The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1895-12-20
DIX. TALMAGE.
TIE NOTED DIvINE's SUNDAY
DISCOURSE.
Subjects "Davld and Absalom."

III samuel xviii. 30.
The heart OF David. tho father. wac
wrapped up In hts boy Ahsalom. Tie was a |
splendid boy. judged by the rules OF worldly !
criticism. From the crown Of his henl 60 !
the sole OF his foot there was not n single |
blemish. The Bible says thai he had such q
luxurIant shock of hair that when oucs q
year Il was shOrn. what was cut on wfirhet
over three pounds. Notwithstanding al
his brlianey OF appearance he was bad
boy. and broke his fathers heart. lie was
plotting TO get the throne OF Israel Tie had
marshaled an armyto overthrow his uthsrs
government. Tho day Of battle had come.
The conflict was begun. David, the father.
sat between the gates Of the palace waiting
FOR the udincs of the conflict. Oh, how
RAPIDLY his heart beat with emotion.
The two great questions we're 10 be deeld-
ed-,he safety OF HIS hoy and the continu-
unce Of the throne OF Israel. Alter whjlea
servant standing on the ton OF the house,
looks of and secs some one running. He 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 ag the messenger
from the 8eli OF battle comes within haiiing
distance the father cries out Is It ques-
ton IN regard 20 the establishment OF his
throne? Does he say! "Have the armies ~
Israel been victorious? Am 90 continue in
my imperial authority? Have I overthrown
my enemies2" Oh. mol There Is one ques-
ton that springs from his heart 20 the ljp.
and springs from the In into the ear o. the
besweated and bedusted messenger flying
from the battleneld-the question. "Is the
young man Absalom saie?" When It was
told 10 David, the king, that. though his ar
mics had been victorious. his son had been
slain. the father turned his back upon the
congratulations of the nation and went no
the stairs OF his palace. his heart breaking as
he went, wringing his hands sometimes and
then again pressing them against his TEMPLES
az though he would press them in. CRYING:
30 Absalom! my sonl my sonl Would TO
God had died for thee. o Absaloml my
SOM my sonl"
NV friends. the question which David, the
king, asked in regard 10 his son is the ques-
ton that resounds to-day in the hearts OF
hundreds OF parents. Yea, there are n great
multitude of young men who know that the
question of the text is appropriate when
asked i'm 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 nv text, "ls the
| young man Absalom saie?" The fact is that
/ this life is full Of peril. He who undertakes
! It without the grace of God and q proper un'
, derstanding Of the conflict into which he e.
! going must certainly be defeated. Just lool
Off upon society to-day. Look at the ship
wreck OF men for whom fair things were
promised and who started life with every ad
vantage. Looks ut those who have dropped
from high socislposition and from great for
tune disgraced for time, disgraced for eter
nifty I'll who sacrifice their integrity come
a. Ia11
bury it in the center OF the earth, and keeT
all the rocks OF the mountain on TOP OF 1t
Their cover these rocks with all the diamond
Of Golconda. and all the silver Of Nevada
and all the gold Of California and Australia
and put on the top Of these all banking anC
! moneyed institutions. and they cannot keeI
/ down that one dishonest dollar. That one lis
honest dollar in the center Of the earth will
begin to heave ndrock and upturn itself un
til it comes tothe resurrection Of damnation
GAS the partridge sitteth on eggs an
hatcheth them not. so he that gettetb richie
and not by right shall leave them in tn
midst Of his days, and at his end shall be
fool"
Now, what are the safeguards Of voun
menu The first safeguard Of which I wan
to speak is a love of home. There are thos
who have no idea Of the pleasures that con
centrate around that word "home." Per
haps your early abode was Swallowed witt
vice or poverty. Harsh words and petulanc
and Sowing may have destroyed all tn
sanctitY of that spot. Love. kindness an
self sacrifice. which have built their affairs il
so many abodes, were strangers in you
fathers house. God pity you, young man
you never had home. But a multitude il
this audience can look back to spot tina
they can never forget. It may have been
lowly root, but you cannot think of it nov
without dash of emotion. You have seel
nothing on earth that so stirred your soul
stranger passing along that place Nigh
see nothing remarkable about it; but. oh! HOY
much it means to you. Fresco on palac
wall does not mean so much to you as thos
rough hewn rafters. Parks and bowers ant
trees on fashionable watering place or coun
try seat do not mean so much to you as tina
brook that ran in front of the plain farm
house and singing under the weeping will
lows. The barred gateway swung open b,
porter in full dress does not mean as mucl
to you as that swing gate, your sister on on
side of it and you on the other, she gone fif
teen years ago into glory; that scene comin'
back to you to-day, as you swept backward
and forward on the gate, singing the song
OF your childhood. But there are those her
who have their second dwelling place. 1t i
your adopted home. That is also sacre
forever. There you established the frs
family altar. There your children war
born. In that room tapped the wing OF tn
death angel. Under that roof, when YOU
work is done, you expect to lie down an
die. There is only one word In all the Ian
guage that can convey your idea OF tina
place, and that word is "home"
Now, let me say that I never knew a ma
who was faithful to his early aud adople
home who was given over at the same tim
to any gross form of wickedness. III yo
find more enjoyment in the club room, i
the literary society, in the art salon. tina
you do in these unpretending home pleas
ures, you are on the road to ruin. Thong
you may be cut off from your early asso
ciates, and though you may be separates
from all your kindred. young man, is ther
not a room somewhere that you can cal
your own? Though it be the fourth stor
Of a third-class boarding house, into tina
room gather books. pictures and a harp
Hang your mothers portrait over tn