The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-12-24

jected-An EXhortntion to Hold Fast to
tho BIbIo'a Truths.
ANN ARBOk, Mich, Dee. l3.-Our
citizens in large numbers have availed
themselves Of the opportunity Of hear
ing DR.. Talmage, who is visiting the
city by invitation oEthe students of the
university. His text was Proverbs j.,
II, "Surely, in vain the net is spread
in the sight of any bird"
Early in the morning 1 went out with
a fowler to catch wild pigeons. We
fastened through The mountain gorge
and into the forest. We spread out the
net, and covered up .hc edges of it 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.
Alter awhile, looking out of the door Of
the booth, We saw a flock of birds in the
sky. They came nearer and nearer,
and after awhile We're about to swoop
mo the net, wien suddenly they darted
away. Again we waited. After while
we saw another flock of birds. They
came nearer and nearer until Just at the
moment when tIey were about TO swoop
they darted away.
The fowler vas very much disap-
pointed as well rs myself. We said to
each other, ~ hat is the mattcr:D and
"Why were Lot these birds caught?"
We went 0ut and examined the net and
by tlutter Of 4 branch of Il tree part of
the net hat ccA ccnspicuously exposed,
and thc'bl"%S conluy very near had seen
Their peril and darted away. When 1
saw that, said TO the old fowler. That
reminds ne OF 4 passage Of Scripture:
surely in vain IS the net spread ID the
sight CT any b!rd.'' Now the net IN
my text stands for temptation.
The call bird Of SIN tempts men on
rom point 10 point aud from branch to
branch unit they are about to drop into
the net. 1t q man finds out in time that
1t Is the Temptation Of the devil, or that
evil men are attempting to capture his
soul 1or tlm3 aud tor eternity, the man
steps back. He says, Il am not to be
caught in tIat way; L see what you are
about; surely IN vain Is the net spread
III the sight Of any bird"
! There arc two classes Of temptations
the superficial and the subterraneous
those above ground, those under
ground. II man could see sin as it is,
he would no more embrace it than he
would embrace leper. Sin is a daugh-
ter OF hell, ct she is garlan6cd and robed
and trlnketcd. Her voice is warble.
Her cheek is the setting sun. Her fore.
head IS an aurora. She says to men:
Come. walk this path with me. 1t is
thymed anu primroscd, and the air IS be-
Wltched with The Odors of the hanging
gardens of heaven. The rivers are riv-
ers of wine, and ali you have 10 do is to
drink them up in chalices that sparkle
VIII diamond and amethyst and chryso-
pfasus. See! 1t is all bloom and ro-
seate cloud and hcaver.',
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 bio W.
ing through dery flute, and the skeleton
arms on drums Of thunder and darkness
beating the chorus, 1.-THE end thereof is
DEATH"
1t is not the empty vessel but the
luden merchantmen that is the tempta.
ton of the pirate. And young man
empty Of head, empty of heart, empty
OF lic-you want no Young Mems
he ia safe. He will not gamble unless
1t is with somebody clsc's stakes. He
Will not break the Sabbath unless some.
body else pays the horse hire. He will
not drink unless some one else treats
him. lie will hang around the bar hour
alter hour waiting for some generous
young man TO come in. The generous
young man comes in and accosts him
and says, "Wcll, will you have q drink
with me today" The man, as though
it were a sudden thing for him, says,
"Well-wcil. il you insist on it, will
l WILL"
Too mean to go to perdition unless
somebody else pays his expenses! For
such young men we will not fight. We
would no more contend for them than
Tartary and Ethiopia would fight as to
who should have the great Sahara dcs.
ert; but for those young men who are
0uoyant and enthusiastic, those who are
q determined to do something for time and
Tor eternity them we will fight, and
we now declare everlasting war against
all the Influences that assail them, and
we ask al good men and philanthroplsts
to whccI no l;ue, and all the armies OF
heaven TO bear down upon the foo. and
we pray Almighty God that with the
thunderbOlt5 OF his wrath he will strike
down and consume all these Influences
that are attempting to destroy the young
men Tor whom Chlist died.
The first class Of temptations that as
SaulCs Young man is led on by the
skeptic. lie will not admit that he IS
an inlIdel or atheist. Oh, no! he is q
'lrce thinkcr;" he is one of your lib.
eral" men; he is free and easy ir relis-
ion. on, how liberal he is; he is So
'"libcral" that he will give away his Ri.
bic; he is go "lbcral" that he will give
away the throne OF eternal justi G; lie is
so liberal" that he would be willing to
give God out Of the universe; he is SO
Liberal" that lie would give up his own
soul and the souls of all his friends.
Now what more could you ask in the
way o! liEcrality? The victim of this
skcrt;c has probably just come from the
country. Through the Intervention OF
friends he has been placed in shop.
On Saturday the skeptlc says to him