Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-12-01
DR.. TALMkGE'S SERMON.

Washington. Nov. %, 1SS6.-A re-
sounding call goes out in this sermon
of DR.. Talmage. If needed it would be
revolutionary for good. His subject is,
Young Men Challenged to Nobility"
and the text: Kings eli: And the
Lord opened the eyes of the young
man.
theological student was scared by find
ing himself and Elisha the prophet,
upon whom he waited, surrounded by a
whole army of enemies. But venerable
Elisha was not scared at all. because
he saw the mountains full of defence
for him, in chariots made Of fire, drawn
by horses OF firea supernatural ap-
pearance that could not be seen with
the natural eye. So the old minister
prayed that the young minister might
gee them also, and the prayer was an
swered. and the Lord opened the eyes
of the young man, and he also saw the
fiery procession, looking somewhat. l
suppose, like the Adirondacks or the
Alleghanies in autumnal resplendence.
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 destiny!
A mighty defence for young man is
a good home. Some of my hearers look
back with tender satisfaction to their
early home. 1t may have been rude
and rustic, hidden among the hills, and
architect or upholsterer never planned
or adorned 1t. But all the fresco on
princely walls never looked so entic-
ing to you as those rough-hewn raf-
tiers. You can think Of no park or
arbor of trees planted on fashionable
country-seat so attractive as the plain
brook that ran in front of the old
farmhouse and sang under the weep
Ing willows. No barred gateway,
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
second dwelling-place. your adopted
home, that also is sacred forever. There
you built the first family altar. There
your children were born. All those
trees you planted. That room is sol,
emn, because once in it. over the hot
pillow, tapped the wing of death.
Under that roof you expect 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.
Another defence for a young man is
industrious habits. Many young men.
in starting upon life in this age, ex-
pect to make their way through the
world by the use of their wits rather
than the toll of their hands. A boy
now goes to the city and fails twice
before he is as old as his father was
when he first saw the spires of the
great town. Sitting in some Office,
rented at thousand dollars. a year, he
is waiting for the bank to declare its
dividend or goes into the market ex
pecting before night to be made rich
by the rushing up of the stocks. But
luck seemed so dull he resolved on
some other tack. Perhaps he borrowed
from his employers money drawer, and
forgets to put it back, or for merely
the purpose of improving his penman-
ship, makes copyplate of merchants
signature Never mind; all Is right in
trade. In some dark night there may
come in his dreams a vision OF the
penitentiary: but it soon vanishes. In
oI,. h. nil b. 90 .,ntl-
from the busy world, and amid his
Jocks and herds cultivate the domestic
virtues. Then those young men who
once were his schoolmates, and knew
no better than to engage in honest
work, will come with their oX-teams
to draw him logs, and with hard hands
TO heave up his castle. This is no fancy
picture. 1t Is everyday life. / should
not wonder if there were some rotten
beams in that beautiful palace. !
should not wonder If dire sickness
should smite through the young man, or
II God should pour into his cup of life
draught that would thrill him with
unbearable agony; IL his children
should become to him a living curse,
making his home pest and disgrace.
/ should not wonder II he goes to a
miserable grave, and beyond 1t into the
crashing Of teeth. The way of the un-
godly shall perish.
My young friends, there is no way to
genuine success. except through toll,
either OF head or hand. At the battle
of Crecy, in 1S46. the prince of Wales,
finding himself heavily pressed by the
enemy, sent word to his father for help.
The father, watching the battle from a
windmill. and seeing his son was not
wounded and could gain the day If he
would, sent word, "No, i will not come.
Let the boy win his SPURS, for, IL God
will. / desire that this day be his with
all its honors." Young man, fight your
own battle, all through, and you 2hall
have the victory. Oh, IL is a battle
worth fighting! Two monarchs of old
fought duel Charles V. and Francis,
and the stakes were kingdoms, Milan
and Burgundy. You fight with sin,
and the stake is heaven or hell.
Do not get the fatal idea that you are
a genius, and that, therefore, there is
no need OF close application. IT Is here