The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-25
OH. ABSALoM!MY SONNY SON!
GRIEF OF KING DAVID IN THE
MIDST OF HIS VICTORY.

DR.. TaimaEe's Weekly Sermon De-
voted to a Subject Of Universal In
terest-"Is the Young Man AbsaIOm
safe .'-David's Anxiety During the
Battle and His Overwhelming
Grief at His sons Death. Although
His Enemies Were Driven Before
Him in Utter Rout-EIOquent Re
marks of the Noted Washington
Preacher.
Washington. Nov. PIN his sermon
to-day Rev. DR.. Talmage. preaching 70
the usual crowded. audience. took up
subject Of universal interest to young
men. His text was selected from ?. sam
uel 1929: rs the young man Absalom
safe2"
The heart Of David, the father, was
wrapped up 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
a single blemish. The Bible says that
he had such a luxuriant shock Of hair,
that when once a year it was shorn, what
was cut off weighed over three pounds.
But. Notwithstanding all his brilliancy
OF appearance, he was a bad boy, and
broke his fathers heart. He was plot
ting to get the throne of Israel. He had
marshaled an army to overthrow his
fathers government. The day of battle
had come. The conflict was begun. Dav-
Id. 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 decided, 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 He is coming with great
speed, and the man on top OF the house
announces the coming of the messenger.
and the father watches and waits, and as
soon as the messenger from the field of
battle comes within hailing distance. the
father cries out. Is it a question in re-
gard to the establishment of his throne?
Does he say: Have the armies of Israel
been victorious? Am I TO continue in my
imperial authority? Have l overthrow
my enemies?" Oh. no. There is one
question that springs from his heart TO
the lip. and spring from the lip into the
ear OF the besweated and bedusted mes
senger flying from the batte-held-the
question, rs 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 congrat-
ulations of the nation, and went up the
as he went wringing his hands some
times, and then again pressing them
against his temples as though he would
press them in, crying. "Oh, Absalom. my
SOM my SOM Would God / had died Tor
thee, Oh, Absalom! my son! my son.
NV friends, the question which David
sbe King asked in regard 10 his SON is
the question that resounds to-day in the
hearts of hundreds of parents. Yea, there
are a 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 surrounded; they see so
many who started life with as good res
olutions as they have who have fallen
in the path, and they are ready to hear
young man Absalom safe?" The fact
IS that this life is full of peril He who
undertakes it without the grace of God
and proper understanding of the con-
flict into which he is going, must certain
ly be defeated. Just look off upon So
ciety to-day Look at the shipWreck of
men for whom fair things were promised,
and who started life with every advant-
age. Look at those who have dropped
from high social position, and from great
fortune, disgraced for time, disgraced for
eternity. All who sacrifice their integri-
y come to overthrow. Take a dishonest
dollar and bury II in the center Of the
eartn, 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 California and Australia, and put
on the top of these all banking and
moneyed institutions, and they cannot
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 resIr-
recuon Of damnation. las the partride
stitch on eggs and hatcheth them not.
SO ne that getteth riches and not by right
snaIl leave az, them In the midst of his days,
ana at his end shall be fool"
Now, what are the safeguards of young
men? The first safeguard of which l want
10 speak is a love of home There are those
who have no idea of the pleasures that
concentrate around that word home
Perhaps your early abode was shadowed
with vice or poverty. Harsh words, and
petulance, and scowling NAV have de-
Stroyed all the sanctity OF that spot Love
kindness and self-sacrifice. which have
Dullt their affairs in so many abodes, We're
strangers in your fathers house. GOO
pity you, young man; you never had a
nome. But multitude in this audience
can look back to a spot that they can
never forget. 1t may have been a lowlv
roof, but you cannot think of il now
without dash of emotion You have seen
nothing on earth that 50 stirred your soul
A stranger passing along that place might
see nothing remarkable about it; but oh!
now much II means to you. E'resco on
palace wall does not mean so much to Won
as those rOugh-heWn rafters Parks and
powers ana trees on fashionable water
ing 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 porter in full
dress, does not mean as much to you as
that swing gate. your sister on
other; she gone fifteen years ago
into glory. That scene coming back
10 you to-day, as you swept back
ward and forward on the gate, singing the
songs of your childhood But there are
those here who have their second dwell
llng-place. 1t is your adopted home That
also is sacred for ever. There YOU estab-
lished the first family altar There your
children were born. In that room fapped
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 l never
knew a man who was faithful to his ear
~ and adopted home who was given over
at the same time TO any gross form Of
wickedness If you find more endowment
IN the club room, in the literary society in
the art-salon, than you do in these UMPIRE
tending home pleasures. you are on the
road to ruin Though you may be cut off
from your early associates, and though
you may be separated from all your kim
dred young man, is there not a room
somewhere that you can call your own?
Though il be the fourth story of a third
class boarding house, into that room gath