Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-12-24
fALMAGE AT ANN ARBOR
A. ELOQUENT SERMON PREACHED
BY THE BROOKLYN DIVINE.

a Magnificent Discourse on the Tempta-
tions to Which Young Men Are Sub
jected-An Exhortation to Hold Fast to
the Bibles Truths.
ANN ARBoR, Mich, Dec I3.-Our citizens
IN large numbers have availed themselves
of the opportunity of hearing Dr. Talmage,
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 !, II, Surely, in vain the net is
spread in the sight of any bird"
Early in the morning went out with
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 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 booth of branches and
leaves and waited. After awhile, looking
ont of the door of the booth. we saw a
flock Of birds in the sky. They came near
er and nearer, and 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 we'll as myself We said to each other,
"What is the matterS" and "Why were not
these birds caughtW We went out and
examined the net and by a futter of a
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 pas
sage 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 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 eternity, the man steps back.
He says, II am not to be caught in that
way; | see what you are about; surely in
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 man could see SIN as it is, he would no
more embrace it than he would embrace a
leper. Sin is daughter of hell, yet she is
garlanded and robed and trinketed. Her
voice is warble. Her cheek is the setting
sun. Her forehead is an aurora She says
tomen; Come, walk this path with me. 1t
Is thymed and primrosed, and the air is be.
witched with the odors of the hanging gar
dens 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.
Seel 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 sea 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, sc
far as can judge, is the cold, hard, stingy
mean temperament What would Satan
do with such man if he got himf Satan
Is not anxious to get man who aftel
awhile may dispute with him the realm
of everlasting meanness
1t is the generous young man, the ardent
young man, the warm hearted young ma
the social young man that is in especia
PERIL A pirate goes out on the sea, and
one bright morning he puts the glass tC
his eye and looks off, and sees an empty
vessel floating from port to port. He says
"Never mind; that's no prize for u.s." B1t
the same morning he puts the glass to his
eye, and he sees a vessel coming from
Australia laden with gold, or vesse
from the Indies laden with spices. HI
says, That's our prize; bear down on it,
Across that unfortunate ship the graphing
hooks are thrown. The crew are blir |
folded and are compelled to walk tn,
plank.
1t is not the empty vessel, but the ladeI
merchantmen that is the temptation of th
pirate. And a young man empty OF head
empty of heart, empty of life-you wan
no Young Mems Christian association II
keep him safe; he is safe. He will no
gamble unless it is with somebody else'
stakes. He will not break the Sabbath
unless somebody else pays the horse hire
He will not drink unless some one els
treats him. He will hang around the ba
hour after hour waiting for some generou
young man to come in. The generou
young man comes in and Accosts him ant
says, "Well, will you have q drink "
me today" The man, IS though it were
sudden thing for him, says, "Well-wel
II you insist on it, will will"
WAR ON BAD INFLUENCES.
Too mean to go to perdition unless some
body else pays his expensesi Fer sucl
young men we will not fight. We woul'
no more contend for them than Tartar
and Ethiopia would fight as to who shoul'
have the great Sahara desert; but for tht ,
young men who are buoyant and euthu
Biastic, those who are determined to d
something for time and for eternity-fo
them we will fight, and we now declar
everlasting war against all the iRhuence
that assail them, and we ask all good me-
and philanthropists to wheel into line, an
all the armies of heaven to bear down upo
the foe, and we pray Almighty God tha
with the thunderbolts of his wrath he vii
strike down and consume all these infr
ences that are attempting to destroy tn
young men for whom Christ died
The first class of temptations that a.
saults young man is led on by the skeE
tic. He will not admit that he is an infidt
or atheist Oh, mol he is a "free thinker;
he is one of your Liberal" men; he is fire
and easy in religion. Oh, how liberal b
Ia; he is 80 "liberal" that he will give ava
his Bible; he is so "liberal" that he wi
giveaway the throne of eternal justice; he
SO Liberal" that he would be willing to Civ
Cod ont of the universe: he is SO "liberRl