The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-08-29
HE WAS AN ONLY SON.
Christs Compassion and Miracle For the
Widowed Mother.

BROOKLYN, Aug. 19.-ReV, Or. l al
mage, who Is now in Australia on hls
round the world tour, has selected as the
subject for today's sermon through the
press IAN Only Son." the text chosen
being Luke vii, II Is: Nov when be
came nigh to the gate Of the city, behold,
there was dead man carried cut, the
only son of his mother, and she was g
widow, and much people Of the city was
with her. And when the Lord SOW hel
he had compassion on her and said unto
her, Weepuot. Aud he came aad touched
the bier, and they that bare him stooc
still. And he said, Young man, l say
unto thee arls1. And he that was deao
sat up and began to speak. And he de-
delivered him to his mother"
The text calls US to stand at the gate
of the city of Main. The streets are q.
rush with business and gayety, and the
ear is deasened with the hammers OF me-
chanIsm 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
long procession of mourning people
Who is ii? 4 trifer says: "Oh, it's
nothing but funeral. It may have
come up from the hospital Of the city,
or the almshouse, or some low place oi
the town." but not so SAYS the serious
observer.
There are 30 many evidences Of dire
bereavement that we know at the first
glance some one has been taken away
greatly beloved, and to our inquiry,
tWho is this that is carried out with so
many oficee of kindness and afsctiop?"
reply comes, 1.-The only son of his mo-
ther, and she widow" Stand back and
let the procession pass out! Hush allthe
voices of mirth and pleasure! Let eVsry
head be uncovered! Weep with this
passing procession, and let ii be told
through all the market places and ba'
zaars of Main that in Gahlee today the
sepulcher hath gathered to itself ''the
only son Of his mother; and she q
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 imneicable ailments and
sorrows he cries out, How long, 0
Lord. how lone?n Foot sore and hard
ly bestead on the hot journey, he wants
10 get home. He sits in the church and
sings with tremulous voice some tune
he sang 40 years ago, and longs to join
the better assemblage of the one hun
dred and forty and four thousand, and
the thousands, of thousands who have
passed the food. How sWeetly he sleeps
the last sleep! Push back the white
locks from the wlnkled 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 young man. He was just putting
on the amor oflife, aud he was exulting
to think how his sturdy blows would ring
cut above the clangor Of the battle.
suppose he had young mans hopes, q
young mans ambitions and young
mans courage. He said: ''If I live
many years, I will iced the hungry and
and clothe the naked. In this city ot
Nam, where there are so many bac
young men, I Will be sober and honest
pure and magnanimous, and my mother
shall never be ashamed OF me-" But
all these prospects are blasted IN one
hour. There he passes ifeless 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 be was
an only son. However large the family
flock may be, we never could think o!
sparing one of the lambs. Though they
may all have their tauls, thei!
excellence that commend them
to the parental heart, and i
It were peremptorlly demanded OF you
today that you should yield up one o.
avery large family you would be con-
founded, and you could not make a selec'
ton. But this was an only son, around
whom gathered all the parental expecta
lions. How much care in his education
How much caution in watching his hab.
its! He would carry down the name tC
other times. He would have entire con-
troll of the family property long after the
parents had gone to their last reward
He would stand in society a thinker,
worker, a pbilanthropist, Christian
No, no. It ID all ended. Behold him
there. Breathls Is gone. Life Is extinct.
The only son of his mother.
There was one other thing that added
to the pathos of this scene, and that was
his mother was a widow. The main
hops of home had been broken, anC
now he 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, look
ing at him, There are only two of u.s.
Oh, it is a grand thing to see young
man step out in life aud say 10 his mo-
ther: Don't be downhearted. l will.
as far as possible, take fathers place.
and SIS long as 1 live you shall never
want anything" It is not always tha!
way. Sometimes the young people gel
tlred of the old people. They says they
are queer, that they have so many all
ments, and they sometimes wish them
out of the way. a young man and bis
wife sat al the table, tteir little,
son on the floor playing beneath
the table. The old father was very old,
and his hand shook, 80 they said, You
shall no more sit with US al the table,"
And so they gave him place in the cor
ner where day by Cay he ate out OF an
earthen bowl-every thing put into that
bowl. One day his hand trembled SO
much he dropped it, and it broke, and
the son, seated at The elegant table IN
midfoor, said to his wife, Now, We'll
get father wooden bowl, and that he
can't break" So o wooden bowl was
obtained, and every day old grandfather
ate out of that, sitting N the corner,
One day, while the elegant young man
and his wife were scattered at their table,
With chashed silver and all the luxuries,
ha