The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-05-30
THE VICTOR'S SHOUT,
DR.. TALMAGE ON THE JOY OF OVER
COMING DIFFICULTIES.

est uS 10 OO.
There is a profound satisfaction In
the completion Of anything we have
undertaken. We lift the capstone with
exultation, while, on the other hand,
there is nothing more disappointing
than, after having toiled in a certain
direction, to find that our time is vast
ed and our investment proftless. Christ
came to throw up a highway on which
the whole world might, if it chose,
mount into heaven. He did 1t. The
foul mouthed crew who attempted to
tread on him could not eXtinguish the
sublime satisfaction which he express
ed when he said. II have finished the
work which thou gavest me to do"
Alexander the Great was wounded,
and the doctors could not medicate his
wounds, and he seemed to be dying,
and in his dream the sick man saw
plant with a peculiar flower, and he
dreamed that that plant was put upon
his wound and that Immediately 1t was
cured. And Alexander, waking from
his dream, told this to the physician.
and the physician wandered out until
he found Just the kind Of plant which
the sick man had described, brought it
to him, and the wound was healed.
Well, the human race had been hurt
with the ghastliest of all wounds-that
of sin. It was the business Of Christ
to bring q balm for that wound-the
balm of divine restoration. In carry
ing this business to successful issue
the difficulties were stupendous.
In many Of our plans We have our
friends to help us; some to draw
sketch Of the plan, others to help us
in the execution. But Christ fought
every inch Of his way against bitter
hostility and amid circumstances all
calculated to depress and defeat.
In the first place, his worldly occupa-
ton was against him. find that he
earned his livelihood by the carpen-
ter's trade, an occupation always to be
highly regarded and respected. But
you know as we'll as do that in order
to succeed in any employment one
must give his entire time to It, and l
have to declare that the fatigUes Of
carpentry were unfavorable to the ex-
ecution Of a mission which required
all mental and physical faculties.
Through high, hard. dry, husky, insen-
safe Judaism to hew way for new
and glorious dispensation was a stu
pendous undertaking that was enough
to demand all the concentrated ener-
gies even Of Christ. We have 4 great
many romantic stories about what men
with physical toll have accomplished
in intellectual departments, but you
know that after a man has been toiling
all day with adj and saw and ham,
mer, plane and OK. about all he can do
is to rest A weary body is an unfa-
vorable adjunct to toiling mind. You,
whose life is purely mechanical, if you
were called to the upbuilding Of a
kingdom, or the proclamation of new
code Of morals, or the starting Of a
revolution which should upturn all ma
tons, could get some idea Of the incc-
herence Of Christ's occupation with his
heavenly mission.
Chrfst's Humble Apparel.
In his fathers shop no more inter-
course was necessary than is ordina-
rily necessary in bargaining with men
that have work to do, yet Christ, with
hands hard from use of tools Of trade,
was called forth to become public
speaker, to preach in the face Of mobs,
while some wept. and some shook their
fists. and some gnashed upon him with
their teeth, and many wanted him out
Of the way. To address orderly and
respectful assemblages is not so easy
as it may seem, but it requires more
energy and more force and more con-
cenraticn to address an exasperated
mob. The villagers Of Nazareth heard
the pounding Of his hammer, but all
the wide reaches CT eternity were to
hear the stroke Of his spiritual up
building.
So also his habits Of dress and diet
were against him. The mighty men Of
Christ's time did not appear in apparel
without trinkets and adornments. None
Of the Caesars would have appeared in
citizens apparel. Yet here was a man,
here was professed king. who always
wore the same coat. Indeed it was far
from shabby. for after he had worn it
long while the gamblers thought 1t
worth rafIling about. but still it was
| far from being an imperial robe. 1t
| was a coat that any ordinary man
| might have worn on an ordinary occa-
| sion.
Neither was there any pretension in
his diet. No cupbearer with golden
chalice brought him wine to drink. On
the seashcre he ate fish, first having
broiled it himself. No one fetched him
water to drink; but, bending over the
we'll in Samaria, be begged a drink.
He sat at only one banquet. and that
not at all sumptuous. for to relieve the
! ewkwardness Of the host one Of the
| guests had to prepare wine for the
company.
| Other kings ride in a chariot; he
walked. Other kings, as they advance
have heralds ahead and applaudin9
subjects behind: Christ's retnue was
made up of sunburned fishermen. 9th
er kings sleep under embroidered can
| opy; this one on shelterless hill. rid
ing but once, as far as | now remem
Der, on q colt. and t!.at borrowed.
His poverty was against hirI. 1t re
qutres money to build great enter
prises. Men Of means are afraid of
penniless protector lest loan be de
manded. 1t requires money to prin'
books, to build institutions, to pay In
structors. No wonder the wise men O.
CNhriSf's tinna lannhnd OF tlis nnnr ilnSl