Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-09-05
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BEOOKLIN DIV:TE's SIN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "An Only Son."

TEXT: "Now when He came nigh to the
gate OF the city. behold there was dead
man carried out. the only son OF his mother,
and she was a widow, and much people oil
the city was with her. And when the Lord
saw her He had compassion on her and said
unto her. Weep not. and He came and
touched the bier. and they that bore him
stood still. And He said, Young man, saw
unto thee arise! And he that was dead sat
up and began TO speak. and He delivered
hin, TO his mother. Luke viii, 1915.
The 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 traffir. Work, with its thousand
arms and thousand eyes and thousand feet.
fills all the street. when suddenly the crowd
parts. and n funeral passes. Between the
wheels of work and pleasure there comes a
long procession of mourning people, Who
is II? trifer says: ''Oh, it's nothing but
a funeral. II NAV have come up from the
hospital of the city. the almshouse, or
some low place of the town, - but not so, saws
the serious observer.
There ara 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 ont with so many offices of kind.
ness and affection?" the reply comes 'sThe
only son of his mother, and she widow"
Stand hack and let the procession pass out
Hush all the voices OF mirth and pleasurei
Let every leai De uncovered! Weep with
this passing procession and let if be told
through all the market places and bazaars
OF Main that in Gailee to-day the sepulcher
hath gathered to itself ''the only son OF his
mother. and she n widow"
There are two or three things that in nv
mind. give especial patho5 to this scene.
The hrstis 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 bound.
aA fL-a- -t.ar @l,o, ;I-%o of IL
cable ailments and sorrows he cries out,
"How long. Lord. how longw Footsore
and hardly nestead on the hot journey. he
wants to get home. He sits in the church
anf sings. with tremulous voice. some tune
he sarc forty years ago and longs to join the
better assemplage OF the one hundred and
forty and four thousand who have passed
the flood. How sweetly he sleeps the last
sieepi 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 viii never weep again.
But this man that l am speaking of was a
young man. He was just putting on the
armor OF life. AMI he was eXulting TO think
how his sturdy blows would ring out above
the clanGor OF the battle. / suppose he had
Hyoung mans hopes. young mans ambi-
tions and a young mans courage. He said
''Ii live many years, will feed the hungry
and clothe the naked In this city OF Main,
where there are so many bal young men, 1
will be sober and honest and pure and mag
nantnous, 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
oEthe 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 fock
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, |
md II IT were peremptorily demanded OF you |
to-day that you should yield up one OF your |
children out OF very large family you |
would be confounded and you could not |
make selection. But this was an only son, |
around whom gathered all the parental ex- |
pectations. How muoh care In his educa- |
tion! How much caution In watching his !
habitsI He would carry down the name TO
other times. He would have entire control |
OF the family property long after the parents
had gone to their Inst reward. He would
anthropist. 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 thing that added to the |
pathos ofthis 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 has been extinguished, and this was
the only light LEFT. I suppose she often said.
looking at him. "There are only two OF US"
Oh, II Is grand thing to see young man |
step out IN life and say to his mothers
'.Don't be down hearted. will, as lar as
possible. take fathers place, and rs long as
live you shall never want anything. IL IS
not always that way. Sometimes the young |
people get tired OF the old people. They |
cay they are queer that they have SO many
ailments, and they sometimes wish them OUT !
OF the way. Ayoung man and his vile SAL
at the table, their little son on the noor pay
ing beneath the table. The old father was
very old, and his hand shook, so they SAID
"You shall no more sit with US at the table.
And so they gave him place in the corner
where, day by day, he ate out OF an eartnet
bovl-everything put into that bowl. ont
dav his hand trembIed 50 much he dropped
It. and II broke, AMI the son, sehtea at ,ns
elegant table in midfoor, said to hnA VIE
sSow we'll get father a wooden bowl, ana
that he can't break" So n wooien poWi
was obtained. and every day old grand
father ate out OF that, sitting in tho corner:
One day, while the elegant young man aho
his wife were seated at their table, WITH
chased silver and all the luxuries. ana Ineis
lad whiting, and they said: "My son, what
Az Won doing there with that kniie!'
"O5." said he. 'H-Tm making trough for
my father and mother to eat OUT OF "hen
they get DID,"
But this Young man OF the text was not
ofthat character He did not belong to that
school, 1 can tell /: from the way they
mourned over him. He was TO De the CON-
panion Of his mother. He was TO De nus
mothers protector. He would return now
some of the kindness he had received In the
days of childhood and boyhood. Aye, ne
would with his strong hand upholn Inat
form already enfsebled with age. WIN He
do it2 No. In one hour that promise ..
help and companionship Is gone. inere ~ -
a world OF anguish in that one snort pntase,
'sThe only son OF his mother, and sne
widow
Now, my friends, it was upon this scene !
that Christ broke. He came IN WITHOUT any |
introduction. He stopped the procession. |
Ea had only two utterances 10 make-the |
one TO the mourning mother, the olhef 70
the dead. He cried out TO the mourning
one, weep not" and then. touching .ne
bier op which the son lay. He cried our;
"Young man, I say unto thee arise' An'
he thar was dead sat up.
learn two or three things IRON TINS SUI
ject, and first that Christ was man. tou
:sssre aeT tfas G tb1H
this too often. Christ was man moro Ger.
tainly than you are. for He was n perfect |
man. No sailor ever slept in ships ham.
mock more soundly than Christ slept in that
boat on Gennesaret. In every nerve and
muscle and bone and fiber Of HIS body, IN
every emotion and affection OF His heart. IN
every action and decision OF His mind lie
vas man.
He looked of upon the sea just as You LOOK
OF upon the waters. He went into Martha's
house Just as you go into cottage. He
brsathed hard when He was tired, just as
yon do when you are exhausted. He felt
after sleeping out a night in the storm just
like you do when you have been exposed to
tempest. 1t was just humiliating for
Him to beg bread as it would be for you to
become pauper. He felt Just as much in.
suited by being sold for thirty pieces OF sill.
YER as you would If you were sold for the
price OF dog. From the crown OF the head
to the sole of the foot He was man. When
the thorns were twisted for His brow, they
hurt Him just as much as they hurt your
brow II they were twisted for IL. He took