The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-08-22
AN ONLY SON.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Talks Of Brave
Young Men.
Lessons That May Be Drawn From one of
Christ's Miracles-Funerals Which
Bring More Than Their share
of Sorrow--The Widow
OF Main.

Rev. DR.. Talmage, who is now in
Australia, on his round-the-world tour,
selected as the subject for his latest
sermon through the press: IAN Only
SOM" the text chosen being Luke vii
1915:
Now when he came nigh to the gate OF the
city, behold, there was dead man carried
out, the only son of his mother, and she was
widow; and much people Of the city was
with her. And when the Lord saw her He had
compassion on her, and said unto her, weep
not. And He came and touched the bier and
they that bare him stood still. And He said;
Young man, say unto thee, arise And he
that was dead sat up, and began to speak. Ana
He delivered him to his mother.
The text calls us to stand at the gate
of the city of Main. The streets are
arush with business and gayety and
the ear is deafened with the hammers
of mechanism and the wheels OF traffic
Work, with It's thousand arms and
thousand eyes and thousand feet, fills
all the street, whom suddenly the crowd
parts and funeral passes. Between
the wheels of work and pleasure there
comes long procession OF mourning
people. Who is it? A triher says: 80,
it's nothing but funeral, 1t may have
come up from the hospital of the city,
or the almshouse, or some low place OF
the town" But not so says the serious
observer. There are so many evidences
of the bereavement that we know at
the first glance some one has been
taken away greatly beloved, and to our
inquiry: "Who is this that is carried
out with so many offices OF kindness
and affection?" the reply comes: 1.-The
only son of his mother and she a
widow" Stand back and let the pro-
cession pass out! Hush all the voices
of mirth and pleasure! Let every head
be uncovered! Weep with this passing
procession; and let it be told through
all the market places and bazars OF
Main that in Galilee to-day the sep
ulchre hath gathered to itself "the only
son of his mother, and she widow"
There are two or three things that,
in my mind, give especial pathos to
this scene. The first is, he was young
man that was being carried out. To
the aged. death becomes beautiful The
old man halts and pants along the
road, where once he bounded like the
roe From the midst of immedicable
ailments and sorrows, he cries out
"How long, o Lord, how long?" Foot
sore and hardly bestead on the hot
journey, he wants to get home. Ht
sits in the church, and sings, with
tremulous voice, some tune he sans
forty years ago. and longs to join thu
better assemblage Of the one hundred
and forty and four thousand, and thou
sands Of thousands who have passe'
the flood. How sweetly he sleeps tn
last sleep! Push back the white lock
from the wrinkled temples; they will
never ache again. Fold the hands owe
the still heart; they will never toi
again. Close gently the eyes; they vii
never weep again.
But this man that l am speaking c
was a young man. He was just putin
on the armor of life, and he was exult
ing to think how his sturdy blow
would ring>out above the clangor c
the battle. suppose he had youn
mans hopes, young mans ambition
and young mans courage. He sait
"If live many years, will. feed tn
hungry and clothe the naked. In tn
city of Main, where there are so man
bad young men, will be sober, an
honest, and pure, and magnanimou
and my mother shall never be ashame
of me-" But all these prospects al
blasted in one hour. There he pass
lifeless in the procession Behold a
that is left on earth of the high-hearte
young man of the city of Main.
- There is another thing that adds vel
d, much to this scene, and that is, he Wi
:, an only son. However large the fam
ly flock may be, he never could thir
l. of sparing one of the lambs Thoug
they may all have their faults, they a
have their excellences that CONNER
- them to the parental heart; and If
> were peremptorily demanded of you
dav that you should yield up one
t. your children out of very large fai
ilv. YOU would be confounded, and W
could not make a selection. But tn
was an only son, around whom gat
cred all the parental expectations. He
much care in his education! How mu,
caution in watching his habits! /
would carry down the name to 9th
times. He would have entire contr
of the family property long after t
parents had gone to their last rewar
, He would stand in society thinker,
~ worker, philanthropist, Christia
%, No, no, 1t is all ended. Behold hi
III there. Breath is gone. Life is extin'
The only son of his mother.
TX There was one other thing that add
" to the pathos of this scene, and that WI
his mother was a widow. The ma
- hope of that home had been broke
and now he was come up to be the sta
The chief light of the household h
2 been extinguished, and this was t
only light left. I suppose she oft
said, looking at him, "There are Oh
"a two of u.s." o, it is grand thing
te see young man step out in life a
- saw to his mother, Don't be dow
hearted. Twill, as far as possible, ia
fathers place, and as long as / live, y
shall never want anything" 1t is I
\ always that way. Sometimes the you
people get tired Of the old people. Th
say they are queer; that they have
many ailments; and they sometin
wish them out of the way. A you
e man and his wife sat at the table, tn
8 little son on the floor playing benes
n the table. The old father was "
d old, and his hand shook, so they sa
7. ''You shall no longer sit with us at