrageous
tax. Ehud. the man OF whom l first spoke.
had q divine commission 10 destroy that
Dppressor. He came pretending that he
was going to pay the tax aud asked to see
Eglon. He was told that he was IN the sum-
mel house, the place to which tho king re-
tired when 1t was TOO hot to sit In the
palace. This summer house was a. place
surrounded by flowers and trees and spring
ing fountains and warblinS birds. Ehud
entered the uIniner house and said to
EgIon that he bad a secGet errand witt him.
Immediately all the attendants were waived
ont OF the royal presence. King EgiOn
rises up to receive the messenger. Elud,
the left hauded man. puts his left hand 70
his right side. pulls out n dagger and
thrusts EglOn through untilthe shaft went
In after the tiade. Eglon falls. Ehud
comes forth to blow a trumpet of liberty
amid the rnounta!ns Of Ephraim, and II
host is marshaled, ana proud Moab sub
mits 10 the connuerer and Israel is free.
30, o Lord, let Al Thine enemies perish!
50, OLord. let all Thy friends triumph!
l learn first from this subject the power
OF left handed rnen. There ara 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
Ehud had some defect in his right hand
which compelled him 20 use bis 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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, while many a man
with no natural endOwments, actually de-
Iective in physical and mental organlZa-
tion, has an earnestness for the right. pa
uent industry. all consuming persever-
ance, which achieve murvels for the king
dom OF Christ. Though left handed az
Ehud. they can strike down u sin as great
and imperial as EglOn.
have seen men of wealth 'gather about
them all their treasures. snufling lat the
world lying in wickedness, roughly order
lA& Lazarus of their doorstep, sending
their dogs, not TO lick his sores. but TO
hound him OF their premises; catching AL
1he pure rain Of Gods blessing into the
staGnant. 1opy, frog inhabited pool OF
their own seihshnes- right handed men
worse imam CSclcSS"N UIlt many u unA
with large heart and little purse has out
of his limited means made poverty leap for
1oy md started on influence that Overspans
the grave and will swing round and round
the throne OF God world without end.
Alb, me! Il is high time that you Left
handed men. who have been longing for
this gift ana that elOquence and the other
mans wealth. should take your hands on.
CT Your pockets. Who made ali these rail
roads? Who set up ali these cities? Who
started nj these churches and schools and
nsviums2 Who has done the tugging and
running and pulling: Men OF no wonder
full endownen;s, Thousands OF them ac-
knowledgiuE themselves u be left handed,
and Yet they were earnest. and yet they
were triumphant.
Dut do not suppos that Ehud, the first
time he took a sling in his left hand could
throw a stoue r. u hair-breadth and not
miss. | suppose 1t WIS practice that gave
him the wonderful dexterity. 60 forth 10
your spheres 81 duty and BE- not discour-
nced II. in Your first attempts YOU miss the
mark. Fhud missed il. Take another
stone. put it carefully into the sling, swing
It around YOUR head. take better aim and
the next time YOU viii strike the centre.
The first time a mason rings his ttowel
npon the brick he does not eXpec. 10 pu.
In u perfect wall. The first time a carpen-
ter sends the plane over \ board or drives
n bit through q beam be does not expect
TO make perfect execution. The first
time n boy attempts n rhyme he does
not expect ~ chime "Lalla Hookh,' OF
. "Lady Of the Lake" Do not be
surprised TIA vour first efforts at doing
good you are not very largely successful.
Understand that usefulness is an Ryt. a sci.
ence. \ trade. There was al oculist per,
forming a very difficult operation on the
human eve. Young doctor stood by ant
said. How easily You do tha.: X don
es,m - cause You any trouble n all.
All, said the old o>ulist, lit is ve.y cas-,
now. tut J spoiled a hattul o. eyes TO learr
that" Il" not surprised il Il takes ONE
practice before We can help men 20 mora
~yesighi and bring them to a vision 9th.
cross -. handed man ~ tha rnrl