Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-08-22
WAS DEAD, YET LIVES
REV. Or. TALMAeE's SERMON ON AN
ONLY SON.

BROOKLYN, Aug. 19.-Rev. DR.. Tai.
mage, VINO is now in Australia ON his
round the world tour, has selected as
the subject for today's sermon through
the press "An Only Son, " the text chosen
being Luke vii, 1915: "Now, when he
came nigh to the gate of the city, behold
there was a dead man carried out, the
only son of his mother, and she was q
widow, and much people of the city
was with her. And when the Lord saw
her he had compassion ON her and said
INTO her, Weep not, and he came and
touched the bier, and they that bore
him stood still. And he said, Young
man, say unto thee arise And he
that was dead sat up and began to speak,
and he delivered him to his mother. -
The text calls us to stand at the gate
Of the city Of Main. The streets are
n-rush with business and gayety, and
the ear il deafened with the hammers
Of mechanism and The wheels of traffic
Work, with its thousand arms and
Thousand eyes and thousand feet, fills
ali 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: "Ob,
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 arc 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 sc
many Offices of kindness and affection?''
the reply comes, "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 pleasure.
Let every head be uncovered! Weer
with this passing procession and let it
be told through all the market places
and bazaars of Main that i'll Galilee today
the sepulchcr hath gathered to itself
the only son of his mother, and she a
widow"
There arc two or three things that, in
my mind, give especial pathos to this
scene. The first is, he was young man
thatwas 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 immodicable 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 a tremulous 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
ly 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 1 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, suppose he had young mans
young mans courage. He said: eff !
live many years, / will feed the hungry
and olothe the naked. In this city OF
Main, where there are so many bad
young men, will be sober and honest /
and pure and magnanimous, and my
mother shall never be ashamed of me. I"
But all these prospects are blasted i'll
one hour. There he passes lifeless i'll the
procession. Behold all that is left on
earth Of the high hearted young man of
che 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 confounded, and you could
not make q Eelection. But this was an
only son, around whom gathered all the
parental expectations. How much care
ia MS cuuctttlOnl HOW HuCn CdutlOll III
watching his habits He would carry
down the name to other times. He
wonld 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, philan-
tnropist a christian. No, no. 1t is all
ended Behold him there Breath is
gone Lie is extinct The only son of
his moiher
There was one other thing that added
to the paihos of this scene, and that
was bis mother was a widow. The
main hope Of that home had been bro
ken. and now be was come up TO be the
STAFF. The chief light of the household
had been extinguished, and this was the
only light left suppose she often said
looking - him. "There are only two of
US. Oh, II is a grand thing to see a
yonng man step out in life and say 10
his mothers rDon't be down hearted. l
viii, as far as possible, take fathers