The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-12-19

Show pity, Lord, OH Lord, forgive,
Let the repenting rebel live.
Before the sermon, Mr.. Talmage made the an
nouncement that: ITO show the moral condi
tion and prospects of this country will, In Sab
bath or two begin series of sermons on the per
sonal explorations l shall make in Boston, tn,
City OF Brains; Washington, the City OF Politca
Poweri Philadelphia, the City of Beautiful quiet
Chicago, the City Of Miraculous Growth; New
York, the City Of Commercial Supremacy; Brook
lyn, the City Of Homes"
The following is the tenth Of the series on "ThC
Night Side OF City Life" delivered TO- day
sUBJECT-"HELP FOR THOSE WHOM HAVE FoUN1
ON THE WRONG TRACK"
Proverbs xiii. 85: when shall awaken
will seek 1t yet again."
With an insight into human nature which NJ
other man ever had, Solomon here sketches thu
operations Of one who, having turned aside from
the right path, would nevertheless like to return
With desire after something better, he exclaims
when shall awaken" But, seized upon by vi
olence Of uneradicsted appetite, and urged dowr
hill by his passions, he gives up his hope and
says " will teek 1t yet again." The libraries o.
the country are filled with a valuable Christian
literature, specially addressed to young men,
They are full Of warnings against sin; but now tC
get back again after having strayed Is field as
yet untouched. May God help me to-day to ad
dress such. There are those, doubt not In thii
presence with every passion OF their agonized
souls ready to hear such discussion. They com.
pare themselves with what they were ten years
ago, and cry out for deliverance from the bond
age in which they have been incarcerated. II
there is in this audience young man who has
an idea that he is outside the sphere of all Chris
tian sympathy, and that he is too far gone in sin
to be preached to- then l come out and take him
by the hand and say, my brother, look up; there
is grand and triumphant hope for you yet"-
The Church on earth will spread banquet at
your return, and the hierarchies Of Heaven will
fall into line of hammered procession at the news
Of your redemption. shall first state what are
the difficulties in the path Of their return, and
then how they may be surmounted,
The first obstacle to be named in the way Of re-
turn is what shall call the force of moral gray
itatlon. Just as there is law which brings down
to the earth every thing you throw in the air, so
there ls q tendency Of man downward. Grayita-
tion acts universally, It is great deal easier to
do wrong than to do right, to 90 down than to 70
up. 1t Is now ten or twenty years since you went
TO school. From comradeP bad or good you heard
recital Of anecdotes. Which style Of anecdotes
have you more easily remembered? You have
during your life got In the way Of certain charac-
leristics some of them right and some of them
wrong. To which were you the most easily ha.
oituated? A moments self-inspectlon and re.
view convinces US that there Is within us q tre.
nendous law Of moral gravitation,
Again, after man has gone astray, If he would
eturn he must contend against the force OF hab-
t. There are those who say 1t is easy for them to
Freak q bad habit. Don't believe them. l have
een men bound hand and foot In inquity, who
laid they could give up their sins. They may
hink 80, but they never tried. Attempting to re-
orm would be like heading boat up the rapids
u Niagara. II Is not so easy to go against the
tde. Let man In the habit Of using tobacco, IS
he most ofyOu do, try to stop it on recommenda.
ion Of your physician, and you wander around
lot ft for anything. You Can hardly add up
olumn Of figures. you can hardly sleep Of
lights. You get fTetful and scolding, where once
on were amiable and obiglng. You almost
ear you are going to fail In business, and,
hanged from the compours and self-control for
Thich you were celebrated, you have become
erfect tidget What is the matter with society
nd with business, and what great woe has been
oiled across the earth, and what portentious sign
as shaken terror in the heavens? Why, You
ave been trying to stop smoking. You say,
Here there is no use, the doctor Ia mistaken
bout my case" and some day all things have re-
lrned to their former equilibrium business mat
'rs are rghted, the world has become an attrac-
We place to live In; your children notice the diff
'rence, and hail the return Of their fathers ge.
isl disposition. Why the change? What foun.
I'm Of gorgeous color hath dashed the blue In |
10 sky and the greenness into the foliage of |
lOunt and forest, and the crimson glow into the |
ates Of the sunset7 What enchantment has |
'rung whole worlds Of Joy and harmony upon |
10 heavens2 Oh, you have gone back to smok. |
g Habit is taskmaster that chastens us not |
hile we enjoy 1t, but let ua once resist, and we |
ld that we are to be lashed with scorpion
hips, and bound with ship cable, and thrust be.
md iron bars Of prison-houses, and thrown In
e track Of bone.breaking juggernauts. Let
'ung man who has been doing wrong for five or
n years attempt to quit evil indulgence, and It
ems as II all the forces of darkness were allied
ainst him. he walks the floor sleepless, and
the midnight gets down on his knees, crying,
Tod help me-" He bites his liDs and erinds his
eth, and cenches his fists in the effort to keen
purpose BE dare not look at the bottles in
window OF wine store. It Is the long, bitter,
haustine, agoniEing, hand-tO-hand Gght with
HAmed, tantallzing, merclless habit. Al the
ry moment he thinks he Is clear number Of
old inclinations leap upon him, like pack
hungry hounds, with their muzzles, all tearing
'ay at the TANKS Of one poor reindeer, In Paris,
ere Is q sculptured representation of Bacchus,
god OF revelry riding panther at full leap
may know who speeds on ruinous ways that
rides not docils and well.broken steed, but
MISTER, Wild, bloOdthisty and going at q dead
Hop. Many man who said, when shall /
AXE ?" Faid Ave minutes after, "Well, I will try
)pce more"
gain, when one wishes to reform from evil
'ctices, society repulSeS him. A young man
olVed Now, God helping me, will do better
III swing of from evil associations; will cul.
the acquaintance Of different kind Of peo.
he comes to the church door. He has been !
oriously wicked. The church official greets E
/, saying, "Is 1t possible, are you here7" In '
I'd OF saying, How do you do, sir; glad to see
|; come along with me and will give you a :
rate seat, right up by the pulpit" When the
1igal OF the Scripture came back to his father v
the old man say to the servant "Get q little ,
ner out in the kitchen for this ragged felbwY" Y
He prepared feast, and called in robe and ii
: Our young man attempting to reform goes fl
rayer meeting. Some brother with more zeal b
common sense says, "Well, l am glad that u
are going to reform and become Christian. N
dying thief got pardoned, and so may you.p Il
young man is insulted, and stands on his dig B,
and has all his good intentions chilled, and y;
nome disguised, never to come again. But NJ
he sides up some day on the street to a re- hl
table aud influential man thst he uted to &C
v, thinks he would like to walk down the "