Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-01-28
ISRAEL'S DELIVERER
DR.. TALmAGS DRAWS LESSONS FROM
A SUMNER HOUSE TRAGEDY.


Ehud's Divine Commission to De-
stroy an Oppressor-Dcnnncin
Of WorShipcrs of Mammon. who
scon mt the Sins OF the world.
copyright. 1899. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22.-From scene in
ancient story DIR. Talmage in this dis
course draws lessons rs appropriate f,r
this time as they were appropriate for the
time when the event occurred many cen
turtles ago; text. Judges iii. Is. But
when the children of Israel cried unto the
Lord. the Lord raised them up deliyerer
Ehud the son Of Cora, Bcnjamite. man
left handed, and hy 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 WIS peculiar about the
tribe Of Benjamin, e. which he belonged,
there were in IL zoo left handed men, and
yet 50 dcxtcrous had they all become in
the use Of the left hand that the Bible says
they could sling stones at hairhreadtlE
and not miss Well, there was "A king by
AhI itAilit VI t-~itls WIZ Wis aI 0piTtrHuf.
Of Israel He imposed upon them n most
Outrageous tax. Ehud, the man of whom
/ first spoke had a divine commission to
destroy that opprssor. He came pretend.
ing that he was going 10 pay the tax and
asked 10 see King Eglon. He was told he
was in the summer house, the place to
which the king retired when il was toe
hot to sit i'm the palace This summer
house was place surrounded 10y flowers
and trees and springing fountains and
wnrbling birds. Ehud entered the SUM
mer house and said 10 King Eglon that he
had n secret crraud with him. Immcdi-
ately all the attendants were waved out o.
the royal presence. King Eglon rises up
90 receive the messenger. Ehud. the left
handed man, puts his left hand 10 his
right side. pulls ont dagger and thruSts
Eglon through until the haft went i'm afte-
the blade. EglOn falls Ehud comes forth
to blow trumpet of liberty amid the
mountains Of Ephrsiin, and great host
is marshalcd, and proud Moab submits 10
the conqucror. and Israel Is free. So, o
Lord, let all thine enemies perish, 50, o
Lord. let all thy friends triumph
learn first ffum this subject the power
of left handed men. There are some mea
who by physical organization have N
much strength in their left hand rs Ia
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 10 use his lefp
Oh, the power OF left handed men, Genius
Is often self oisscryant, careful ~ itself.
not given Co much toll burning incense
To its own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. while many "a
man. with no natural cndowments, actti-
ally defective In physical ana mental or
ganization. has an carncFtness for the
right, patient industry. All all consuming
perseverance. which achieve marycls for
the kingdom OF Christ Though lett hand
ed, as Ehud, they can strike down sin as
great and imperial as Eglon.
FoRGy Pool of srIRshncsS.
have seen men of wealth gathering
about them all their treasures. snufiing mt
the cause Of world lying i'm wickc,lncss.
roughly ordering Lazarus off their doir
step, sending their dogs, not to lick lis
sores but To hound him of their premis.s: :
catching all the pure rain Of Gods bless
ing into the stagnant, ropy, frog inhabited
pool Of their own sciishncss-right handnd
men, worse than uselcss-while many n
man with large heart and little purse has
out IL his limited means made poverty
leap for JOY and started an influence a.
oycrspans the grave and win swing round
and round the throne of God world with
out end. Amen.
All, mol It is high time that yon left
handed men, who have been longing Cor
this gift ana that cloqucncc and the other
mans wealth. should take your lett hand
ont Of your pockets. who made all these
railroadss Who set up all these citiesg
Who started al these churches and schools
and asylumsg Who has done the tugglng
and running and pulling Men Of no
wonderful crdowmcnts thousands 81 them
acknowledging themselves to H. left hand-
ed, and yet they were earnest, aud yet
they were determined, ard yet they were
triumphant
But ! do not suppose that Ehud. the
first time he took "A sling In his left hand
could throw "A stone nc "A hairlradth and
bot miss ! suppose II was practice that
gave him the wonderful dextcrity. tio
forth Ia your spheres If duty and be- not
discouraged II, In your first attempts, -ou
miss the mark. Ehud missed II. Take AN.
other stone, put 1t carefully into the sling.
swing IL around your head. take better
aim. and the next time you win strike the
center The first time a mason rings his
ir1wcl upon the brick he does not expect
Ia put up perfect wall. The first time IA
carpenter sends the plane over a board or
drives "A bit through a l,cam he does not
expect To- make perfect execution. The Llrst
time boy attempts "A rhyme he does not
expect TO chime "a "Ialla Ro0kh. " ar
LADY Of the Lake" DO not bc surprised
II In your first efforts M doing good you
arc not very largely successful Unlcr-
stand that usefulness Is an art. a science,
a trade. There was nm oculist performiing
a very difficult operation oil the human
eye. A young doctor stood by and snid,
How easily you do that; II don't seem to
cause You any trouble at all. " All,
said the old oculist, lit is very easy now,
but I spoiled hatful Of eyes TO learn
that. !" BE not surprised If IL takes some
practice before we car help men 10 moral
eyesight and bring them 10 vision Of
tho cross. Left handed men, Ia the work
Take the gospel for a sling and faith and
repentance for the smooth 81 pnc from the
brook, take sdrc aim, God direct the wcap-
on, and great Golinths will tumble before
You.
When Garib1ldi was going out 10 battle
he told his troops what he wanted them "a
do. and after he had described what he
wanted them 20 do they said, well. gen
eral, what nrc you going to give us for all
thisf" well, . no replied Il don { know
what else You will get, but You will get
hunger, and cold, and wounds. and death
How do You like III" Ills men stood he
fore him for u little while In silence and
then they throw up their hards and cried,
I'VE arr the menl W. G;e the men, The
Isors. Jesus Christ calls you 90 his service
do not ru.4isc you an easy time ir this
world iou nay iny' prosecutions and
tri-is, and misrs usca!atiors but after
ward tli.'re comes an eternal weight Of
glory AMI you cin bear fhe wounds and
the bruises. ard ere fiisrcpr. scntatiOns, II
yOn have THE geFstfl al,oIwarl. Have you
not cnoug 'ia,n siasu - cry out, I'VE
are the men, ~ urc tho men,
learn also from this subject the danger
of worldly elevation. This Eglon was
what the world cail1d a great man. There