Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-12-17
TALMAGE AT ANN ARBOR
AN ELOQUENT SERMON PREACHED
BY THE BROOKLYN DIVINE.

tions to Which Young Men Are sub
Jected-An Elaboration to Hold Fast to
the Bibles Truths.
ANN ARBoR, Mich, Dec. l3.-Our citizens
in large numbers have awaited themselves
of the opportunity of hearing DR. Tnlmage,
who is visiting the city by invitation Of the
students of the university. Last night a
vast audience greeted the famous BROOKLYN
preacher at his lecture, and this evening,
when he was announced to preach special
sermon to young men, there was no build
ing in the city that would accommodate all
who wanted TO hear him. His text was
Proverbs i, IL, Surely, in vain the net is
spread in the sight of any bird"
Early in the morning went out with a
fowler TO catch wild pigeons We has
tened through the mountain gorge and into
the forest. We spread out the net, and
covered up the edges of il as well as we
could. We arranged the call bird, its feet
fast and its wings Tapping. 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 near
err and nearer, aud after awhile were about
to swoop into the net, when suddenly they
darted away. Again we waited After a
while 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 disappointed
as well as myself We said to each other,
What is the matterS' and "Why were not
these birds caughts" We went out and
,al . .. ~
branch of tree part of the net had been
conspicuously exposed, and the birds COM
ing very near had seen their peril and
darted away. When saw that | said to
the old fowler, THAT reminds me of a pas
sage Of Scripture: Surely in vain is the
net spread in the sight of any bird.'v 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.
If man finds ont 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 ia that
way; | see what you are about; surely ia
vain is the net spread in the sight of any
bird"
VARIOUS TEMPTATIONS.
There are two classes of temptations
the superficial and the subterraneous-
those above ground, those under ground.
If a man could see sin as it is, he would no
more embrace it than he would embrace
leper Sin is daughter of hell, yet she is
lgarlanded and robed and trnketed. Her
voice is MARBLE Her cheek is the setting
sun. Her forehead is an aurora. She says
ltomen; Come, walk this path with me- 1t
is thymed and primrosed, and the air is be-
witched with the odors of the hanging gar
Idens of heaven. The rivers are rivers OF,
wine, and all you have to do is to drink
them up in chalices that sparkle with dia-
mond and amethyst and chrysoprasus.
See! 1t is all bloom and roseate cloud and
heaven"
Oh, my friends, if for one moment the
choiring of all these concerted voices OF
sin could be hushed, we should see the
orchestra of the pit with hot breath blow
| ing through fiery flute, and the skeleton
arms on drums of thunder and darkness
beating the chorus, "The end thereof is
death"
want to point out the insidious temp
tations that are assailing more especially
our young men. The only kind of nature
comparatively free from temptation, so
mean temperament. What would Satan
do with such man if he got himS Satan
is not anxious to get man who after
awhile may dispute with him the realm
of everlasting meanness
1t 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 off, aud 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
Australia laden with gold, or a vessel
from the Indies laden with Spices He
says, That's our prize; bear down on iti'
Across that unfortunate ship the graphing
hooks are thrown. The crew are blind
folded and are compelled to walk the
plank.
1t is not the empty vessel, hut the laden
merchantmen that Is the temptation of the
pirate. And young man empty Of head, |
empty of heart, empty Of life-you want
no Young Mems Christian association TO |
keep him safe; he is safe. He will not |
gamble unless it is with somebody else's |
stakes. He will not break the Sabbath |
unless somebody else pays the horse hire |
He will not drink unless some one else l
treats him. He will hang around the bar /
hour after hour waiting for some generous /
young man to come in. The geperous
young man comes in and accosts him and I
says, well, will you have drink with |
me todayf" The man. as though it were 1
sudden thing for him, says, 'Well-well,
if YOU insist on it, | will will
WAR on BAD INFLUENCES.
Too mean to 20 TO perdition unless some
body else pays his expensesf For such
young men we will not fight We would
no more contend for them than Tartary
aud Ethiopia would fight As TO who should
have the great Sahara desert; but for those
young men who are buoyant and enthn-
siastic those who are determined TO do
something for time aud for eternity-for
them we will fight, and we now declare