National Baptist world., 1894-08-31
GOD AND MAN.
II. Talmage Discourses on the
Miracle at the City Of Main.
ohrist as a Man and Christ as a God-His
sympathy for Distress in All Its
Forms-The Master of
the Grave.

ocrnOn selected by Rev. i.
-" VIII Ialmage for the press was on
one SUBJECT Of AN Only Son." the text
cnosen being Luke vii. 12-15: "Now
when lie came nigh to the gate of the
CITY, behold there was dead man car
rleo out, the only son Of his mother,
ana she was widow; and much of the
people OF the city was with her. And
When the Lord saw her He had COM
passion on her and said unto her: Weep
not And He came and touched the
pier; and they that bare him stood
stlll. And He said, Young man. say
unto thee, arise. And he that was dead
SAT up, and began to speak. And He
uellvered him to his mother Follow
ing is the sermon:
Ihe text calls us to stand at the gate
OF the city of Main. The streets are a
rush with business and gayety, and
the ear is deafened with the hammers
OF mechanism and the wheels of traf-
nc. Work, with it's thousand arms and
thousand eyes and thousand feet, fills
all the street, when 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 trifer says: "Oh,
it's nothing but a 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 dire bereave-
ment 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 procession pass out!
Hush all the voices of mirth and pleas
ure! Let every head be uncovered!
Weep with this spassing procession; and
let it be told through all the market
places and bazars Of Main, that in Gal
lice 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 a young
man that was being carried out. To
u.
old man halts and pants along the road,
where once he bounded like the roe.
From the midst Of immedicable all
ments and sorrows he cries out: 'How
long, Oh Lord, how long?" FoOtsore
on the hot journey, he wants to get
home.
But this man that am speaking of
was young man. He was Just put
tins on the armor Of life. and he was
saeSultinr toRthink how his sturdy blows
nould ring curt ab0ve- the clangor of
the battle. | suppose he had young
Iman's hopes, a young mans ambitions
and young mans courage. He said:
eff | live many years, l will feed the
hungry and clothe the naked. In this
city Of Main, where there are SO many
bad young men, I will be sober and
honest and pure, and magnanimous,
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 all
that is left 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 excel
lences that commend them to the
parental heart; and if it were per-
emptorily demanded of you to-day that
you should yield up one Of your chill
dren out Of very large family, you
would be confounded, and you could not
make a selection. But this was an
only son, around whom gathered all
the parental expectations.
There was one other thing that
added to the pathos Of this scene, and
that was, his mother was 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 had been extinguished, and this
was the only light left. suppose she
often said, looking at him: 'There are
onlv two Of u.s. Oh, it is a grand
thing to see young man step out in
life, and say to his mother: Don't be
down-hearted / will, as far as pos
sible. take fathers place, and as long
as / live you shall never want any
thing" 1t is not always that way.
Sometimes the young people get tired
of the old people. They say they are
queer; that they have so many all
ments; and they sometimes wish them
out of the way.
A young man and his wife sat at the
table. their little son on the floor play
ing beneath the table. The old father
was very old, and his hand shook so,
thew said: You shall no more sit with
us at the table, And so they gave
him place in the corner, where day
bv dav he ate out of an earthen bowl
everything put into that bowl. One
dav his hand trembled SO much he
dropped it and it broke; and the son
seated at the elegant table in mid-tioor
said to his wife: Now, we'll get
father a wooden bowl, and that he
rant break" So a wooden bowl was
obtained, and every day old grand
father ate out of that, sitting in the
corner One day, while the elegant
Young man and his wife were seated al
their table, with chased silver and al
the luxuries, and their little son sal
upon the floor, they saw the lad whit
.l;,r and thew said: "My son, what