Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-11-30
THE son OF DAVID.
REV. DR.. TAlMAGe BREACHES a SER
MON TO YOUNG MEN.

REV. DR.. TALMAGe BREACHES a SER
MON TO YOUNG MEN.
Love ofIIomc Industrious Habits High
Ideal of Life Respect For the sabbath.
The Christian Religion 4 Turning Point.
WASHINGTON, Nov. Elm his sermon
laday Rev DR.. Talmagc, preaching to the
usual crowded audience took up a subject
pf universal interest To young men. His
text was scloctet. from IL samuel xviii, %
"ls the young man AhSalom SAFE
The heart Of David, the father was
wrapped mp In his boy AbSalom. lie was
a splendid boy, Judged 10y the rules Of
worldly criticism From the crown OF his
head To the sole 81 his foot thrrc WAS not II
single Flemish. The Bible says that he
lad such luxuriant shock al hair that
when once a wear II was shorn what was
,ut of weighed over three pounds. But,
Notwithstanding all his brilliancy Of ap-
p,slrancr. lc was bad hoy and broke his
fathers heart. lie was plotting To get tho
throne Of Israel. lie had marshaled an
army to overthrow his fathers govern
mcnt. The day ui baltic had come The
conflict was begun. David. the father, sat
hvtwccn the gates OF the palace waiting
for the tidiugs uf the conflict. oh, how
rapidly hi. heart beat with emotion, Two
great quest IONS were TO bc dccidcd--thc
safety Of III. 10y and the continuance Of
the throne 81 Israel. After awhile a serv-
ant. standing on the top of the house.
looks of and secs some one running. He
H. coming with great speed, and the man
on tcp oi the house announces the coming
uf the messenger, and the father watches
and waits. and rs soon ~ the messenger
from the field II battle comes within hail
ing distance the father cries out
Is II a question In regard to the cstab-
lishmcnt of his throne: Does he say:
Have the armies Of Israel been victorious!
Am To continue In my imperial author
its: Have | ovcrthruwn my cncmicsY"
oh, mol There is one question that
springs from his heart 10 the lip and
springs from the lip into the ear Of tho be-
sweatcd Snd hcduStcd messenger flying
from the Observation-Disclosures question, lis the
young man Ahsalum safc!' When IL was
told To David. the king, that, though his
armies had been victorious. his son had
been slain, the father turned his back up
ON the congratulations of the nation and
went up the stairs Of his palace. his heart
breaking rs lac went, wrlnging his hands
sometimes and then again pressing them
against his temples rs though he would
press them in, crying: 30 Ahsalom, my
son, my SON Would God l had died for
thee, q Absalom, my son. my son!'
Is Absalom safe?
MY friends. the question which David,
the king, asked In regard To his son is the
question that rcsoundS today in the hearts
u hundreds Of parents Yea, there are y
great multitude Of young men who know
that the question of the text is appropriate
when asked in regard To them. They
know the temptations by which they are
surroundcd; they see So many who started
life with As good resolutions ms they have
who have fallen in the path, and they arc
ready To hear me ask the question of my
text, lis the young man AbSalom safcy'
The fact is that this life Is full OF peril.
He who undertakes IL without the grace Of
God and proper understanding OF the
conilict into which he is going must GER
tainly be defeated. just look of upon So
cicty today. Look at the shipwrcck q
men for whom fair Things were promised
and who started life with every advantage.
Look az those who have dropped from
high social position, and from great for
tune, disgraccd for time disgraced for
eternity All who sacrifice their integrity
come To overthrow. Take dishonest
dollar and bury il IN the center of the
earth and keep all the rocks Of the noun
tain ON top ~ IL; then cover these rocks
with all tho diamonds Of Golconda, and
all the silyc. Of Nevada. and all the gold
Of California and Australia, and put on
top Of these all banking and moneyed In
stiiuiionS. and they cannot keep down
that one dishonest dollar. That one dis
honest dollar in the center OF the earth
will begin 10 hcayc and rock and upturn
itself until IL comes To the resurrection Of
damnation. As the partridge stitch on
eggs and hatchcih them not, so he that
gettcth riches, ana not by right, shall
leave them in the midst Of his days, and
at his end shall be fool
a Safeguard.
Now, what are the safeguards Of Young
mcns The first safeguard ~ which | want
10 speak is u love ~ home There arc
those who have no idea Of the pleasures
that concentrate around that word
home. Perhaps your early abode was
Swallowed with vice or poverty. Harsh
words and pctulancc and scowling may
have destroyed all the sanctity OF that
spot Love, kindness and self sacrifice,
which have built their affairs in So many
abodcs, We're strangers in your fathers
house. God pity you, young man. You
never had home. But multitude in
this audience can look back to "A spot that
they can never forget II may have been u
luwly roof, hut you cannot think OF 1t now
without u dash Of emotion. You have seen
nothing ON earth that 80 stirred your soul.
\ stranger passing along that place might
see nothing remarkable about ii, but oh |
how much ii means To you. Frcsco on
palace wall does not mean 50 much 10 yoq
as those rough hewn raftcrs. Parks and
bowers and trees at fashionable watering
place or country seat do not mean 50 much
to YOU as that brook that ran in front ~
the plain farmhouse and singing under
the weeping willows. The barred gateway
swung open by porter in full dress does
not mean as much tn you aS that swing
gate. your sister ON ono side of IL and you
on the other. She, gone Il wears ago into
glory. That scene coming back To yOu to.
day H. You swept backward and forward
on the gate, singing the songs OF your
childhood. Blu, there are those here who
have their second dwelling place II is
your adopted home. That also Is sacred
for ever. There you established the first
family altar There your children were
born. In thar room Tapped the wing Of
the death angel Under that roof. when
your work is done you expect To lie down
and die. There is only one word in all the
language that can convey your idea Of that
place, and that word Is home.
Now, let me say that | never knew a
man who Was faithful 10 his early and
adopted home who WAS given over AT the
same time L. any gross form Of wicked
ness. II you find more enjoyment in the
cluhro0m. in the literary sncicty, in the
art salon, than yuu do in these unprrtcnd-
ing home pleasures, ynu are on the road 10
ruin Though you may De- cut of from
your early associates, and though you may
De- separated fruui all Your kindred, young
man. j. there uut "a room somewhere that
you can call Your own; Though i; be tho
fourth story ut third class boarding
house into that r3om gather books, pic
turcs and "a harp Hang your mothers
portrait over the mantcl. Bid unholy
mirih stand back from that threshold.
Consccratc some spot In that room with
the knee Of prayer. by the memory Of
other days, a fathers counsel, a mothers
love and sister confidence. call it home.
a Primo Virtue.
Another safeguard for these young men
is industrious habit There are great