The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-12-04
APPEAL TO YOUNG MEN.
Rcv. DR.. Talmage Gives Voice to a
Resembling Gall.
"A Challenge to the Youth of the Country
70 Cultivate Nobility OF Thought
and Purpose and to Let Their
Aims be High.

The IOilOWlnB uiScOurSe on the Su b
iect: Young Men Challenged wa.
delivered by Rev. T. Dewitt Talmags
before his Washington congregation
being based on the text:
Aud the Lord opened the eyes OF the youns
man. III. Kings, VI, II.
One morning, in Dothan a young
theological student was scared by
finding himself and Elisha the prophet t,
upon whom he matted, surrounded by
whole army Of enemies. But vener-
cable Elisha was not scared at all,
because he saw the mountains full of
| defense for him, in chariots made Of
| fire, drawn by horses of fre-a super
natural appearance that could not be
seen with the natural eye. So the old
| minister prayed that the young minis
ter might see them also, and the
prayer was answered, and the Lord
opened the eyes Of the young man,
and he also saw the fiery procession,
booking somewhat, suppose, like the
Adirondack or the Alleghanies in au-
tumnal resplendence.
4 Many young men, standing among
the most tremendous realities, have
their eyes half shut or entirely closed.
May God grant that my sermon may
open wide your eyes to your safety,
your opportunity, and your destinyl
A lightly defense for young man
is good home. Some of my hearers
look back with tender satisfaction to
4 their early home. 1t may have been
rude and rustic, hidden among the
hills. and architect or upholsterer
never planned or adorned it. But all
the fresco on princely walls never
looked 50 enticing to you as those
rough-hewn rafters. You can
think Of no park or ar
Dor Of trees planted on fashion,
able country seat so attrctive as the
plain brook that ran in front of the
old farm house and sang under the
weeping willows. No barred gate
way, adorned with statue Of bronze,
and swung open by obsequious porter
in full dress, has half the glory of the
old swing gate. Many Of you have a
second dwelling place, your adopted
home, that also is sacred forever.
There your built the first family altar
There your children were born. All
those trees you planted. That room is
solemn, because once in II, over the
hot pillow. tapped the wing of death.
Under that roof you expect, when
your work is done, to lie down and
die. You try with many words to tell
the excellency of the place, but you
fail. There is only one word in the
language that can describe your mean
ing. 1t is home.
Now, I declare it. that young man is
comparatively safe who goes out into
the world with charm like this upon
him. The memory of parental solicit
tude, watching, planning and praying, |
will be to him shield and shelter.
/ never knew man faithful both to
his early and adopted home, who at
the same time was given over to any
gross form of dissipation or wicked
meas. He who seeks his enjoyment
chiefly from outside association,
rather than from the more quiet
and unpresnming pleasures OF which
have spoken, may be suspected to
be on the broad road to ruin. Absa-
om despised his fathers house, and
you know his history of sin and his
ieath of shame. If you seem unneces-
sarily isolated from your kindred and
former associates, is there not some
loom that you can call your own? In
% it gather books and pictures. Have
portrait over the mantel. Make un-
oddly mirth stand back from the
threshold. Consecrate some spot with
he knee of prayer. By the memory
# other days, a fathers counsel, and a
Mothers love, and a sisters confidence,
all it home.
Another defense for young man is
habits. Many young men,
a starting upon life in this age, ex-
ect to make their way through the
7orld by the use of their wits rather
han the toll of their hands. A boy [
low goes to the city and fails twice
'efore he is as old as his father was
Then he first saw the spires of the
reat town. Sitting in some Office,
ented at 81, 900 year, he is waiting
Or the bank to declare its dividend,
r goes into the market expecting
efore night to be made rich by the
ushing up of the stocks But luck 1
semed so dull he resolved on I
'me other tack. Perhaps he bor- {
owed from his employers money
rawer, and forgot to put it back, or, {
Or merely the purpose of improving I
70 penmanship. makes copy plate OF
merchants signature. Never mind; !
Il is right in trade. In some dark
ight there may come in his dreams a
sion of the penitentiary; but it soon
anishes. In a short time he will be ,
sady to retire from the busy world,
nd amid his focks and herds culti- |