The Russellville Democrat., 1885-12-10
Fighting the Devil.
From Sam Jones' st. Louis Sermon


 denomination that I would not say
 about another. Thsre is no denomi nationalism in this. l have no pur
 pose and no desire in my heart tt
 say one thing about one denomina
 tion that would not say against an
 other. That is true. l am just
 talking true things, and any nighl
 you come here if you don't like the
 way this is rattled of you can rack out of here just the minute you
 please. Laughter and applause.
 For I propose, God being my
 helper, to speak Of the truth as l
 see it, and I don't care what man or devil or cities or earth or hell may
 say, am going to preach, while 1 do preach, what l believe to be the truth. Applause.
 And 1 will tell you Christian peo
 pie, if you think the devil is going to surrender any ground Tn this town until every inch is covered with blood you do net know tue devil as well as 1 do. 1 will tell you that.
 Laughter. l have been fighting his Majesty several years, and l de- clare to you that he is always ready for fight. He has possessed near ly two thirds of this city for nearly forty years, and if you think he is going to make voluntary surrender of his territory you do not know him. He is going to fight and fight, and every child he has got is going to help him, you can put that down. And tell you there is another thing, there is heap of members of the church going to help him too. They will that. Some places the devil goes to he never has anything to do himself. He puts hls hands in his pockets and goes round and gets members of the church to run his devllment for him. Laughter They do his work cheaper for him than any other class. He don't have to pay them, and they board them selves. In some towns the leading ball room dude is member of the Chnrch-the fellow that gets them all up and runs the thing. Laugh ter.
 PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY.
 I look at myself as member of the Church. Oh me, brother! when you see yourself as . member of the Church, as a professor of religion, it will do you good. 1 will ask you again, did you ever look at yourself as a father? Oh, me! how close you get to mans heart when you talk to him of hls family. Brother and sister, did ycu ever have your inno cent child sit on your lap, put it's little arms round your neck and inn print the kiss of innocence on your cheek? Have you ever looked on your lovely children lying in their bed and said: "Of all children God ever gave my children have the pur- est and best of fathers" You can go home to night and wake up your little Willie. Get him quite awake, and ask him "Who is the best man in St. Louis?' He will answer "Why, you, Papa" Ask him "who would you rather be most llksT and he will reply, "why, you, papa" Ask him who is the best man Tn the world and he will say, "wAy, yeu, papa He amt got no sense. Loud laugh ter. And that is why we curse, and damn and ruin our children. They can see nc harm in us and inst as we do they will follow and initiate us. A single man may drink as a single man, he may swear, as a sin gle man he may lead 9 goddess life, but as a married man you had better call a halt and ask where you are leading your children to day by day. You may sit in the chairs of this hall night after night; you may sim ply have your curiosity excited; you may simply come here to laugh; but when you gather your children in your arms and see that your bad ex- ample is leading them to death and hell there is no joke about that! God pity me and pity you in our relations those that lean upon us and If there is any fact in my history I bless God for in my heart to night, it is the fact that not sweet child of mine ever looked in my face when 1 was not a Christian, trying to serve God and set it good example.
 Did you ever look at yourself as a mother? or all beings that earth claims it's blessings from it looks as though mother ought to be the best. Mother, what is your life be- fore your childrin? Consider your self! Did you ever look at your children till you saw them? Wife, did you ever lsok at your husband till you saw himp Husband, did you ever look at your wife until you saw her? If there is anybody in the world l would have get to heaven, 1t is my wife; and there is husband who never talked ten minutes to his wife on religion; and there is a wife who never opened her mouth to her husband about the way of life. Oh, me! when we think of home that has been Christless. what . sad thing!
 SEEING ST. LOUIS.