Democratic messenger., 1894-08-25
WAS DEAD. YET LIVES
REV DR.. TALmAGE'S SERMON ON AN
ONLY SON.

REV. DR.. TALMAGE'S SERMON ON AN
ONLY SON.
Christ the Man and Christ the God-The
Master of Life and Death-The Wonders
of the Resurrection-Ch Christ In Season of
sorrow.
BROOKLYN. Aug. l9-Rcv. DIR. Tai
image. VINO is now in Australia on his
round the world tour, has selected as
the subject !or today's sermon through
the press AN Only Son, the text chosen
being Luke vii, l.-lJ: "Now, when he
came nigh to the gate of the city, behold
there was dead man carried ont. the
only son of his mother, and she was 4
widow, and much people of 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, / 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
a-rush with business and gayety, and
the ear is dcafened 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 u long procession of mourning
people. '. ho is it: A trifler 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 ont with so
many offices of kindness and Affection"
the reply comes, The only son of his
mother, and she widow" Stand back
and let the procession pass out! Hush
all the voices Of mirth and ploasure.
Let every head be uncovered. Weep
with this passing procession and 1T il
be told through all the market places
and bazaars Of Main that i'll Galilcc today
the sepulchcr hath gathered TO itself
1.-THE only sou Of his mother. and she a
widow"
There are two or three things that. in
my mind, give especial pathos to this
scene. The irst is, ho was Il 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 immedicable ailments and sor-
rows no cries out, How long, Lord.
how long," Footsore and hardly be-
stead OH the hot journey. he wants to
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
hundred and forty and four Thousand
who have passed the food How sweet
ly he sleeps the last sleep! 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 l 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 young mans
hopes, young mans ambitions and y
young mans courage. He said: IF
live many years, / will feed the hungry
and clothe the naked. In this city of
Main. where there are So many bad
young men, l will be sober and honest
and pure and magnanimous, and my
mother shall never be ashamed of me.
But all these prospects are blasted i'll
one hour There he passes lifelcss 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 confounded, and you could
not make n selection. But this was IN
only son, around whom gathered all the
parental expectations. How much care
in his education! How much caution in
his habits! He would carry
down the name TO other times He
would have entire control of the family
long after the parents had gone
to their last reward. He would stand in |
society n thinker. worker. n philan-
thropist, a 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 |
TO the pathos Of this scene, and that |
was his mother was 4 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 |
had been extinguished. and this was the
only light left. / suppose she often said, |
looking at him, There are only two of |
US. p" Oh, it is a grand thing TO see a
young man step ont in life and say To |
his mother: Don't be down hearted. |
will, rs far rs possible. take fathers
place. and rs long as l live you shall
never want anything" II 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
and they sometimes wish I
them out of the way. Ayoung man and
his wife sat at the table, their little son |
OIL the floor playing 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
hey gave him place in the corner.