Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-08-24
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE'S SUM-
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "An Only SON"

man carried out the only son Of his mother,
and she was a widow, and much people OF
the city was with her. And when the Lord
saw her He had compassion on her ana said
unto her. Weep not and He came ana
touched the bier and they that bore him
| stool still. And He said Young man, say
1 unto thee arise And he that was dead sat
up and began 10 speak. and He delivered
/ him TO his mother. Luke vii, 1918.
The text calls Gs to stand at the gate OF
| the city OF Main. The streets are a-rush with
! business and gayety, and the ear Is deatened
! with the hammers Of mechanism and tho
| wheels OF trafIl, Work, with its thousand
arms and thousand eyes and thousand feet,
| fills all the street when suddenly the crowd
partR, and a funeral passes. Between the
wheels OF work and pleasure there comes
long procession OF mourning people. Who
is Il? trfer says; "Oh. it's nothing but
a funeral. II 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 dire be-
reavement that we know at the first glance
some one has been taken away greatly be-
loved, and TO our inquiry, "Who Is this that
Is carried out with so many offices OF kind
ness and Affection" the reply comes, The
only son OF his mother, and she widow"
Stand back and let the procession pass out
Hush all tho voices OF mirth and pleasure
Let every head be uncovered Weep with
this passing procession and let II be told
through all the market places and bazaars
OF Main that in Galilee to-day the sepulcher
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 be-
comes beautiful The old man halts and
pants along the road, where once he bouni-
! ed Ike the roe. From the midst OF immedt-
| cable ailments and sorrows he cries out.
"How long, Lord, how Ions" Footsore
and hardly Uestead on the hot journey he
wants 10 get home He sits In the church
and sings, with tremuIous voice, some tune
he sang forty years ago and longs TO join the
better assemplage OF the one hundred and
forty and tour thousand who have passed
the Hood. How sweetly hS sleeps the last
sleep! Push back the white locks from the
wrinkled temples. They will never ache
again. Fold the hands over the still heart.
! They will never toll again. Close gently the
eyes. They will never weep again.
But this man that Am speaking OF was a
! young man. He was just putting on the
armor OF life, and he was exulting TO think
| how his sturdy blows would ring out above
/ the clangor OF the battle. suppose he had
young mans hopes, young mans ambi-
| tons and a young mans courage. He said:
III live many years, will feedth hungry
and clothe the naked In this city Of Nain
where there are so many bal young men, |
will be sober and honest and pure and mag
unanimous, and my mother shall never be
ashamed OF me-" But all these prospects
are blasted in one hour. There he passes
lifeless In the procession. Behold oil that is
eft on earth OF the high hearted young man
OF the city OF Main.
There is another thing that adds very
much TO this scene. and that Is he was an
only son. However large the family flock
may be- we never could think OF sparing one
OF the lambs. Though they may all have
their faults they all have their excellencies
that commend them to the parental heart,
and II 1t were peremptorlly demanded OF you
to-day that you should yield up one OF your
| children out OF very large family you
would be COMPOUNDED and you could not
make selection. But this was an only sou,
around whom gathered all the parental ex-
pectations. How muoh care in his educa-
ton How much caution in watching his
habits He would carry down the name 10
other times. He would have entire control
of the family property long after the parents
had gone to their last reward. He would
stand In society thinker, a worker, II phil
anthropist. a Christian. No, no. II Is all
ended. Behold him there. Breath Is gone.
Life is extinct. The only son OF his mother.
There was one thing that added to the
pathos ofthis scene, and that was his mother
was a widow. The main hope OF that home
had been broken, and now he was come up
to be the staff. The chief light OF the house
hold has been extinguished, md this was
the only light left. suppose she often said,
looking at him, There are only two OF US. "
Oh, 1t Is grand thing to see a young man
step out In life and say 10 his mother !;
Don't be down hearted will. as far as
possible. take fathers place, and as long as
| live YOU shall never want ANYTHING" 1t is
not always that way. Sometimes the Young
people get tired of the old people. They
saw thew are queer that thew have so MANY
ailments and they sonetimes wish them out
of the way. A Young man and his wife sat
at the table their'li,tle son on the floor play.
ing beneath the table. The old father was
very old. and hjs hand shook. 40 thew said
"You shall no more sit with us at the table. u
And so thew gave him place In the corner.
where day by day. he ate out OF an earthen
bowl-eyerything put into that bowl. One
day his hand tremblcd so much no dropped
II. and II broke. and the son. seated AT tho
| elegant table In mIdnoor said 10 his WIFI.
siNow we'll oct father a wooden howl and
that he can't break" 40 A wooden howl
was obtained and every dav old grand.
fotber a,a ont ~ that si,iing I, tho cornar
ono dav whiIe the elegant YOUNG man and
bia wIte were aeatad M THAR tohIe with
chased silver ami all the In xurIos ana their
little son sat upon the floor. thew Jaw tbe
lad whiting, and they said "My son. what
are YOU doing there with that knife?'
ooh. -" said he, Tim making trough for
nv father and mother to eat out OF when
thew get old ~
But this young man OF the text was not
ofthat character. He did not belong to that
school. | can tell /. from the way they
mourned over him. He was to be the com.
nanion Of his mother Ho WAS To be his
mothers protector. He would return now
some of the kindness he had received in the
DAYS OF childhood and boyhood. Aye. he
would with his strong hand uphold that
form already enfeebled with age. VIII b,
do II? No. In one hour that promise O.