The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-12-26

its utmost capacity, In opening Mr. TalmRge an.
nounCed the hymn commencing,
my soul, be on thy guard,
Ten thousand foes arise"
After the singing he read the Ten Commandments
and another selection of Scripture, interpreting
the reading with comments. Just before the ser.
mon, he announced his intention OF preaching a
series Of sermons on the personal explorations in
leading cities in the lard. He then read his text
aud spoke as follows;
sUBJEoT-KEEPEG BAD COMPANY.
Proverbs xiii, 90; companion OF fools shall be
destroyed.
On this night Of city exploration found that
hardly any young man came in to places of sin
alone. Each one was accompanied. No man goes
TO ruin alone. He always takes some one with
him. MAY 1t please the coHrt" said convicted
criminal when asked II he had anything to ay
before sentence of death was passed upon him,
"may 1t please the court bad company has been
my ruin. received the blessings Of good parents
and in return promised to avoid all evil associa.
tions Had l kept my promise should have been
saved this shame, and been free from the load Of
guilt that hangs around me like vulture threat.
eniDg to drag me to justice for crimes yet unfe
vealed. l, who once moved In the first circles
of society, and have been the guest of distin.
guished public men, l0st-and through bad COM
pRny"
This is but one Of the thousand proofs that the
companion OF fools shall be destroyed. 1t is the
invariable rule. There is a well man In the wards
Of hospital, where there are a hundred people
sick with ship fever, and he will not be so apt TO
take the disease, as good man would be apt 10 be
smitten with moral distemper II Shut up with In.
iquit0ns companions,
the same cell but each one learned the vices Of al[
the Culprts, so that instead Of being reformed by
incarceration, the day of liberation turned them
out upon society, beasts and not men.
We may in our place Of business be compelled
to talk and mingle with bad men but he who
deliberately chooses to associate himself with
vicious people, is engaged in carrying on a court.
ship with Delllab, whose shears will clip off all
the locks Of his strength, and he will be tripped
into perdition.
SIN IS CATCHING.
Is infectious, Is Epidemic will let you look over
the millions of people now inhsbiting the earth
and challenge you to show me a good man, who
after one year hasmade choice and consorted with
the wicked, A thousand dollars reward for one
such instance. / care not how strong your char.
acter may be. Associate with horse thieves, you
will become horse thief Glass with burglars,
and You will become a burglar. Go among the
uncean, and you will become unlean. Not appre.
CisHng the truth Of my text many young man
has been destroyed, He wakes up some morning
iu great city and knows no one except the per.
son into whose employ he has entered, As he goes
into the store all the clerks mark him, measure
a "A Ii 4
the store wish him we'll bat perhaps wait for for
NAL introduction, and even then have more deli.
cacy about inviting him into their association BuJ
the bad young men Of the store at the first oppor-
tunity approach and offer their services. They
patroniEe him. They profess to know all about the
town. They will take him anywhere that he wish
es to CO. II he will pay the expenses. For good
young man and bad young man go to some place
where they ought not, the good young man has
invariably to meet the charges. At the moment
the ticket is to be paid for, or the champagne to
be settled for, the bad young man feels around In
his pockets and says: II have forgotten my pock
ct book" In forty eight hours after the young
man has entered the store, the bad fellows of the
establishmentslaph him on the shoulder familiarly;
and at his stupidity in taking certain illusions,
say, my young friend, you will have to be broken
In" and Immediately proceed to break him ln
Young man, in the name Of God I warn you to
beware how you let a man talk familiarly with
you. Ifsuch one slaps you on the shoulder "a
miliarly, turn around and give him whitening
look, until the wretch croucheS In your presence
There is no monstrOslty Of wickedness that can
stand unbashed under the glance of purity and
honor. God keeps the lightnings Of heaven in his
own scabbard and no human arm can WELD them;
but God gave to every young man lightning
that he may use, and that is the lightning OF an
honest eye,
First warn you to ahun the skeptic- the
young man who puts his fingers Id his vest and
laughs at your old fashioned religion and turns
over 10 some mystery in the Bible and says, "Ex.
plain that my pious friend explain that" and
says nobody shall scare me, l am not afraid Of
the future used to believe In such things, and
80 did my father and mother, but 1 have got over
H." Yes, he has got over It, and II you cit in his
company a little longer you will get over 1t too.
Without presenting one argument against the
Christian religion, such men will, by their jeers,
and SCOTS and carlcatures, destroy your respect
for that religion which was the strength Of your
father in his declining years. and the pillow Of
your old mother when she lay dying.
Alas time will come when that clustering
young inhdel will have 10 die, and his diamond
ring will fash no spendor IN the eyes Of death as
he stands over the couch waiting for his soul.
Those beautiful locks will lie un eombed upon the
pillow; and the dying man will say, "Icannotd dieI
cannot die' DEATH, standing beside the couch
says, You must die; you have only half minute
to live; let me have II right away-your soul1
mo" says the young infdel, there are all my
gold rings, and these pictures, take them ALL"
NO." says Death, "What do l care for pictures i
your SOUL" "stand back, !" says the dying inAdel.
II will not stand back says Death, "Eor you have
only ten seconds now to live. want your soul"
The dying man says 'Don't breathe that cold afr
into my face. You crowd me too hard It Is get.
ting dark in the room, o. God !" "Hush, !" says
Death, you said there was no God.n pray for
me-" excaims the dying infldel "Too late 10
pray" says Death, "but three more seconds to live
and will call them oR-one-two-three. He
has gonel Where7 Whertf Garry him out and
bury him beside his father and mother, who died
while holding fast the Christian religion. They
died dusing, but the young infdel only said,
FDOnt breathe that cold air into my face. You
crowd me too hard. It is getting dark In the |
room" Nt
Again urge You to shun the companionship OF |
idlers. There are men hanging around every |
store and Office, and shop who have nothing 10 |
do or act as ifthey had not. They are apt 10 come
in when the firm are away, and wish to engage
you in conversation, while yon are engaged in
your regular employment, Politely suggest to
uch persons that yoa have no time to give them
in business hours Nothing would please them SO
well as to have you Tenounce your occupation and
associate with them. Much Of the time they lounge
around the door Of engine houses or after the din.
ing hour stand upon The steps Of fashionable no.
TEL or an elegant restaurant, wishing to give you
the idea that 1t is the place where they dine. But
they do not dine there they are sinking lower
and lower, day by day. Neither by day nor by
night have anything to do with the idler. Before
you admit a man into your acquaintance ask him
politely What DO you DO for liVinUi" II hO SayG