The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1895-12-06
SAFETY FOR YOUNG MEN
Rev. DR.. Talmage Discourses Up
on a Timely Topic.
DavId's Grief Over the Death OF Absa-
IOm Typical OF the Feelings OF Mod
ern Fathers Over the Moral
Death of Their Sons

Death of Their Sons
Rev. 7. Dewitt Talmage, in a recent
sermon delivered to his Washington
congregation, addressed himself par
ticularly 10 young men. lie took foi
his text:
Is the young man Absalom safei-u Samue
xviii. p.
The heart of David, the father. wa,
wrapped mp in his boy Absalom. He
was a splendid boy. judged by the rules
of worldly criticism. From the crown
Of his head TO the sole of his foot there
was not single blemish. The Bible
\ says that he had such luxuriant
shock of hair that when once a year
it was shorn, what was cut off weighed
over three pounds. But, nOtwithstand-
ing all his brilliancy of appearance,
he was a bad boy, and broke his IA
theirs heart. He was plotting to get
the throne of Israel. He had mar
shaled an army to overthrow his IA
tie had come. The conflict was be-
gun. David, the father, sat between
the gates OF the palace waiting for the
tidings of the conflict. Oh, how rapidly
his heart beat with emotion. Two great
questions were to be de cided: the
safety of his boy, and the continuance
of the throne OF Israel After awhile,
a servant, standing on the top of the
house, looks off, and sees some one
running. lie is coming with great
speed, and the man on the top of the
house announces the coming of the
messenger, and the father watches
and waits, and as soon as the messen-
ger from the field of battle comes
within hailing distance the father
cries out Is it a question in regard
to the establishment of his throne?
Does he say: "IIavc the armies of
Israel been victorious? Am to con-
tinue in my imperial authority? Have
overthrown my enemies?" Oh,
no! There is one question that
springs from his heart to the lip, and
springs from the lip into the ear of the
besweated and bedusted messenger
flying from the battle field-the ques-
ton: SIS the young man Absalom
safer" When it was told to David,
the king, that, though his armies had
been victorious, his son had been slain,
the father turned his back upon the
congratulations Of the nation, and
went up the stairs of his palace, his
heart breaking as he went, wringing
his hands sometimes, and then again
pressing them against his temples as
though he would press them in, cry
ing: "Oh, Absaloml my son! my sonl
Would God l had died for thee, Oh,
Absalom! my soni my son!"
My friends, the question which
David, the king. asked in regard to his
son is the question that resouhds to-
day in the hearts of hundreds of par
ents Yea, there are great multi
tude of young men who know thet the
question Of the text Is appropriate
when asked in regard to them. They
know the temptations by which they
are surrounded; they see so many who
started life with as good resolutions
as they have who have fallen in the
path, and they are ready to hear me
ask the question of my text! MS the
young man Absalom safer" The fact
is that this life is full of peril. He
who undertakes it without the grace
of God aud a proper understanding of
the conflict into which ne is going,
must certainly be defeated. just look
off upon society to-day. Look at the
shipwreclS of men for whom fair things
were promised, and who started life
with every advantage. Look at those
who have dropped from high social
position, and from great fortune, dis
graced for eternity. All who sacrifice
their integrity come to overthrow.
Take dishonest dollar and bury it
in the center of tue earth, and keep
all the rocks of the mountain on top of
IT. then cover these rocks with all the
diamonds of Golconda, and all the silver
of Nevada, and all the gold of Cali
fOrnla and Australia, and put on the top
Of these all banking and moneyed insti-
tuticns, and they can not keep down
that one dishonest dollar. That one
dishonest dollar In the center of the
earth will begin to heave and rock and
upturn itself until it comes to the
resurrection OF damnation. "As the
partridge sitteth on eggs and hatcheth
them not, so he that getteth riches
and not by right shall leave them in
the midst of his days, and at his end
shall be fool"
Now, what are the safeguards of
young men? The first safeguard of
which want to speak is the love of
home. There are those who have no
idea of the pleasures that concentrate
around the word "home" Perhaps
your early abode was Swallowed with
vice or poverty. Harsh words, and
petulence, and scowling may have de-
strOyed all the sancity of that spot
Love, kindness, and self-sacrifice,
which have built the affairs in
so many abodes, were strangers
in your fathers house God
pity you, young man; you never had
a home. But a multitude In this audi
ence can look back to a spot that they
can never forget. 1t may have been a
lowly roof, but you can not think of
it now without a dash of emotion.
You have seen nothing on earth that
so stirred your soul. A stranger pass
ing along that place might see moth !
ing remarkable about it; but, OIL
how much it means to you. Fres-
co on palace wall does not mean
so much to you as those rough
hewn rafters- Parks and bowers |
and trees on fashionable watering
place or country seat do not mean so
much to you as that brook that ran in |
front of the plain farm house, and |
singing under the weeping willows.
The barred gateway swung open by
the porter in full dress does not mean |