The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-07-11
TALMAGE's SERMON.
The Pursuit and Destruction OF the
Animal Kingdom
Likensd Unto the chrisssap's Assault Upsn
viee-Ths Weapons Of Chris.
tianity and Their Vs. ''..
rious Usos.

Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage delivered
the following discourse before BIZ
Washington congregation, taking fol
his text:
He was q mighty hunter before the Lord
Genesis rs.
In our day, hunting Is a sport; out
In the lands and the times infested
with wild beasts II was matter OF
life or death with the people. It wa
very different from going out on sun.
shiny afternoon with q patent breeoh.
loader, to shoot reed birds on the fats,
when Pullux and Achilles and do
medes went out to clear the land OF
lions and tigers and bears Ny text
sets forth Nimrod as hero whom II
presents him with broad shoulders and
shaggy apparel And sun-browned face
and urn punched with muscle
mighty hunter before tho Lord"
think he used the bow and the arrows
with great success practicing archery.
have thought If 1t is such a grand
thing and such brave thing to clear
wild beasts out of country, II Il Ia
not o better and drawer thing to hunt
down and destroy those great evils Of
society that are stalking the land with
fierce eye and bloody paw, and sharp
tusk and quick spring. have won
aered II there Is not such thing as
Gospel archery, by which those who
have been flying from the truth may
be captured tor God and Heaven. The
LORD Jesus in His sermon used the art
of angling for an illustration when
He said: Il will make you fishers of
Ren." And SO think have author
ity for using hunting as an illustra-
ton OF Gospel truth; and pray God
that there may be many man to-day
who will begin to study Gospel arch
cry, OF whom it may, after awhile, BIO
said: He was a mighty hunter be-
fore the Lord"
How much awkward Christian work
there Is done in the world! How many
good people there are who drive souls
away from Christ instead of bringing
them to Him! All their fingers are
ADMINISTRATIONS blunderers who up
set more than they right Their gun
has crooked barrel, and kicks as IL
goes off. They are like clumsy COM
rade who goes along with skillful
hunters; at the very moment when he
ought to be most quiet, he Is cracking
an alder. or falling over log and
frightening away the game. How
few Christian people have ever learn ed
the lesson Of which / read at the be-
ginning Of this service, how that the
Lord Jesus Christ at the well went
from talking about cup of water to
to the most practical religious truths,
which won the womans soul for Godl
Jesus in the wilderness was breaking
bread to the people. think it was good
bread; 1t was very light bread, and tho
yeast had done its work thoroughly.
Christ, after He had broken the bread,
said to the people: Beware of the
yeast, or Of the leaven, of the Phari-
sees" So natural a transition 1t was;
and how easily they all understood
Him! But how few Christian people
there are who understand how to
fasten the truths OF God and religion
to the souls of men. Truman Osborne,
one Of the Evangelists who went
through this country years ago. had .
wonderful art in the right direction.
He came to my fathers house
one day, and while we were all
seated in the the room, he
said: "Mr. Talmage, are all your
children Christians?" Father said,
Eyes, all but De Witt" Then Tru-
man Osborne looked down into the
fireplace, and began to tell story of
q storm that came on the mountains,
and all the sheep were in the fold; but
there was one lamb outside that per-
ished in the storm. Had he looked
me in the eye, should have been an
gered when he told the story; but he
looked into the fireplace, and it was 80
>athetically and beautifully done that
! never found any peace until was
sure was inside the fold, where the
other sheep were.
The archers of olden times studied
their art. They were very precise In
the matter. The old books gave special
directions as to how an archer should
60, and as to what an archer should do.
He must stand erect and firm, his left
foot little in advance of the right
foot. With his left hand he must take
hold of the bow iu the middle. and
then with the three fingers and the
thumb of his right hand he should lay
hold of the arrow and affix it to the
string-so precise was the direction
given. But how clumsy we are about
religious work! How little skill and
care we exercise. How often our ar
rows miss the mark! Oh, that there
were more institutions established in
all the towns and cities of our land,
where men might learn the art of do
ing good-studying spiritual archery,
and known as mighty hunters before
the Lord!'
1t the first pace, If you want to be
effectual in doing good, you must be
very sure of your weapon. There
was something very fascinating about
the archery of olden times. Perhaps
you do not know what they could do
with the bow and arrow. Why the
chief battles fought by the English
Plantagenets were with the long-bow.
They would take the arrow Of pol
ished wood and feather 1t with the
plume of a bird and then il would f1y