The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-12-07
TALMAGE's SERMON.
A Timely and Pointed Discourse
on Safety for Young Men.
The Death Of Observation-Disclosures Sur
rounding Youth are Love of Home,
Respect for the Sabbath and
High Idea OF Life.

sermon uellvercu 10 MS washing TON
congregation, addressed himself par
ticularly to young men. He took for
| his text:
Is the young man Absalom safc'-II. Samuel
xviii. 90
The heart of David, the father. was
wrapped up in his boy Absalom. He
was 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 blcmish. The Bible
saws that he had such n luxuriant
| shock of hair that when once year
| II was shorn, what was cut off weighed
over three pounds. But, notwithstand-
ing all his brilliancy of appearance,
he was bad boy, and broke his ia
Tiers heart He was plotting to get
the throne of Israel. He had mar
shaled an army to overthrow his ia
theirs government. The day of bat
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,
q 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 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 question in regard
to the establishment of his throne?
Does he say: "Have the armies of
| Israel been victorious? Am ] to con-
tinue in my imperial authority? Have
/ overthrown my encmies?" 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: as the young man Absalom
safe?" When 1t 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, Absalom! my son! my son!
Would God had died for thee, Oh,
Absalom! my son! my son."
My friends, the question which
David, the king. asked in regard to his
son is the question that resounds to-
day in the hearts of hundreds of par
ent1. Yea, there are great multi
tude of young men who know that thr
question of the text is appropriau,
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 Inc
ask the question of my text us the
Young man Absalom safe?" The fact
Is that this life is full of peril. He
! who undertakes it without the grace
, of God aud proper understanding o.
/ the conflict into which he is going
must certainly be defeated. Just lool
off upon society to-day. Look at the
shipwrecs of men for whom fair things
were promised, and who started life
: with every advantage. Look at thos,
who haze dropped from high socia
q position. and from great fortune, dis
r graced for eternity. All who sacrifice
q their integrity come to overthrow
n Take a dishonest dollar and bury !
a in the center Of the earth, and keel
NIL the rocks of the mountain on top o.
It; then cover these rocks with all tn
= diamonds of Golconda, and all the silve
of Nevada, and all the gold OF Cali
fornia and Australia, and put on the to
). of these all banking and moneyed inst
tutions, and they can not keep dow
!" that one dishonest dollar. That on
dishonest dollar in the center of tn
earth will begin TO heave and rock an
70 uptnrn itself until it comes to til
- resurrection of damnation. "As tn
partridge sitteth on eggs and Ratchet
70 them not, so he that getteth richie
the midst of his days, and at his en-
n shall be fool"
~ Now, what are the safeguards {
20 young men? The first safeguard {
~ which l want to speak is the love {
Ia home. There are those who have 4
o. idea of the pleasures that concentra
IN around the word ''home." PerhaI
's' your early abode was Swallowed wit
N vice or poverty. Harsh words, an
60 petulence, and scowling may have d
ST stroyed all the sancity of that spo
u Love, kindness, and self-sacrfic
pc which have built the affairs
OF 80 many abodes, were strange
NJ in your fathers house. &c
On pity you, young man; you never liza
home. But multitude IN this aud
ence can look back to n spot that tho
can never forget 1t may have been
ne lowly roof, but you can not think
II now without dash of emotio
You have seen nothing on earth tn
ke SO stirred your soul. A stranger pa
or ing along that place might see not
ing remarkable about it; but, O
how much 1t means to you. FIR,
X, co on palace wall does not me-
ne SO much to you as those roug
ais hewn rafters. Parks and bowe
e." and trees on fashionable waterir
place or country seat do not mean