The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1901-11-15
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
NAN VERSUS EVIL THE SUBJECT
LAST SUNDAY.
From Proverbs NNIII 50, as Foiiowsi
"when shall 4 Awake ? wan seek
10 Vet Again"-rhe Return of the
ProdigaI-su rmountinE Obstacles.

! copyright. 1901. by Louis Klopaoh. n. VI
Washington. Nov. i0.--in this dis
course Dr. Talmage depicts the strug-
gle OF a man who desires liberation
from the enthrallment of evil and
shows how he may be set free; text.
Proverbs XIII. 35: When shall
awake? 1 will seek II yet again"
with an insight into human nature
such as no other man ever had Solo
mon I'm these words Is sketching the
mental processes OF a man who has
stepped aside from the path OF recti-
tude and would like 10 return. Wish
ing for something better he says:
when shall awake? When shall !
get over this horrible nightmare of
IiniQuity?" But seized upon by I'M
eradicated appetite and pushed down
hill by his passions. he cries out: Il
will seek IL yet again. will try II once
morei"
About a mile from Princeton. n. j..
there Is a skating pond. One winter
day, when the ice was very thin, n
farmer living near by warned the
young men OF the danger OF skating at
that time. They all took the warning
except one young man. He. in the
spirit OF bravado. said. Boys. one
round more" lie struck out on his
skates. the ice broke. and his llfeless
body was brought up. And In all
matters OF temptation and allurement
II Is not n prolongation that is propos-
ed but only just one more indulgence.
Just one more sin. Then comes the
fatality. Alas. for the one round
more! II will seek II yet again"
Our Libraries are adorned with ele-
CANT literature addressed TO young
men pointing out 20 them all the dan
gers and pcrils OF life-complete maps
OF the voyage OF lifc-the shoals. the
rocks. the quicksands. But suppose n
young man Is already shipwrecked.
suppose he IS already OFF the track.
suppose he has already gone astray.
how can he get back? That Is a
question that remains unanswered.
and amid all the books OF the libraries
l find not one word on that subject. To
that class OF persons this day address
myself
surmounting Obstacles.
So far as God may help me ! propose
90 show what are the obstacles TO your
return and then how you are TO sur
mount those obstacles. The first din
Guilty In the way OF your return is the
force of moral gravltation. Just as
there is n natural law which brings
down to earth anythingyou throw into
the air, so there is n corresponding
moral grayitation. / never shall for
get a prayer heard n young man
make In the Young Mems Christian
Association OF New York. with trem-
bling voice and streaming eyes he
said: 20 God. thou knowest how easy
IL Is for me 20 do wrong and how hard
IL is for me 20 do right! God help
me-" That man knows not his own
heart who has never felt tho power Of
moral gravltation.
In your boyhood you had good asso-
ciates and bad associates. Which
most impressed you? During the last
few years you nave heard pure anec-
dotes and impure anecdotes Which
the easiest stuck 20 your memory
You have had good habits and bad
habits. To which did your soul more
easily yield? But that moral gravita-
ton may be resisted. Just as you may
pick up anything from the earth and
hold Il in your hand toward heaven.
just so. by the power OF Gods grace. n
fallen soul may be lifted toward peace
toward pardon. toward salvation. The
force of moral gravitation is In every
one OF US, but also power in Gods
grace 10 overcome that force.
slavery to Habit
A physician tells his patient that he
must quit the use OF tobacco. as IL is
destroying his health. The man re-
plies. II can stop that habit easy
enough" lie quits the use OF the
weed. lie goes around not knowing
what 20 do with himself. He cannot
add up a column OF figures; he cannot
sleep nights. II seems as II the world
had turned upside down. He feels his
business Is going 10 ruin. Where he
was kind and obllglng he Is scolding
and fretful. The composure that char.
acterized him has given way TO a
frctful rcstlessness. and he has becom,
a complete fidget. What power Is Il
that has rolled a wave OF woe over On,
earth and shaken a portent In On,
heavens? lie has quit tobacco. AfteI
awhile he says: II am going 10 do n,
I please. The doctor does not under,
stand my case I am going back q
my old habits" And he returns
| Everything assumes It's usual com
posure His business seems To bright
en-. The world becomes an attractive
place 10 1.-Two In. His children. sccinl
/ the difference. hail the return Of thci
I fathers genial disposition. VIVA
wave OF color has dashed blue into IN,
| olrv aud preenneaa into tho uouufaiI