The Dickinson press., 1891-12-26
TO THE YOUNG MEN,
D.. Talmage Tells Of The Many
Temptations That Come To
Them.

Them.
And Argues for the Right and Urges
All to Stick to the Good and
the True.
ANN ARBoR, Mich, special.-Our
citizens, in large numbers, have avail
ID themselves of the opportunity OF
bearing DIR. Talmage, who is visiting
the city by invitation of the students
OF the University. His text was Pro-
verbs l., IL: ''Surely in vain the net is
spread in the sight OF any bird"
Early in the morning l went out
with 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 well as we could We arrang-
cd the call bird, its feet fast, and it's
wings fapping in invitation to all
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 a flock of birds in the
sky. They came nearer and near
Or, and after awhile were about to
swoop into the net, when suddenly
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
we're about to swoop they darted
away. The fowler was very much dis
appointed as well as myself. We said
to each other, "What is the matter?"
and "Why was not these birds
caught?" We went out andexamined
the net, and by futter of a branch
OF a tree part of the net had been con-
spicuously exposed and the birds
coming verynear had seen
THEIR PERIL AND DARTED AWAY,
When saw that, said to the old
fowler. s'that reminds me OF a 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 tempts 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 a temptation of the
devil, or that evil men are attempt
Ing to capture his soul for time and
eternity, the man steps back. He
says, 81 am not to be caught in that
way; I see what you are about; surely
In VAIN is the net spread in the sight
Of any bird.'
Iwant to point out the insidious
temptations that are assailing more
especially our young men. The only
kind OF nature comparatively free
from temptation, so tar as lean Judge,
is the cold, hard, stingy, mean tenn
perament. What would Satan do
with such 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
ls the generous young man, the ar
dent young man, the warm-hearted
young man, the social young man,
that is in especial peril.
The first class of Temptations that
assaults q young man is led on by the
sceptlc. He will not admit that he is
an infidel or atheist. Oh, no! he is a
"free-t thinker" he is one of your
"liberal men," he is free and easy in
religion. o! how liberal he is: he is so
"liberal" that he will give away his
bible; he is so "liberal'' that he will
give away the throne of eternal JUS
tice; he is so "liberal" that he would
be willing to give God out of the uni
verse; he is so "liberal" that he would
give up his own soul and the souls of
all his friends.
THOUSANDS OF YOUNG MEN
are going down under the scofting Of
these liberals day by day, and there
is only here and there young man
who can endure this artillery of
scorn. They are giving up their
Bibles. The light Of nature! They
have the light of nature i'll China;
they have it in Hindostan; they have
1t in Ceylon. Flowers there, stars
there, waters there, winds there; but
no civilizations, no homes, no happi-
ness. Lancets to cut, and Jugger-
nauts to fall under, and hooks to
swing on; but no happiness. 1 tell
you, my younger brother, we have to
take a religion OF some kind. We
have to choose between four or five.
Shall it be Koran or the Mohamme-
dan, or the Shaster OF the Hindoo, or
the Zendavesta OF the Persian, or the
Confucus writings of the Chinese, or
the Holy Scriptures? Take what you
will; God helping me, | will take
the Bible. Light for all darkness; rock
for all foundation, balm for all
wounds. A glory that lifts it's pillars
OF fire over the wilderness march. Do
not give up your Bibles. If these peo-
and the Bible were fit only for weak
minded people, you just tell them you
are not ashamed to be in the compa-
ny OF Burke the statesman, and Rap
heal the painter, and Thorwaldsen
the sculptor, and Mozart the musi-
clan, and Blackstone the lawyer, and
Bacon the Philosopher, and Harvey
the physician, and John Milton the
poet. Ask them what inhdelity has
ever done to lift ,4OO,OOO,OOO Of the
race out OF barbarism. Ask them
when infidelity ever instituted sani-
tary commission; and, before you
leave their society once and forever,
tell them that they have insulted the
memory o. your Christian father, and
spl. upon ntheueathbed fyourmother,
and with swine's snout roc ted up the
grave OF your sister, who died believ-
ing in the Lord Jesus.
Young man. hold OH to your Bible.
It is the best book you ever owned.
It will tell you how to dress, how to
bargain, how to walk, how to act,
how to live, how TO die. The
SECOND CLASS OF INsIDIoUs TEMPTATIONS
that comes upon our young men is
led on by the dishonest employer.
Every commercial est ablishment is q
school. In nine cases ont of ten, the
principles OF the employer become the