The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-11-30
SERMON ON HUNTING.
wHnaD MEN MAKE MISTAKES
DR.. Tslmage Gives an Interesting Talk
Appropriate to the Season.

Genesis Xix. a.
few nights ago s0) mon enc,mped along
the Long Island railroad 80 as TO be ready
for the next morning, wnich was the first
''open day" for deer hunting Between sun
rise and 2 o'clock in the afternoon OF that
day fllteen deer were shot, On the 29th OF
October out woods and forests resound with
the shock OF firearms and are tracked OF
pointers and settlers because the quail are
then n lawful prize for the sportsman.
On a certain day In all England you can
hear the crack OF the sportsmans sun.
because grouse hunting has begun. and
every man that can afford the time and am
munition and eau draw bead starts for the
fields. Xenophon grew eloquent IN regard
60 the art OF hunting. In the far east peo-
pie. elephant mounted. chase the tiger. The
American Indian darts his arrow at the buf-
falo until the frightened herd tall over the
rocks. European mobiles are often found in
the fox chase and at the stag hunt. Francis
was called the father OF hunting. Moses
declares of \imrOi. "He was u mighty
hunter before tns Lord" Therefore. In alt
ages of the world. the Imagery of my text
ought to be suggestive. whether IL means a
wolf after fox or 4 man after lion
Old Jacob, oyinr. Is telling the fortunes
OF his children. He prophe,ies the devour-
ing ptopensities OF Benjamin and his de-
scendants. With his dim old eyes he looks
OF and secs the hunters going ont to the
ilelds. ranging them all day. and at nightfall
coming home, the game sung over the
shoulder and reaching the door OF the tent
the hunters begin to distribute tha game, and
stakes coney. and another n rabbit. and
another roe. TN the morning he shall de-
YOUR the prey. and AZ night he shaft divide
the spoil" Or IL may be- a reference TO the
habits oi wild beasts that slcy their prey and
then drag II back to the cave or lair and di.
vide II among the young.
ltake nv text. in the first place. as de-
scriptive of those people wlo In the morn
ing OF their life give themselves no to hunt
ing the world, but afterward. by the grace of
God In the evening OF their life divide
among themselves the spois of Christian
character. Thcreare aged Christian men and
women In this house, who. ifthey gave testi-
mony. would toll you that in the morning OF
their life they were after the world as in
tense as a hound after hare. or as falcon
swoops upon gazelle. They wanted the
worlds plaudits and the worlds gains.
They felt that II they could get this world
they would have everything. Some OF them
started out for the pleasures OF the world.
They thought that the man who laughed
loudest was happiest They tried repartee
and conundrum and dburlesque and madrigal.
They thought they would like to be Tom
Hoods or Charles Lambs or Edgar A. poes
They mingled wine aud music and the spec
tscuar. They were worshipers of the har-
lequin, and the Merry Andrew aud the buff
foon. and the Jester. Life was to them foam
and buoble and cachinnation and roys;ering
aut grlmace. They wtfH 40 full OF glee they
could hardly repress their mrth even on SOL
emu occasions. an they came near bursting
out hilariously even at the burial because
there was something so dolorous in the tone
or countenance of the undertaken.
After awhile misfortune struck them hs .
on the back. They found there was some-
thing they could not laugh at. Under their
tate hours their health gave way or there was
a death in the house. OF every green thing
their soul was eyfoliareJ. They found out
that life was more than q Joke. From the
heart Of God there blazed into their soul an
earn-stness they had never felt before. They
awoke TO their sinfulness and their immoral
hy. and here they sit at sixty or seventy
yeas OF age as appreclative OF all innocent
trIfTh asrhey ever wee, but they are bent
on style oil satisfaction which In early life
they never hunted-the evening OF their days
brighter than the morning. In the morning
tney devoured the prey. but at night they
divided the spoils.
Then there are others who started out for
financial success. They SEQ how Timber the
rim OF mans hat II when he bows down
beior- some one transpicuous. They felt
they would like to see now the world looked
from the window of $4,000 turnout. They
thought they would like TO have the morn
ing sunlight tangled in the heaigear OF a
dashing span. They wanted the bridges in
the park TO resound under the rataplan OF
their swift hoois. Tney wanted a gilded
baldric, and SO they started on the dollar
hunt. They chased 1t up one street and
chased It down another. They followed IL
when Il burrowed In the cellar. They treed
II IN tue roo
Wherever dollar was expected 10 be,
they were They chased IL across the ocean,
Ihey chased II across the land. They topped
not for the night. Hearing tha, dollar even
In the darkness, thrilled them as an Adiron-
dick sportsman is thrilled at midnight by
looms laugh. They chased that dollar TO the
money vault. They chased IL to the Gov
ernment treasury They routed IL from
under the counter. All the hounds were out
all the pointers and the settlers. They
iesped the hedges for that dollar, and they
cried "Hark away A dollar A dollar -
And when at last tney came upon IL and had
actually captured il their excitement was
like that of a falconer who has successfully
Hung his tirst hawk.
In the morning OF their life, oh, how they
deyoured the prey! But there came a bet.
Ter time to their SOU. They found out that
an immortal nature cannot live on bank
stock. They took up a Northern Pacific
bond. and there was hole in IL through
which they could look into the uncertainty
OF all earthly treasures. They saw somt
Ealston, living at the rate Of 1925. 900 month
leaping from San Francisco wharf because
he could not continue 10 live AT the sam,
ratio. They saw the wien and paralyti,
bankers who had changed their souls into
molten gold stamped with the imas,e OF the
earthly earthly. They saw some great souh
by avarice turned into homuncuii, and they
said TO themselves, II will seek after higher
treasure
From that time they did not care whether
they walked or rode II Christ walked with
them nor whether they lived in mansion
or In hut ifthey dwelt under the shadow
OF the Almighty nor whether they were
robed in French broadcloth or In homespuB
II they had the robe OF the Saviour's right
eousness nor II they were sandalled with
morocco or calfskin II they were shod with
the preparation OF the Gospel. Now you see
peace on their countenance. Now that man
says "what "A fool was TO be enchanted
with this world. Why, ! have more satisiac
tion In five minutes In the service of God
than had In all the first years Of my life
while was gaingetting. like this evening
OF my day great deal better than | did the
morning. In the morning | greedily de.
youred the prey, but now Il Is evening, and
am glorlously dividing the spoil"
h.rf frf. IA eli Ia m