West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-05-23
DIR. TALMAGE,
FRUITFUL SOURCES OF cn,,r
The Poi oncd Earqrrts CONSTANT
Sp,Cad Iiciorc Men.


hereoC"-II Kings iv., 40.
Elisha had gone down to lecture TO the stu
dents IN tho theological seminary at Gilgal.
ne found the students very hungry as stu
dents are apt TO be. IL is very seldom the
world makes large provisions for those who
give themselves TO intellectual toll. In order
tnat these students may be prepared TO hear
WHAT Elisha says, he first feeds their hunger.
ne knew very well 10 is useless 10 talk to
preach, TO lecture with hungry men.
80 elisha, recognizing this common sense
principle which every Christian ought TO re.
cognizc, sends servants out 10 get food for
theee hungry students. They pick up some
good, healthful herbs, but thoy haDpen TO
picS up also some coloquintida, bitter poi.
sonous, deathful herb. They bring all these
uSeIps' tney put them into tho boiling pot,
ney Sur them up, and then n portion
OF this food is brought TO tho stu
uents and their professors. Seated at
the table, ono Of tho hungry students begins
Immediately 10 eat, and he happens to get
hold OF some of the coloquntida. He knew
1t by tho taste. Ho cries out: uPoison
poisonl o thou man of God, there is death i'm
the pot !" Consideration is thrown over tho
whole group. What fortunate thing IL was
thnt TINS student so carly found tho colo
quntida in tho mixture at the table You
VIII by reference find this story is precisely as
have mentioned it.
wen, In our day there are great caldrons
OF SIN and death. Coloquintida of mighty
temptation is pressed into it. Some din K
9nt, ana taste and reject it and live. Others
up 10 OUT taste ~, keep on aud dio. And II
Is the business of every minister of relipion.
ma every man who wishes well TO tho
human race, and who wants 20 keen the
world back from its follies and its sufrerings
20 cry OUT: "Beworel poison, poison Look
out Tor this caldronl Stand back Bewarew
Sin has done an awful work in our world.
III mas gone out through all the ages it has
nl&e9 up great caldron of trouble and
suffering and pain, and tho whole race is
y ,;.s3 in body, poisoned in
AND, poisoned in soul. But blessed be God
mat tho Gospel of Jesus Christ is the
nnudote, 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
Some time ago, you will remember 7 nor
suaded you of the Importance Of being chart
teplo IN Judgment of others. At the Same
umo said to you briefly what this morning
wish to shy with great emphasis, that waiie
VIC sympathlze with the sinner we must de-
nounce the sin, that while we pity the unfor-
tunate we must be vehement against trans
greSSlon Sin is Jagged thing that needs to
be roughly handled. You have no right TO
garland 1t with fine phrases or lustrous
rhetoric You cannot catch buffalo with q
Ilken lasso.
"A group of emigrants settle in wild region
ahe next day wild beast comes down from
the mountain and carries Off one of the chill
uren. The next day a wild beast comes down
from the mountain and carries off another
enid. Forthwith all the neighbors band to.
gether, and they go out with torch i'm one
nand and gun in the other TO hunt these mon
sters down, TO find their hiding place. to
nght up and ransack the caverns and
20 destroy tho invaders Of their houses
80 we want now not merely to talk about fine
sins and follies of the world, we want 10 90
behind them, back of them. Down into the
caVerns where they hide we need to 90 with
the torch of Gods Word in one hand and tho
sword OF Gods eternal Spirit in the other to
NUM- OUT ana STAY these iniquities in their
hldlng places. Or, to come back to the fio-
IRE suggested by my text, we want TO find
what are the caldrons of sin and death from
out N-FF0N
1. In tho first place remark: that nm
nePpy and undisciplined homes are the
caIdrons of great iniquity.
Parents harsh and cruel on the one hand,
or on the other hand loose in their govern,
ment, wlckedly loose in their government.
are raising up a generation of vipers A
nome where scolding and fretfulness ara
dominant Is blood relation to the gallows and
the penitontiaryl Petulanco is a serpent
that crawls up into the family nursery
sometimes and brushes everything WHY.
SneIe are parents who even make religion
disgusting TO their children. They scold
them for not loving Christ. They have nm
sxasperatlng way of doing their duty. Tho
house is full Of the war whoop of contention
and from such place husband and sons GO
out TO die. ~ e'
Oh, is there n Hagar leading away Ishmael
tnto Lne desert to be smitten Of the thirst and
parched OF the sand? In the solemn birth hour
voice fell TO thee from the throne of God.
saying: "Iako this child and nurse IL for mo
ana viii give theo thy wages" At even
Time, when the angels OF God hover over that
nome, do they hear the children Hsnino- tbe
frau g. Il
pttle ones gathered under your robes. are Won
eadlng them on the right road. or are Won
paklng them out ON the dangerous wind
mg bride path, off which their in
s1perlenced feet may. slip, and up which
comes the bowling OF the wolf md fbe
sound of loosoned ledge nnd tumblin9
avalanche? Blessed is the famil r nltar ~
winch the children kneel BE 81 hi 4hs
~ aule D.. -nich tie Christian mother rJ,,.ls
the Christian child. Blessed is the SONG, tho
little ones sing at nightfail when Sleep Is
closing the eyes aud lOosening the hand from
the toy on the pillow. Blessed is that mother
whose every heart-throb is prayer FOR her
childrens welfare.
The world grows old and tho stars VIII
cease 70 illuminate It, and the waters 10 re-
fresh II, and tho mountains 10 guard il, and the
heavens 70 Overspan IL, and its long story of
san and shame and glory and triumph will
soon turn to ashes; but influences that started
in the early home roll on and roll nm tbro,,o,l,
al eternity-blOoming in all the ioy. waving In
All the triumph, exulting in all the song. or
shrinking back into all tho darkness. Faith
sT' mother, which way arc you leading your
children2
A house took fire md the owner was very
careful n get al his furniture out. He got
nll his books out. and no got all his
pictures out and he got all his valuable
papers out, but he forgot 10 nsi, until IL was
TOO lat% Are my children safsW Oh.
when the earth shall melt with feryent hent.
and the mountains shall blaze. aud the soas
shah blaze and the earth shall blaze, viii
your children be safc, VIII your children
be aieY Unhappy and undiscipiined homes
are INC source Of much OF the wretchcdnoss
and sin Of the world
know there are exceptions to 1T sometimes
From bright and beautiful Christian homo
y husband or n son viii go out TO die. Oh
now long You had that hoy I'm your PRAYERS
TIC doe not know how many sleepless niZhtq
you nave spent over him. he does not un-
aefsiand how many tears you have shed f0r
Us way"ardness. Oh, it IS hard after YOU
ave toiled for o child. and given him every
sdYantaTc and every kindness. ~ have him
pay you back in inuatItudo As
one sabbath morning father came
- the loot Of the pulpit a. stepped ont oft
alo Had; 10 my son, my son, my son %
mere ls many young man proud Of bic
mother, who would strike into the dust any
man who would insult her. who is nt this mo.
ment himself, bY bis evil doing and his bad
nabitai snarpen.ng dagger to plunge through
mat mothers heart. a telegram brought
him from af0r Iie went bioatod and ccnrreJ
into the room mud ho rfrrI d. f1.o ftf,f-..