Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-12-31
10 THE YOUNG MEN.
y. Talmage Tells Of The Many
Temptations That Come To
Them
Ind Argues for the Right and Urges
All to Stick to the Good and
the True.

Ann ARBoR, Mich, Special.-Our
citizens, in large numbers, have avail
ID themselves of the opportunity OF
hearing DR.. Talmage, who is visiting
the city by invitation OF the students
OF the University. His text was Pro-
verbs l., II: '-Surely in vain the net is
spread in the sight OF any bird"
Early in the morning l 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 the edges
oft as we'll as we could. We arrang-
ed the call bird, it's feet fast, and it's
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 out OF the door OF the booth,
We saw flock of birds in the
sky. They came nearer and near
or, 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 swoop they darted
away. The fowler was very much dis
appointed as we'll as myself. We said
to each other, "What is the NATTER"
and "Why was not these birds
caught?" We went out and examined
the net, and by a futter OF a branch
OF a tree part OF the net had been con-
spicuously exposed and the birds
coming very near had seen
THEIR PERIL AND DARTED AWAY.
When saw that, l said to the old
fowler: shat reminds me Of a 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-blrd of sin tempts men on
from point to point and from branch
to branch until they are about to
drop into the net. Ii a man finds out
in time that it is a temptation of the
devil, or that evil men are attempt
ing to capture his soul for time and
eternity, the man steps back. He
says, III 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
l want to point out the insidious
temptations that are assailing more
especially our young men. The only
kind OF nature comparatively free
from temptation, so tar as lean judge,
is the cold, hard, stingy, mean tenn
permanent. What would Satan do
with such a man if he got him? Satan
is not anxious to get a man who,
after awhile may dispute with him
the realm of everlasting meanness. It
Is the generous young man, the ar
dent young man, the warm heart ed
young man, the social young man,
that is in especial peril.
The first class of temptations that
assaults young man is led on by the
sceptlc. He will not admit that he is
an inidel or atheist. Oh, no! he is
'free-thinker," he is one of your
"iberal men," he is free and easy in
religion. 0! how liberal he is: he is so
'liberaP' that he will give away his
bible; he is so "liberal'' that he will
give away the throne of eternal JUS
tice; he is SO liberal" that he would
be willing to give God out of the uni
verse; he is so ''liberal" that he would
give up his own soul and the souls of
all his friends.
THOUSANDS OF YOUNG MEN
are going down under the scoffing of
these liberals day by day, and there
Is only here and there young man
who can endure this artillery of
scorn. They are giving up their
Bibles. The light Of nature! They
have the light of nature in China;
they have it in Hindostan; they have
it in Ceylon. Flowers there, stars
no civilizations, no homes, no happi-
ness. Lancets to cut, and Jugger-
nauts to fall under, and hooks to
swing on; but no happiness. I tell
you, my younger brother, we have to
take a religion of some kind. We
have to choose between four or five.
Shall it be Koran or the Mohamme-
dan, or the Shaster of the Hindoo, or
the Zendavesta OF the Persian, or the
Confucius writings Of the Chinese, or
the Holy Scriptures? Take what you
will; God helping me, 1 will take
the Bible. Light for all darkness; rock
for all foundation, balm for all
wounds. A glory that lifts it's pillars
of fire over the wilderness march. Do
not give up your Bibles. If these peo-
pie scoff at you as though religion
and the Bible were fit only for weak
minded people, you just tell them you
are not ashamed to be in the compa-
ny of Burke the statesman, and Rap
heal the painter, and Thorwaldsen
the sculptor, and Mozart the must
clan, and Blackstone the lawyer, and
Bacon the Philosopher, and Harvey
the physician, and John Milton the
poet. Ask them what infdelity has
ever done to lift !, 400, 100000 Of the
race out of barbarism. Ask them
when infdelity ever instituted SAM
tary commission; and, before you
leave their society once and forever,
tell them that they have insulted the
memory Of your Christian father, and
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