The morning times., 1896-06-29

Rev DR.. Talmage's sermon last evening
was the last he will preach here for some
months. He will leave the city during the
coming week for an extended tour through
Virginia, Louisiana, Illinois, Wisconsin,
and other States.
He will be absent until September and
while away will attend the Chautauqua
meetings in the States through which he
passes.
The evening sermon was on the subject
"A mighty hunter"
Text: Gencsis X:9: 'IIc was a mighty
hunter before the, Lord"
In our day hunting is Il sport, but In the
lands and the times infested with wild
beasts, it was matter OF life or death
with the people. II was very different
from going out on a sunshiny afternoon
with patent breech-loader to shoot
reed birds on the flats from what IL was
when Pollux and Achilles and DiOmedes
went out to clear tb lands orliOns and tigers
and bears. My text sets forth NinrOd
as a hero when 1t presents him with broad
shoulders and shaggy apparel and sun
Drowned face, and arm bunchcd with
muscle mighty hunter before the
Lord 1 think he used the bow and the
arrow with great success pra acticing archery.
l have thOrEht If II is such grand
thing and such a brave thing to clear wild
beasts out OF a country, if it is not a better
aud braver thing to hunt down and de-
stroy those great evils OF society that are
stalking the land with fierce eye and
bloody paw, and sharp tusk and quick
spring. l have wondered if there is not
such a Thing as Gospel archery, by which
those who have been flying from the truth
may he captured for God and heaven. The
Lord Jesus in his sermon used the art OF
angling for an Illustration when he said:
II will make you fishers of men," And
SO think have authority for using hunt
ing rs an Illustration OF Gospel truth: and
! pray God that there may be many n man
now who will begin to study Gospel ar
cherry, of whom it may. after while, be
SAID: He was a mighty hunter before
the Lord
AWKWARD CHRISTIAN WORK.
How much awkward Christian work
there is done in the world. How many
good people there are who drive souls
a way from Christ instead of bringing them
to him, All their fingers are thumbs-se-
lgious blunderers who upset more than
they ght. Their gun has a crooked bar
rel. a nj kicks as il goes Off. they are like
clumsy comrade who goes along with
ssilIful hunters at the very moment when
he ought to be most quiet he is cracking
an alder. or failing over a log and frighten-
ing way the game.
How few Christian people have ever
learned the lesson OF which read at the
beg ming of this service. how that the
Lord Jesus Christ at the well went from
talking about a cup of water To the most
practical religious truths, which won the
woman's soul for God, Jesus in the " ilder
ness was breaking bread to the people. |
think il was good bread; it was very light
bread. and the 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 transition II was:
and how easily they all understood him,
But how few Christian people there are
who understand how to fasten the truths
of God a nd religion TO the souls of men.
A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
Truman Osborne, one OF the evangelists
who went through this country years ago,
had a wonderful art in the right direction.
He came to my fathers house one day,
and while we were all seated in the room
be said: 'Mr. Talmage, are all your
children ChrstiaDs?'' Father said: Yes,
all but De Witt Then Truman Osborne
looked down into the fireplace and began
to tell a story OF a storm that came on the
mountains and all the sheep were in the
fold, but there was one lamb outside that
perished in the storm. Had he looked me in
the eye l should have been angered when
he told that story; but he looked into the
fireplace, and II was so pathetically. aud
beautifully done that l never found any
peace until | was sure i was inside the
fold, where the other sheep were.
The arChers of olden time studied their
art. They were very precise In the mat
ter. The old books gave special directions
as TO how an archer should go and as to
what an archer should do. He must stand
erect and firm, his left foot little in adj
vance of the right foot. With his left
hand he must take hold OF his bow in the
middle, and then with the three fingers
and the thumb of his right hand ne should
lay hold of the arrow and affiX it to the
SO precise was the direction given.
But how clumsy We are about religious
work. How little skill and care we exer-
else! How often our arrows miss the mark!
Oh, that there were more institutions es-
in all the towns and cities of our
land where men might learn the art of do
ing good-studyiug spiritual archery, and
known as mighty hunters before the
LorGr'
SURE OF YOUR WEAPON.
In the first place, If you want to be ef-
'ectual i'll doing good, you must be very
ure of your weapon. There was some