The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-08-24
WAS DEAD, YET LIVES
REV. DR.. TALMAGE'S SERMON ON AN
ONLY SON.

Master of Life and Death-The Wonder
of the Resurrection Christ In Season q
Sorrow.
BROOKLYN, Aug. 19.-Rev. DR.. Tai
mage, wao is now in Australia on hi
round the world tour, has selected a
the subject for today's sermon through
the press "An Only Son, " the text chosel
being Luke vii, 1915: "Now, when b
came nigh to the gate of the city, behold
there was dead man carried out, tn
only son Of his mother, and she was
widow, and much people of the cit,
was with her. And when the Lord saw
her he had compassion on her and sale
unto her, Weep not, and he came ant
touched the bier, and they that bor'
him stood still. And he said, Young
man, I say unto thee arise! And hi
that was dead sat up and began to speak
and he delivered him to his mother. y
The text calls us to stand at the gate
Of the city of Main. The streets are
a-rush with business and gayety, an6
the ear is deafened with the hammers
Of mechanism and the wheels of traffic.
Work, with its 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 a long procession of mourning
people. Who is it? A trifer says: "Oh,
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 dire
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 widow" Stand back
and let the procession 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 bazaars of Main that in Galilee today
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 becomes beautiful The old man
halts and pants along the road, where
once he bounded like the roe. From the
midst of Unavoidable ailments and sor-
rows he cries out, "How long, Lord,
how long?" Footsore and hardly be-
stead on the hot journey, he wants to
get home. He sits in the church and
sings, with temulous voice, some
tune he sang 40 years ago and longs to
join the better assemblage of the one
hundred and forty and four thousand
who have passed the flood How sweet
y he sleeps the last sleepl Push back
the white locks from the wrinkled tenn
pies. 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 I am speaking of
was young man. He was just putting
on the armor of life, and he was exult-
ing to think how his sturdy blows
would ring out above the clangor of the
battle. l suppose he had a young mans
hopes, young mans ambitions and
young mans courage. He said: IF
live many years, l will feed the hungry
and clothe the naked. In this city of
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 excellencies that commend them |
to the parental heart, and if it were
peremptorily demanded of you today
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 son, around whom gathered all the
expectations. How much care
in his educationl How much caution in
watching his habitsl He would carry
down the name to other times He
would have entire control of the family
property long after the parents had gone
10 their last reward. He would stand in
society a thinker, worker, philan-
thropist, Christian. No, no. 1t is all
ended Behold him there. Breath is
gone. Life is extinct The only son of
his mother
There was one other thing that added
10 the pathos of this scene, and that
was his mother was a widow. The
main hope of that home had been bro
ken, and now he was come up to be the
staff. The chief light of the household
mad been extinguished, and this was the
,-,1x- 1iobt loft cuproca che ofta,, caid