The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-27
THE TABERNACLE SERMONS.
DR.. Talmage DiseOurses Eloquently as
to "The Winter and How to Meet It."
The Cold Season Tests Physical Strength and
Tries Christian Character-Pemptations
that Draw Many Down to Ruin.

i.
D. D., has returned to Brooklyn. He occupied
mis- pulpit on Sunday. when Brooklyn Tabernacle
was crowded. many being unable to find seats
The subject OF Dr. Talmaees sermon was, The
Winter and How to Meet It." His text was
taken from Matthew xiv, 20-s'Pray ye that
your fight be not III the winter" Following is
the sermon in full:
The inhabitants of the old cities were here
told that they would have to fly for their lives
Such flight would be painful, even in the flush
of springtime, but superlatively aggravating if
in cold weather; therefore they were told to
pray that their fight be not IN the winter. There
is something in the winter season that not only
tests our physical endurance, but, especially IN
the city, tries moral character. 1t is the
winter mouths that ruin morally and forever
many of our young men. We SIT ia the house ON
a winters night and hear the storm raging on
the outside, and imagine the helpless crafts
driven on the coast; but if our ears were only
good enough we could on any winter night hear
the crash of a hundred moral shipwrecks
Many who came last September to town, by
the 1st of March will have been blasted. 1t only
takes one winter to ruin young man. When
the long winter evenings have come, many of
our young men will improve them in forming
more intimate acquaintance with books. con-
tracing higher social friendships, and strength
ening and ENROLLING character. But not so
with all l will show you, before get through,
especially rampant, and my counsel is, look out
how you spend your winter nights
remark, first. that there is no season in the
year in which vicious aliurements are so active.
In warm weather places of dissipation win their
tarIest triumphs. People do not feel like going
IN the hot nights of summer among the blazing
gas-lights, or breathing the feted air Of assem-
biages.. The receipts of most grog shops in
they are in any night in July or
August. | doubt not there are larger
audiences in the Casinos in winter than in
the summer weather. Iniquity plies a more
profitable trade December, January and Feb
ruary are harvest months for the devil The
playful of the low entertainments then are
more charming, the acting is more exquisite, the
enthusiasm Of the spectators more bewitchlng.
Many young man who makes out to keep right
the rest of the year capslzes now. When he
came to town in the autumn his eye was bright,
his cheek rosy. his step elastic; but before
spring. as you pass him. you will say 10 your
friend: What is the matter with that young
emanW The fact is that one winter Of dissipation
has done the work of ruin.
This is the season for parties, and. if they are
Of the right kind, our social nature is improved
and our spirits are cheered up But many of
them not of the right kind, and our young
people night after night are kept in the whirl of
unhealthy excitement until their strength fails,
and their spirits are broken down, and their
taste for ordinary life corrupted; and by the time
the spring weather comes they are In the doctors
hands or sleeping in the cemetery. The certifi-
cate Of their death is made out. and the physi-
clan, out Of regard for tho family calls the dis
ease by some Latin name. when the truth is that
they died OF too many parties
Away with these wine drinking convvalities!
How dare you, the father Of a household, tri1e
with the appetites of our young people? Per
haps out OF regard for the minister some other
weak temperance man. you have the decanter
In a side room, where, after refreshments. only
o select few invited and you come back with
n oil ara in 81 IN
that show that you have been out serving the
devil.
The excuse which Christian men often give for
this is. that it is necessary, after such late eat
ing, by some sort of stimuant to help digestion.
My plain opinion is that If q man has more
control over his appetite than to stuff himself
until his digestive organs refuse to do their
Office, he ought not to call himself a man, but
rather to class himself among the beasts that
perish. take the words of the Lord Almighty,
and cry: ''Woe to him that putteth the bottle
to his neighbours lips!"
Young man, take it as the counsel of friend
when 1 bid you be cautious where you spend
your winter evenings Thank God that you
have lived to see the glad winter days in which
your childhood was made cheerful by the faces
sf fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters,
some of whom. alas! will never again wish you
"Happy New Year" or Merry Christmas"
Let no one tempt you out of your sobriety.
have seen respectable young men of the best
families drunk New Years day. The excuse
they gave for the inebriauion was that the ladies
insisted on their taking it. There have been in
stances where the delicate hand of woman hath
kindled young mans taste for strong drink,
Who. after many years, when the attractions OF
hat holiday scene were all forgotten, crouched
IN her rags, and her desoation, and her woe, I'M
.er the uplifted hand of the drunken monster
mo, on that Christmas morning SO long ago.
took the glass from her hand. And so the
woman stands on the abutment of the bridge on
moonlit night, wondering if down under the
water there is not some quiet place for broken
heart. She takes one wild leap-and all is over.
Oh, mingle not with the harmless beverage OF
your festive scene this poison of adders! Mix
not with the white sugar of the cup the snow of
this awful leprosy! Mar not the clatter of cut
lery at the holiday feast with the clink of a mad
mans chain.
Stop and look into the window of that pawn
brokers' shop. Elegant furs Elegant watches.
Elegant scarfs. Elegant flutes. People stand
with pleased look gazing at these things, but
look with shudder. as though had seen into
window Of hell Whose elegant watch was thata
It was drunkard's. Whose furs! They be-
ionged to drunkards wife. Whose flute?
Whose shoesg Whose scarf9 They belonged to
a drunkard's child. If could, l would take the
three brazen balls hanging at the doorway. and
clang them together until they tolled the awful
knell of the drunkard's soul The pawn
brokers' shop is only one eddy Of the great
stream of municipal drunkenness.
Stand back, young mani Take net the first
step in the path that leads here. Let not the
fame of strong drink ever scorch your tongue
You NAV tamper with these things and escape.
but your influence will be wrong. Can you not
make a sacrifice for the good OF othersl When
the good ship London went down, the captain
told that there was a way of escape in
of the iife-boats. He said mo; will 60 down
with the passengers All the world acknowl-
edged that heroism.
Can you not deny yourself insignificant indul-
gences for the good of others? Be rot allured
by the fact that you drink only moderate bever-
ages. You take only ale. and a man has to
drink a large amount Of it to become intoxicated.
Yes; but there's not in all the city to day in
ebriate that did not begin with ale. NIX"
what does that mark meant xxx on the beer
barrels; Xxx on the brewers dray ''XXX'
on the door Of the ein-shop; xxx" ON the side
of the bottle. Not being able to find any one
who could tell me what thas mark means, have