The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-12-17
DIR. TALMAGE breaches Il
ANN ARBOR ON NETS
FOR THE SOUL.
The Dangers Are Both Seen and
Uuseen.-.There Is Il Snare for
the ignorant and Stili
Mere dangerous Snare
for the Youth Proud
fills iuteilect.

4
themselves of the opportunity of hear
ing Dr. Talmage, who is visiting the
city by invitation of the students of the
university Last night vast audience
greeted the famous Brooklyn preacher
at his lecture, and this evening, when
he was announced to preach Il special
sermon to young men, there was no
building in the city that would accom-
modate all who wanted to hear him.
HIS text was Proverbs j, n, Surely
in vain the net is spread in the sight of
any bird"
Early in the morning l went out
with a fowler 10 catch wild pigeons.
We FASTENED through the mountain
gorge and into the forest. We spread
out the net, and covered up the edges |
of it as we'll as we could. We ar
ranged 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 Il flock of birds in
the sky. They came nearer and nearer,
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 were about to
cu-Do,, fba,- JartaI auoy
The fowler was very much disap
pointed as well as myself We said to
each other, ''What is the matterW and
"Why were not these birds caught"
| We went out and examined the net,
and by a fiutter of a branch of tree
part of the net had been conspicuously
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 a
passage of Scripture, Surely in vain is
the net spread in the sight of any bird. ,"
temptation.
The call bird of sin tempts men on
ssom point to point and from branch
TO branch until they are about to drop
into the net. If 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 eter-
nifty, the man steps back. He says, Il
am not to be caught in that way; |
gee what you are about; surely in vain
is the net spread in the sight of any
bird"
THE SUETLETY OF THE DEVIL.
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 it than he
. would embrace leper Sin is daugh
. ter of hell, yet she is garlanded and
, robed and trinketed. Her voice is &
l.. warble. Her cheek is the setting sun
: Her forehead is an aurora. She sayt
: to men: Come, walk this path Will
e me; it is thymed and prinrosed, ant
8 the air is bewitched with the odors o
d the hanging gardens of heaven; th'
e rivers are rivers of wine, and all yot
have to do is to drink them up in chal
Z, ices that sparkle with diamond ant
: amethyst and chrysoprasus Seel l
4 is all bloom and roseate cloud an9
u heaven"
Oh, my friends, if for one momen
/ the choiring of all these concerte'
. voices of sin could be h1shed W
- should see the orchestra of the pit wit
;, hot breath blowing through fiery flute
! and the skeleton arms Oh drums
thunder and darkness beating til
chorus, 1.-The end thereof is death. !"
| want to point out the insidiou
;. temptations that are assailing more e:
pecially our young men. The onl
d kind of nature comparatively free fro'
temptation, so far as can judge, is til
d cold, hard, stingy, mean temperament
lie What would Satan do with such a ma
lg il he got him2 Satan is not anxious
al get a man who after awhile may di
e. pute with him the realm of everlastin
ig meanness. 1t is the generous youn
es man, the warm hearted young MAJ
n the social young man that is in esp
cial peril
U A pirate goes ont on the sea, and OF
.e' bright morning he puts the glass to h
" eye and looks off, and sees an empi
- vessel floating from port to port. L
= saws, ssNever mind; that's no prize Fl
u.s." But the same morning he pu
the glass to his eye, and he sees vess
( coming from Australia laden with gol
or or a vessel from the Indies laden Wi
r spices. He says, That's our priz
70 bear down on itln Across that unfc
on tunate ship the graphing hooks a
of thrown. The crew are blindfolded al
of are compelled to walk the plank. 1t
ar not the empty vessel, but the lad
all merchantmen that is the temptation
le. the pirate.
we And a young man, empty OF heii
te. empty of heart, empty Of life-you wa
Wn no Young Mems Christian associate
rec to keep him safe; he is safe. He "
not gamble unless it is with somebo'
lty elses stakes. He viii not break t
,ut Babbatil unless somebody else pays t
mt horse hire, He will not drink unit
;no some one else treats him. He viii la
around the bar hour after hour wa
ling for some generous young man
come ia. TbA generous young M
adj comes in and accosts him and sa.
ng. .sWell. will you have q drink with
II. today?s The man, as though it VIC
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