from the ,google ,print project47       
,,the ,,following ,,is ,a ,,list ,,of   
,cabinet and ,carte-de-,visite          
,photographs  ,,of  ,,haworth  ,,and    
,,the ,,bronte ,,family4                
,cartes-de-,visite4      ,,charlotte    
,,bronte     ,,mr4 ,,nichols     ,,mr4  
,,bronte     ,,mr4 ,,grimshaw     ,,the 
,,old ,,church     ,,the ,,old          
,,parsonage     ,,the ,,bronte ,,group  
,,the ,,tablet     ,,the ,,old ,,pew    
,,the ,,old ,,pulpit     ,,the          
,,waterfalls     ,,the ,,new ,,church   
#f;d4 each4  ,post ,free #g;d4          
,cabinets4      ,,charlotte ,,bronte    
,,mr4 ,,bronte     ,,the ,,old ,,church 
,,the ,,new ,,church     ,,the          
,,parsonage     ,,the ,,bronte ,,group  
,,the ,,interior ,,of ,,old ,,church    
#as4 each4 ,post #ac stamps4  ,r4       
,,brown1  ,stationer1 ,kirkgate1        
,haworth4     ,,is ,,the ,,young ,,man  
,,absalom ,,safe8   ,a ,,sermon         
,,preached ,,in ,,the ,,church ,,of     
,,st4 ,,mary ,,magdalene1 ,,stoke       

,,bishop1 ,,on ,,sunday1 ,,july #ai,,th1
 #ahhe2   ,,by  ,,david ,,wright1       
,m4,a41  ,,vicar4   ,,london3           
,,hamilton1 ,,adams1  ,,co41 #cb1       
,,paternoster ,,row4 ,,bristol3 ,i4,e4  
,,chillcott1 #bf1 ,,clare ,,street4     
#ahhe4  ,,price ,,threepence4           
,,sermon4   #b ,,samuel xviii4 #bi4     
,,is ,,the ,,young ,,man ,,absalom      
,,safe8   ,the touch of nature comes out
 strongly here4 ,and it is this touch of
 nature appearing always in the ,old    
,testament stories which gives to them  
their reality4 ,the writer of ordinary  
histories has for the most part his     
favourites4 ,these are the heroes of his
 imagination1 and the history of their  
doings is unconsciously tempered by this
 partiality4 ,and there are others whom 
he holds in disfavour4 ,and the figure  
of these on his page is darkened        
accordingly4 ,and the book of another   
historian passes over the same ground4  
,but his sympathies are all the other   
way2 and the lineaments are altered2 and

 the heroes are displaced2 and forms    
which are not heroes stand where they   
had stood4 ,and so the readers of       
history are mystified4 ,they do get at  
events4 ,but the actors in them wear no 
fixed shape4 ,their form varies4  ,it is
 not so with the figures in the ,old    
,testament4 ,it is true they are seen   
upon that page only4 ,no second         
historian of the least authority has any
 place in those scenes4 ,but yet the    
narrative shows its faithfulness apart  
from any such test4 ,there are no signs 
anywhere of favour or of disfavour      
interfering with fidelity4 ,it is not   
certain who the author was of the ,books
 of ,samuel4 ,but whoever he may have   
been he was certainly an admirer of     
,david4 ,that illustrious king stood on 
a pedestal of his own before all the    
nation4 ,and this writer tells the      
principal events with which ,david's    
life and reign were mixed up4 ,but we   
can discover without a critical eye that
 he tells them with rigid and inexorable

 adherence to nature and to fact4 ,one  
of the very darkest transactions        
belonging to that life1 or indeed to any
 other life in those past ages1 is      
related point by point with no attempt  
at alleviation3 only with this comment  
at the end3 ,but the thing which ,david 
had done displeased the ,lord4 ,if the  
pen of the writer who tells the story of
 ,absalom's rebellion had been guided by
 favour or flattery1 the fact would have
 been suppressed or at least toned down1
 that the ,king's first word to the     
breathless messenger who brings tidings 
of the victory which has saved his crown
 is this1 ,is the young man ,absalom    
safe8 ,it is natural1 it is human1 it is
 fatherly1 it is pathetic and beautiful1
 but it is not heroic4  ,this young man 
,absalom comes upon the page a few      
chapters back1 and gathers upon his name
 quickly the dark stain of murder4 ,it  
is true he has received most awful      
provocation1 and the victim of that     
crime has little of our sympathy4 ,but  

there is no sign of penitence or of     
sorrow in the mind of ,absalom for this 
deep offence1 by which he has violated  
,god's most holy law4 ,his course runs  
on2 it is a selfish1 wilful1 violent1   
and graceless course1 unredeemed1 as far
 as we can see1 by any trace of better  
things4 ,and it ends in base rebellion  
against the throne and life of the      
father who had shown to this son more   
favour and affection than to any of the 
rest4 ,and the king fled before ,absalom
 and went over ,jordan1 and the rebel   
host followed1 and there was a great    
battle4 ,and the servants of ,david     
conquered in that fight2 and we know the
 fate of ,absalom4 ,but who shall tell  
the king of this8 ,he was lodged in a   
stronghold called ,mahanaim not far from
 the field of battle2 and had taken his 
place in the chamber between the inner  
and the outer gate4 ,and a watchman on  
the roof of this chamber kept watch4    
,who shall tell the king of what has    
happened8 ,two messengers ran--one      

following the other--the first the      
shorter way by the hills2 the second the
 longer way by the plain4 ,but this one 
outran the other1 and the eye of the    
watchman on the roof of the chamber     
caught sight of this single figure      
hastening over the plain1 and then of   
the second in the farther distance2 and 
it did not need the sagacity of king    
,david to know that both of these       
brought tidings4 ,and how would the     
tidings be given in these days8 ,we have
 won the battle1 or words like that4    
,and how were the tidings given in those
 days8 ,blessed be the ,lord thy ,god1  
which hath delivered up the men that    
lifted up their hand against my lord the
 king4 ,the difference is worth         
observing4  ,but we are looking upon the
 king and listening to his word4 ,the   
messengers have told the good tidings1  
and the king is speaking to them very   
eagerly4 ,in what state is the army8    
,was the slaughter great8 ,have any of  
the captains fallen8 ,he is not asking  

these questions4 ,the king of the       
people--the commander of the            
hosts--might be expected to ask such    
questions4 ,and ,david was both these4  
,but ,david was the father of ,absalom1 
and all things besides gave way to the  
yearning of the father's heart4 ,is the 
young man ,absalom safe8 ,the first     
messenger cannot answer3 or rather he   
evades the answer1 for he does know the 
fact4 ,and then quickly comes up the    
second messenger4 ,and again the king is
 forgotten1 and the interests of the    
nation are forgotten1 and everything    
else is forgotten1 and the voice of the 
father speaks out again1 ,is the young  
man ,absalom safe8 ,we remember the     
answer4 ,it is gently said1 but very    
finely1 ,the enemies of my lord the     
king1 and all that rise against thee to 
do thee hurt1 be as that young man is4  
,we shall not need to follow the history
 further now4 ,we are listening to this 
same word from the lips of the fathers  
of the earth1 and the mothers of the    

earth1 and all whom care for young men  
and young women chiefly touches and most
 nearly concerns4 ,are they safe8 ,we   
bring the question down from the watch  
tower of ,mahanaim1 or from the chamber 
between the walls1 and give to it shape 
and interpretation after the times in   
which we live4 ,from the mouth of ,david
 it meant ,i think only1 ,does ,absalom 
still live8 ,is he not among the slain8 
,we are not to anticipate the revelation
 of later ages and say1 as some have    
said1 that it was the thought of the    
future for his son after death which    
moved the king of ,israel so deeply4 ,it
 was just the sorrow of another father  
at an earlier time1 also in the first   
throes of its bitterness3 ,i will go    
down unto the grave unto my son         
mourning4 ,and yet ,i think that without
 anticipating any revelation1 the man   
whose thoughts about ,god and holiness  
were those which the ,psalms of ,david  
disclose1 cannot have lost his          
best-loved son in the very act and deed 

of direful guilt1 without an aggravation
 of his anguish because of this sad     
thing4 ,if ,absalom in the midst of     
upright walking and works of            
righteousness had been stricken by      
disease and had died in his bed1 the    
tidings of this when it reached the     
father might and would no doubt have    
moved him to deep sorrow4 ,but ,i think 
we should not have heard that wail of   
grievous lamentation from the roof of   
the chamber1 ,o my son ,absalom1 my son1
 my son ,absalom1 would ,god ,i had died
 for thee1 ,o ,absalom1 my son1 my son6 
,we sometimes hear of the world growing 
old4 ,brethren1 the world can never grow
 old4 ,if by the world is meant the     
generations of men1 it can never grow   
old4 ,its seed is in itself2 while it   
decays it germinates2 as it withers1 it 
grows4 ,the elders fall off1 but their  
place is filled and more than filled4   
,the world is and must be while things  
remain as they are now1 for ever young4 
,but of what kind is its youth8 ,that is

 the awful and tremendous question4     
,shall the ,absaloms abound8 or the     
,josephs and the ,josiahs8  ,the elders 
have much to say to this4 ,we bring no  
charge against the father of ,absalom4  
,he was not fortunate indeed as to any  
of his sons1 of whom any record remains4
 ,even of ,solomon it can only be said  
that he began well4 ,but the ways of an 
,eastern court are past our knowledge   
and judgment4 ,we have to do with       
,english homes4 ,the youth of the world1
 that which is now its youth and is     
keeping it from growing old1 of what    
kind is the influence upon it which they
 are bringing to bear with whom the     
influence lies8 ,and not the influence  
only1 not that only which comes from    
example and 7as it were7 unconscious    
agency1 but from counsel1 from          
authority1 from particular guidance8    
,this must of course vary according to  
the age4 ,the young man or the young    
woman does not brook the treatment which
 is fitting for the child4 ,and the     

attempt to enforce it will surely show  
itself wrong4 ,just as setting the child
 on the footing of the young man or the 
young woman is mistaken also2 and that  
too will appear4 ,as to the mode of     
treatment1 discretion1 and 7if ,i may   
use the word1 for there is no other     
which answers to it7 tact1 must decide  
upon this4 ,but as to the principle of  
it1 as to that which should be the      
governing purpose of all treatment of   
the young1 its intention and its end1   
let us take from the lips of the father 
of ,absalom his word safe4 ,if it meant 
only in that case1 is he alive8 still   
the word is to be noted3 ,is he safe8   
,or is it well with him8 ,it is the     
safety of the young--its being well with
 them--which all who have their         
interests in charge should to the utmost
 of their power care for4  ,and what do 
we mean by their safety8 ,we know there 
are some in these days who ask the      
question--,are you saved8 meaning by    
that1 ,have you the eternal salvation8  

,it is a presumptuous question1 and if  
answered at all is answered             
presumptuously4 ,it is forestalling the 
everlasting things4 ,safety as we speak 
of it is not that4 ,but--peril tracks   
the course of the young1 peril in some  
way perhaps of deeper hazard than our   
fathers knew4 ,there is that peril as   
old at least as ,solomon1 and which he  
expressed in this way3 ,rejoice1 ,o     
young man1 in thy youth1 and let thy    
heart cheer thee in the days of thy     
youth3 and walk in the ways of thine    
heart1 and in the sight of thine eyes4  
,follow1 that is--putting the poetry    
aside--follow the life of selfish       
pleasure and indulgence to which thou   
art inclined4 ,there has always been    
that peril4 ,it has run upon the courses
 of the world's youth all down the ages4
 ,but now its lines are darker--at all  
events than they were in the days of the
 writer of ,ecclesiastes--,know thou1 he
 said1 that for all these things ,god   
will bring thee into judgment4 ,and we  

may say this too4 ,but there is a large 
number of young persons now who will    
answer3 ,we do not know this3 we know   
nothing about ,god3 who ,he is1 or      
whether ,he is4 ,if we are not to walk  
in the ways of our heart and the sight  
of our eyes1 to please ourselves and    
care for nothing else1 you must say to  
us something beyond this1 that ,god will
 bring us into judgment4  ,brethren1    
here is the greatest peril of this age4 
,we may find one here and another there 
who1 with atheism at his heart1 is still
 upright in life4 ,but break down the   
belief in ,god1 and what the morals of  
the people shall be1 let that nation    
answer which set upon her altars now    
nearly a hundred years ago the image of 
the goddess of reason4 ,let faith in    
,god fall out of the young man's heart  
or the young woman's heart1 and with it 
all fear of ,god1 and what shall you put
 in its place8 ,what instead of this    
shall keep them straight in their way8  
shall hold them safe8  ,there is        

reputation4 ,but this is a shifting     
authority4 ,it changes with conditions4 
,it has no fixed standard4 ,it depends  
on opinion4 ,that which makes the young 
in the most disastrous sense of the word
 unsafe1 may in no way interfere with   
their reputation--but quite             
otherwise--with those among whom they   
live4  ,then there is what some have    
called the enthusiasm of humanity4 ,we  
cannot form any estimate of this as a   
power over men1 because we have no sort 
of understanding what it means4  ,and   
there is civilization4 ,is it           
civilization which makes laws or admits 
of laws and finds accommodating         
administrators of laws1 under the action
 of which the most sacred charge of a   
,state--its helpless and innocent       
childhood--is left a prey to vile       
associations of men and women1 from     
whose soul within them is obliterated   
all that was ,divine1 and all which is  
not devilish8  ,civilization goes on its
 soft way1 and takes under its smiling  

protection persons who walk upon the    
earth's higher places1 and finds for    
them kind excuse and screens them from  
harsh frown1 as they pass from their    
pleasures back to its silvery paths1    
leaving behind them as the price of     
their pleasures misery and ruin of which
 we may not speak in this place4 ,no    
fouler crimes debased old ,rome in its  
worst days than the crimes which the    
civilization of ,england's metropolis   
condones4 ,but the heart of the people  
does not condone them3 and if a great   
voice does not say this1 we shall wonder
 and be sorry4 ,in the mean while let   
the parents and guardians of the young1 
and let the young themselves1 shrink    
back from civilization as a guide to    
their way and as a power for keeping    
them safe1 in the place of the ,living  
,god4  ,and our closing word shall be to
 the young4 ,i said just now that the   
world could not grow old4 ,and because  
of the world having within it the seeds 
of a ceaseless vitality1 that is true4  

,the world as it now is cannot grow old4
 ,but a nation may grow old1 may decay1 
and die4 ,and the youth of a nation--its
 young people--carry with them its      
destinies4 ,if there is in these more of
 wilfulness1 of selfishness1 of slothful
 and luxurious bias--less of energy1 of 
gentleness1 of kindness1 of manliness1  
of purity--than there was in those who  
were young twenty--thirty years ago1    
then decrepitude is growing upon the    
nation4 ,it is sinking4 ,the sap of its 
life is drying up4  ,but the young are  
not likely to think much of what they do
 or of what they are1 as it concerns the
 nation4 ,let them think of it as it    
concerns themselves4 ,my younger        
brethren1 shall the life that you are   
living be a blessing to you and not a   
curse8 ,shall it be to those around you 
a blessing and not a curse8 ,then hold  
fast your faith in the ,living ,god4 ,is
 it drooping in some minds8 ,do they ask
 where they shall find ,him8 ,the ,jews 
of old time wore fringes on the borders 

of their garments1 and upon these were  
written some words of the law4 ,it was  
an ordained thing4 ,and ye shall look   
upon this fringe1 it is said in a noble 
passage of the book of ,numbers1 it     
shall be to you for a fringe1 and ye    
shall look upon it1 and ye shall        
remember the commandments of the ,lord  
your ,god1 and do them1 that ye seek not
 after your own heart and your own eyes1
 but that ye may remember1 and do all my
 commandments and be holy unto your     
,god4  ,we wear no fringes on the       
borders of our garments4 ,but the law is
 written in every heart4 ,look upon it1 
young men and young women1 and          
remember--,that is ,god3 not a stream of
 tendency or any such vague and         
fantastic shadow4 ,but1 ,that is        
,god--the ,father of our ,lord ,jesus   
,christ1 and in ,him your ,father4  ,are
 you astray from ,him8 not fulfilling   
,his word8 ,we are all astray4 ,but is  
your eye towards ,him1 and your heart   
and your foot moving that way8 ,we see  

no messengers running with tidings in   
their mouth1 one over the hills and the 
other over the plain4 ,the father of the
 son who is astray waiteth not in the   
chamber between the walls until he may  
ask of the messengers who come1 ,is my  
son safe8 ,but the ,father runs         
,himself3 when he was yet a great way   
off his father 444 ran4 ,the distance   
between these two is lessening hour by  
hour4 ,let the son who was and is still 
astray1 bend his steps with earnest will
 on the track by which the ,father      
comes2 and--it is not my word--it is the
 greatest of all words which has been   
spoken upon this earth1 the ,father     
shall receive him safe and sound4       
,i4,e4 ,,chillcott1 ,,steam ,,press1    
,,bristol4