Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-08-24
WAS DEAD, YETLIvES
REV. DR.. TALMAeE'S SERMON ON AN
ONLY SON.

BROOKLYN, Aug. 19.-Rev. DR.. Tai
mage, who is now in Australia on his
round tho 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
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 arisel 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 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: ION,
it's nothing but funeral 1t may have
como ND from the hospital of the city,
or tho 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 flrst
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 replv comes, 1.-The only son Of his
mother. and she widow" Stand back
and Let the procession pass outl Hush
all the voices Of mirth and pleasure!
Let every head be uncovered Weep
with this passing procession and let 1t
be told through all the market places
and bazaars Of Main that in Galilee today
the sepulcker hath gathered to itself
1.-THE only son Of his mother, and she a
widow"
There arc twoo three things that, III
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 tho
midst Of immedicable ailments and sor-
rows he cries out, How long, Lord,
how long?" Footsore and hardly be-
stead on the hot journey, be wants TO
get home. He sits in the church and
sings. with q tremulous voice, some
tune he sang 40 years ago and longs to
ioin the better assemblage Of the one
hundred and forty and four thousand
who have passed the flood. How sweet
" 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 ! am speaking OF
was a young man. He was just putting
on the armor Of life, and he was exult-
ing 70 think how his sturdy blows
would ring ont above the clangor Of the
battle. 1 suppose he had young man s
hopes, a young mans ambitions and a
Young mans courage He said. If l
live many years, will feed the hungry
and clothe the naked. In this city Of
Main, where there are SO many bad
young men, will be sober and honest
and pure and magnanimons, 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 a very large family you
would be COMPOUNDED, and you could
not make a selection. But this was an
only son, around whom gathered all the
parental expectations. How much care
in his education How much caution IN
watching his habits! He would carry
down the name to other times. He
would have entire control Of tho family
property long after the parents had gone
TO their last reward. He would stand in
society a thinker, a worker, a 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 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 Isuppose she often said,
looking at him, "There are only two OF
us. " 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. l
will, as far as possible, take father s
place, and as long as live you shall
never want anything" 1t 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
ailments, and they sometimes wish
them out of the way. Ayoung man and
his wife sat at the table, their little son
on 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
they gave him place in the corner,
where, day by day, he ate out Of an
earthen bowl-eyerything put into that
bowl One day his hand trembled so
much lie dropped it, and it broke, and
the son, seated at the elegant table in
midfoor, said to his wife, Now We'll
get father a wooden bowl, and that he