Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-05-30
DIR. TALMAGE.
FRUITFUL SOURCES OF oRINIF.
The Poisoned Banquets Constantly
Spread Before Men.

TEXT: $50 they poured out for the men
10 eat. And q came TO pass, as they tCeTe
eating of the potioOe, that they cried out,
death 10 the pot. And they could not eat
ptereot"-II Kings iv.. 90.
Elisha had gone down to lecture 10 the stu
dents in the theological seminary at Gigal.
BE found the students very hungry, as stu
dents are apt to be. 1t is very seldom tho
world makes large provisions for those who
give themselves to intellectual toll. In order
that these students may be prepared TO hear
what Elisha says, he first feeds their hunger.
De knew very well it is useless to talk to
preach, to lecture with hungry men.
So Elisha, recognizing this common sense
principle which every Christian ought to re-
cognize, sends servants out to get food for
these hungry students. They pick up some
good, healthful herbs but they happen to
pick up also some coloquintida, bitter poi
bonous deathful herb. They bring all'these
herbs they put them into the boiling pot,
they stir them up, and then portion
Of this food is brought to the stu
dents and their professors. Seated at
the table, neof the hungry students begins
Immediately to cat, and he happens to get
hold Of some Of the coloquintida. He knew
1t by the taste. Ho cries out: "Poison,
poisonl o thou man of God, there is death in
the pot ~ CONSERVATION is thrown over tho
whole group. What a fortunate thing twas
that this student so carly found the colo
quintida in the mixture at the table You
will by reference find this story spreciscly as
l have mentioned it.
We'll, in our day there are great caldrons
Of sin and death. Coloquintida Of mighty
temptation is pressed into it. Some dip it
out, and TASTE and reject it and live Others
dip it out, taste it, keep on and die. And it
is the business of every minister Of religion,
and every man who wishes well to the
human race, and who wants to keep the
world back from its follies and its slfferings,
to cry out: Beware! poison, poisoni Look
out for this caldron! Stand baclll Bewarer
Sin has done an awful work in our world.
1T has gone out through all the ages, it has
mixed up great caldron Of trouble and
suffering and pain, and the whole race is
poiSoned-poisoned in body, poisoned in
,nind, poisoned In soul. But blessed be God
that the Gospel Of Jesus Christ is the
.antidote, and where there was sin there shall
be pardon, and where there was suffering
there shall be comfort, and where there was
death there shall be life.
Soma time ago, you will remember, per-
suaded you Of the Importance Of being chari-
fable in judgment Of others. AT the same
time sold to you briefly what this morning
wish to say with great emphasis, that while
We syInpathize with the sinner we must de-
nounce tho sin, that while we pity the unfor-
tunate we must be vehement against trans
gresSion. Sin is a jagged thing that needs to
be roughly handled. Ycu have no right to
garland it with fine phrases or lustrous
rhetoric. You cannot catch buffalo with
silken lasso.
A group Of emigrants settle in wild region.
The next day wild beast comes down from
the mountain and carries of ono of the chill
fTen. The next day a wild beast comes down
from the mountain and carries off another
child. Forthwith all the neighbors band to-
gether, and they so out with torch in one
hand and glln in the other to hunt these mon
sters down, to find their hiding place, to
Light up and ransack the caverns, and
TO destroy tho invaders Of their houses.
So we want now not merely to talk about the
sins and follies of the world, we want to 60
behind them, back Of them. Down into the
-caverns where they hide we need to go with
the torch Of Gods Word in one hand and the
sword Of Gods eternal Spirit in the other to
hunt out and slay these iniquities in their
hiding places. Or, to come back to the fig
IRE suggested by my text, we want to find
what are the caldrons Of sin and death from
which the iniquities Of society are dipped
out
!. In the first place, remark: that I'm
happy and undisciplined homes ore tho
caldrons of great iniquity.
Parents harsh and cruel on the ono hand,
or on the other hand loose in their govern
ment, wckedly loose in their government
are raising up generation OF vipers. 4
home where scolding and fretfulness are
dominant is blood relation to the gallows and
the penitentiaryl Petulance is serpent
that crawls up into the family nursery
sometimes End crushes everything. Why,
there are parents who even mako religion
disgusting to their children. They scold
them for not loving Christ. They have an
exasperating way Of doing their duty. The
house is full Of the war whoop Of contention,
and from such place husband and sons go
out to die.
Oh, is thore Hagar leading away Tshmael
into the desert to DO smitten of the thirst and
parched OF the sand? In the solemn birth hour
voice fell to thee from the throne of God,
saying: "rake this child and nurse it for me,
and | will give tEee thy wagesn At even
time, when the angels Of God hover over that
home, do they hear the children lisping the
name of Jesus? 0 traveller for eternity, your
little ones gathered under your robes, are you
leading them on tho right road, or are YOU
taking them out on the dangerous wind
ing bride path, off which their in-
experienced feet may slip, and up which
comes the bowling of the wolf and the
sound of loosened ledge and tumbling
avalanche? Blessed is the family altar at
which the children kneel. Blessed is the
cradle i'll which the Christian mother ro.cl1
the Christian child Blessed is tha song thl
little ones sing at nightfall when Sleep d
closing the eyes and loosening the hand from
tho toyon the pillow. Blessed is that mother
whose every heart-throb is q prayer for hel
children's welfare.
The world grows old, and the stars viii
cease to illuminate it, and the waters to re-
fresh 1t, land the mountains to guard it, and this
heavens TO overspan it, and its long story Of
sin and shame and glory and triumph will
.tocn turn to ashes; but influences that started
b the early home roll on and roll up through
eN eternity-hlooming in all tho joy, waving iu
al the triumph, exulting in all the song, or
shrinking back into all the darkness. Faith
er, mother, which way are you leading your
children? ,,
careful to get oil his furniture out. he go:
all his books out, and ho got all hif
pictures out, and. he got all his valuable
papers out, but he forgot to ask, until it was
tAO late: "Are my children safe?' Oh,
whom the earth shall melt with fervent heat,
and the mountains shall blaze, and the seas
shall blaze, and tho earth shall blaze, will
your children DO safe? VIII your children
be safer Unhappy and undisciplined homes
stTe Jlo source OIL lnucl Oh Une WTcGCneuncSS
and sin Of the world.
l know there are exceptions to it sometimes
From bright and beautiful Christian home
a husband or son will go out to die Oh,
how long you had that boy in your prayers
He does not know how many sleepless nighta
you have spent over him. He does not un.
'derstand how many tears you have shed fol
his waywardness. Oh. tits hard, after vou
have toiled for child, and given him every
advantage and every kindness, to have hin
pay you back in ingratitudel Al
hl,ntl, fot