Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-12-19
TO YOUNG MEN.
DR.. Talmage Talks to Ann Arbor
Collegians.
The SHARES That Beset the Pathways OF
Youth Sins Allurlng DlsguIses-The
bible ms shleld-Choose the
Right Path.

university Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage
took his text from Proverbs l. Il:
"Surely in vain the net is spread in
the sight of my bird" lie said:
Early in the morning went out with
a fowler to catch wild pigeons We
hastened through the mountain gorge
and into the forest. We spread out the
net and covered up the edges of it as we'll
rs we could. We arranged the call bird,
its feet fast and its wings Tapping an
invitation to all the fowls of heaven to
settle down there. We retired into a
booth of branches and leaves and
waited. After awhile, looking out OF
the door OF the booth, we saw q flock
of birds in the sky. They came nearer
and nearer, and after awhile were
about to swoop into the net, when sud
denly they darted away. Again we
waited. After awhile we saw another
flock Of birds. They came nearer and
nearer until just at the moment when
they were about to swoop they darted
away. The fowler was very much dis
appointed as we'll as myself We said
to each other: "What Is the natter"
and "why were not these birds
caught?" We went out and examined
the net and by q hutter of branch
of a tree part of the net had been con-
spicuously exposed, and the birds
coming very near had seen their peril
and darted away. When | saw that
! said to the old fowler. ''that reminds
me of passage of scripture: Surely
in vain is the net spread in the sight of
any bird" Now the net in my text
stands for temptation.
The call bird of sin temp.s men on
from point to point and from branch
to branch until they are about to drop
into the net II q man finds out in
time that it is the temptation of the
devil, or that evil men are attempting
to capture his soul for time and for
eternity. the man steps back. He
says: 81 am not TO be caught in that
way; see what you are about; surely
in vain is the net spread in the sight OF
any bird"
There are two classes of temptations
the superficial and the subterraneous
those above ground, those under
ground. If man could see sin as it
Is, he would no more embrace 1t than
he would embrace q leper. Sin is u
daughter of hell. yet she is garlanded
and robed and trinlSeted. Her voice is
a MARBLE. Her cheek is the setting
sun. Her forehead is an aurora She
SAYS to men: Come, walk this path
with me; it is thymed and primrosed,
and the air is bewitched with the odors
of the hanging gardens OF heaven; the
rivers are rivers of wine, and all you
have to do is to drink them up in
chalices that sparkle with diamond and
amethyst and chrysoprasus See! 1t
is all bloom and roseate cloud and
heaven"
/ want to point out the insidious
temptations that are assailing more cs-
pecially our young men. The only
kind of nature comparatively free from
temptation, so far Us j can judge, is
the cold, hard, stingy, mean tempera-
ment. What would Satan do with such
q man if he got him? Satan is not
anxious to get man who, after awhile,
may dispute with him the realm OF
everlasting meanness.
It is the generous young man, the
ardent young man, the warm-hearted
young man, the social young man, that
is in especial peril A pirate goes Out
ON the sea, and one bright morning he
puts the glass to his eye and looks on
and sees an empty vessel floating from
port to port He says: Never mind;
that's no prize for u.s." But the same
morning he puts the glass to his eye,
and he sees vessel coming from Aus
tralia laden with gold, or a vessel from
the Indies laden with spices He says
That's our prize; bear down on 1t!
Across that unfortunate ship the crap
Ming hooks are thrown. The crow art
blindfolded and are compelled to wall
the plank. It Is not the empty vessel
but the laden merchantmen that is the
temptation to the pirate. And young
man empty of head, empty OF heart
empty of life-you want no Y. NJ. c. A
10 keep him safe; he Is safe. He viii
not gamble unless it is with somebody
else's stakes. He will not break tn
Sabbath unless somebody else pays the
horse hire. He will not drink unless
some one else treats him. He vii
hang around the bar hour after houl
waiting for some generous young maj
TO come in. The generous young maj
comes in and accosts him and saws
'Well, will You have q drink with mi
to-day?" The man, as though 1t wer
a sudden thing for him, says: well
well, II you insist on 1t 1 will viii.
Too mean to 60 to perdition unles
somebody else pays his expenses? Fo
such young men we will not fight w
would no moro contend for them tina
Tartary and Ethiopia would fight as I
who should have the great Sahar
desert. But for those young men VIII
are buoyant and enthusiastic, thos