The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-12-18
TO YOUNG MEN.
DR.. Tamage Talks to Ann ArboE
COuegians.
The SHARES That Reset the Pathways Of
YOuth-sin's AHuring Disguisss-Ths
Bible as a shieId-Chooss the
Right Path.

university Rev. I. Dewitt TaEmage
took his text from Proverbs 1. II:
O ''Sure1y in vain the net is spread in
1.-THE sight of any bird" He said:
Early in the morning went out with
a fowler to catch wild pigeons We
hastened through the mountain gorge
G and into the forest We spread out the
net and covered up the edges of it as well
as 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
g. the door of the booth, we saw a dock
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 well as myself We said
TO each other: what is the matter?'
and ''why were not these birds
caught?" We went out and examined
the net, and by a hutter of branch
of tree part of the net had been con-
spicuously exposed, and the birds
coming very near had seen their peril
and darted away. When l saw that
1 said to the old fowler, ''that reminds
me of n 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 If a man finds out in
time that 1T is the temptation of the
devil, or that evil men are attempting
70 capture his soul for time and for
Il
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"
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 q ieper. Sin is
daughter of hell, yet she is garlaaded
and ROBBED and triniketed. Her voice is
u MARBLE. Her check is the setting
sun Her forehead is aurora She
saws to men: ''COme, walk this path
with me; it is thymed and priInrosed.
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
chaiices that sparkle with diamond aad
amethyst and chrYGoPrasus Seei 1t
is all bloom and roseate cloud and
heaven"
I want to point out the insidious
temptations that are assRiling more es-
peciaily our young men. The only
kind of nature comparatively free from
temptation, so far as can judge, is
the cold, hard, stingy, mean tempera-
ment What would Satan do with such
a man IL he got himP 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 wRrm-heaEted
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,
ana sees an empty vessel floating from
port to port He says: Never mind;
that's no prize for MS But the same
morning he puts the glass to his eye,
and he sees a vessel coming from Aus
tralia laden with gold, or vessel from
the Indies laden with spices He says;
That's prize; bear down on itT'
Across that unfortunate ship the Crap
pling hooks are thrown. The crew are
blindfolded and are compelled to walk
the plank. 1t is not the empty vessel,
but the laden merchantmRn 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.
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 treats him. He will
hang around the bar hour after hour
waiting for some generous young man
to come in. The generous young man
comes in and accosts him and saws
well, will you have a drink with me
to-day?' The man, as though it were
Ii VII
well, II you insist on it will will.
Too mean to go to PerditiOn unless
somebody else pays his expenses? Fo
such young men we will not fight W.
would no more contend for them thar
Tartary and Ethiopia would fight as u
O who should have the great Sahar'
desert, But for those young men VIII,
are buoyant and enthusiastic, thos+
who are determined to do something
for time and for eternity-fOr them w
will fight
The first class of temptations tina
assaults young man is led on by tn
skeptic. He will not admit that he i
al infidel or atheist Oh. mol he is
free ''thinlzer;" he is one of your lib
eral' men; he is free and easy in re
ligion. o. how liberal he is; he is s.
liberal" that he will give away hi
Bible; he is so '1iberai" that he viii
give away the throne of eternal justice
he is so ''AbeFsi" that he would b
willing to give God out of the universe
he is so liberal" that he would Civ
o up his own soul and the souls OF all hi
friends. Now, what more could yoi
ask in the way of Iiberality9 The vic
tin OF this skePtic has probably jus
come from the country Through tn
intervention of friends he has bee
placed ia u shop. On Saturday tn
slzeptie says to him: "Well, what ar
you going to do tomorrow He says
81 am going TO church" SIS it posi-
bleP" says the slseptie. well, used I
do those things I was brought mp,
suppose, As you were, in . religion
family and believed these thi1gs, bu
c : got over it The fact Is, since I cam
to town have found that there are
great many things In the Bible tha
are ridiculous Now, FOR Instance, al
that about the serpent bsinE cursed &
crawl in the gaFdsn of Ed0n because (
Q had tempted our first parents; Why