The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-05-29
REV. DIR. TALMAGE,
SUNDAYS SERMON IN THE NEW
YORK ACADEMY OF MUSIC
Subject: Swords With Young Men. /"


Of young men from different parts Of the
Union, and representing almost every calling
and profession In life. To them he specially
addressed this discourse, the subject being
Swords With Young Men,"
FAYErrE, o.
Reverend Sir-We, the undersigned, being
earnest readers Of your sermons, especially
request that you use as q subject for some
one OF your future sermons "Advlceto Young
Men," Yours respectfully,
b. 8. M11IorT. CHARLES T. RUBERr.
F. o. MnLoTT. NJ. E. ELDER.
j. L. SHERWOOD. 8. J. ALTMAN.
Those six young men. suppose, represent
innumerable young men who are about un-
dertaking the battle Of life, and who have
more interrogation points in their mind than
any printers case ever contained, or prin-
ter's fingers ever set up. But few people
who have passed fifty years Of age are eapa-
BILE Of giving advice to young men. Too
many begin their counsel by forgetting they
ever were young men themselves. November
SHOWS do not understand May time blossom
week. The east wind never did understand
the south wind. Autumnal goldenrod makes
poor fist at lecturing about early violets.
Generally, after q man has rheumatism in
his right foot he Is not competent to discuss
juvenile elasticity. Not one man out Of
hundred can enlist and keep the attention Of
the young after there Is bald spot on the
Uranium.
Iattended a large meeting in Philadelphia
assembled to discuss how the Young Mems
Christian Association Of that city might be
made more attractive for young people, when
man arose and made some suggestions with
such lugubrious tone Of voice and manner
that seemed to deplore that everything was
going to ruin, when an old friend Of mine,
N Hrn Unn no unty vry In No
any one at twenty, arose and said, "That
good brother who has just addressed you
will excuse me for saying that young man
would no sooner 60 and spend an evening
among such funereal tones of voice and
funereal ideas OF religion which that brother
seems to have adopted than he would 60 and
spend the evening In Laurel Hill Cemetery"
And yet these young men OF Ohio and all
young men have right to ask those who
have had many opportunities Of studying
this world and the next world to give help
full suggestion as to what theories of life one
ought to adopt and what dangers he ought
to shun. Attention, young men.
First, get your soul right. You see, that
Is the most valuable part Of you. 1t Is the
most important room in your house. 1t Is
the parlor of your entire nature. Put the
best pictures on Its walls. Putthe best music
under its arches. It Is important to have
the kitchen right, and the dining room right,
and the cellar right, and all the other rooms
Of your nature right; but oh! the parlor OF
the soul! Be particular about the guests who
enter It. Shut its doors In the faces of those
who would despoil and pollute it. There are
princes and kings who would like to come
into 1t, while there are assassins who would
like to come out from behind Its curtains,
and with silent foot attempt the desperate
and murderous. Let the King como In. He
Is now at the door. Let me be usher to an
bounce His arrival. and introduce the King
of this world. the King of all worlds, the
King eternal, immortal, invisible. Make
room. Stand back. Clear the way. Bow,
kneei, worship tho King. Have Him once
for your guest, and 1t does not make much
difference who comes or goes. Would you
have q warrantee against moral disaster and
surety Of O noble careerf Read at least one
chapter Of the Bible on your knees every day
Of your life.
Word the next: Have your body right.
SHOW are you?" I often say when meet
friend Of mine in Brooklyn. He Is over sew
enty, and alert and vigorous, and very
prominent in the law. His answer Is, 'T am
living on the capital Of well spent youth"
On the contrary, there are hundreds OF
thousands of good people who are suffering
the results Of early sins. The grace Of God
David, the Psalmist had to cry out, "Re-
member not the sins Of my youth" Let a
young man make his body wine closet, or
rum Jug, or q whisky cask, or beer barrel,
and smoke poisoned cigarettes until his
hand trembles, and he Is black under the
eyes, and his cheeks fall in, and then at
some church seek and find religion; yet all
the praying he can do will not hinder the
physical consequences Of natural law frac-
tured. You six young men Of Ohio and all
the young men, take care OF your eyes, those
windows Of the soul. Take care Of your
ears, and listen to nothing that deprayes.
utter no profanities. Take care OF your
nerves by enough sleep and avoiding un-
healthy eXcitements, and by taking out
door exercise, whether by ball or skate or
horseback, lawn tennis or exhilarating BIZ
cycle, II you sit upright and do not join that
throng Of several hundred thousands who by
the wheel are cultiyating crooked backs and
cramped chests and deformed bodies. rapidly
coming down toward oil fours, and the
attitude of the beasts that perish. Anything
that bends body, mind or soul to the earth
Is unhealthy. Oh, it is grand thing to be
we'll, but do not depend on pharmacy and the
John Todd's Manual and Coombs's Physio-
logy and everything you can lay your hands
on about mastication and digestion and assim-
ilation. Where you find one healthy man
or woman, you find fifty half dead.
From my own experience can testify that,
being disciple of the gymnasium, many q
time Just before going to the parallel bars
and punching bags and pulles and weights,
thought satan was about taking possession
of society and the church and the world, but
after one hour Of climbing and lifting and
fa1k ,1-a hoe nirry hNp ia n
there when the millennium set in. Take good
stout run every day. I find in that habit,
which Ihave kept up since ut eighteen years
read the aforesaid Todds Manual, more
recuperation than in anything else. Those
six men of Ohio will need all possible nerve
and all possible eyesight and all possible
muscular development before they get
through the terrific struggle Of this life.
Word the next: Take care OF your intel
lect. Here comes the flood OF novelettes,
ninety-nine out Of a hundred belittling to
every one that opens them. Here come de,
PRAYED newspapers, submerging good and
elevated American journalism. Here comes
a whole perdition Of printed abomination,
dumped on the breakfast table and tea table
and parlor table. Take at least one good
newspaper with able editorial and reporters
columns mostly occupied with helpful in
telligence, announcing marriages and deaths
and reformatory and religious assemblaSes,
and charities bestowed, and the doinSs OF
good people, and giving but little place to
nasty divorce cases. and stories Of crime,
which, like cobras. sting those that touch
them. Oh, for more newspapers that put
virtue in what is called great primer type
and vice in nonpareil or agate!
You have all seen the photographers mega
tive. He took picture from it ten or twenty
years ago. You ask him now for picture
from that same negative. He opens the
great chest containing black negatives OF
1885 or 1875, and he reproduces the picture.
Young men, your memory is made up OF the
negatives OF an immortal photography All