The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-12-09
Dir. TAIM AGES SERMON.
EVELAND--"oFF TRACK-HOW
TO GET ON AGAIN."

- 2SemeuC 10 tnc OutcasS "AN -
ing to Return.
/. CLEVELAND, Dec. 5.--Thet Rev. t. Dewitt
Talmage, D. D., preached here today. Fol-
lowing is his sermon: Subject, "Of the
Track; How to Get on Again"
Text: Proverbs xiii, 35 :"When shall
awake! will seek it yet again."
With ap insight into human nature such as
ne other man ever reached, Solomon, in my
text, sketches the mental operations OF one
who, having stepped aside from the path OF
rectitude, desires to return. With wish for
something Better The ,said: 9Nhen shall l
awake? When shall come out Of this horrid
nightmare of iniquttyF But seized upon BY
uner,.dicate,i habit and forced down hill by
his MISSIONS ne cries out:-i4I win seek it yet
again. will try it once more"
Our libraries are adorned with nm elegant
literature addressed to young men, pointing
out to them oil the dangers and perils Of life
-complete maps Of the voyage, showing all
the rocks, the quicl,sands, the shoals. But
suppose u man hls already niade shipwreck;
SUPPOSE he is already OF the track; suppose
he has already gope sstray, how Is he to get
sback2 Thst IS Il field comparatively un-
touched. propose to address myself this
morrinr to such. There arc those in this
audience who, with every passion of their
aroniu.d soul, are ready to hear such q DIS
custom They compare themselves Win
what they were ten years ago, and cry ou1
fru.i tue bondnge in which they are ncar-
5ce:uted. Now, il there be any in this house,
come with an, earliest purpose, yet feeling
tley ars beyond the pale Of Christian sympa-
Shy and that the sermon can hardly be e1-
,pcctssl to address them, then, at this moment,
j give them my right hand, and call them
brother Look up There is glorious and
triumphant hope for you yet. souno tne
trumpet of gospel deliverance. The church
IS ready to spread G. banquet at your return,
and the hierarchs OF heaven to fall into line
of hammered procession at the news OF your
emancipation. So far as God may help me,
I propose to show what are the obstacles Oh
your return, and then how you are 10 sur
mount those obstacles.
The first difficulty III the way OF your re-
ta,rn Is the force Of moral gravitation. just
as there is natural law which brings down
to the earth anything you throw into the air, so
tbero Is, q corresponding moral gravitatlon-
In other words, it easier to so down than 1t Is
to 70 up: 1t is easier to do wrong than 1t Is TO
do right. Call to mind the comrades OF your
boyhood days-some Of them good, some OF
them bad. Which most affected your Cail
TO mind the anecdotes that you have heard In
the Inst 1--WE or ten years. Some OF hem are
uure and some Of them impure. Which the
more easily sticks to your memorys During
the veurs Of your life you have formed GER
tai,, cou;xes Of cor.duct-soine OF them good,
some OF them hao. To which style OF habit
did YOU the moe easily yieldi ALL my
friends. VIC have TO take but moment OF
self.husIection to find out that there is mall
our EsoG,ils n force Of moral 7grayitation. But
that cravitatio1 may DO resisted. Just as
Won NAV pick Up from the earth something
and hold il il your hand toward heaven, Just
so. bv the power. OF Gods grace, soul fallen
may be lifted toward peace, toward pardon,
toward beaven.. Force OF moral gravitation is
in every one OF US, but there is power in Gods
GRAZ. I" overcome that force Of moral gravl-
tation.
The next thing in the way Of your return
is the power of evil habit. know there are
those who say It is very easy for them to give
mn evil hnlits. lido not believe them. Here
is q man given to intoxication- He knows 1t
is disyrucilS his family, destroying his prop
erty. r,,ining him, body, mind and soul. II
that r,sn, being TN intelligent man, and low
inc his funlily, could easily give up that
habit. would he not do sol The fact that ne
does not give it up proves 1t is hard to give it
mn. It Is u very easy thing to sail down
stream, the tide carrying you with great
force: but suppose you turn the boat up
stream, is it so easy then to row itf AS long
cs we Weld to the evil inclinations in our
hearts, and GU bad habits, we are sailing
down stream, but the moment we try to turn
we put our boat in the rapids just above Nj
aqara, and try to row up stream.
Take O man given TO the habit Of using
tobacco, as most of you do, and let him re-
solve to stop, and he finds it very difficult.
Twenty.one years ago quit that habit, and
I would as soon dare to put my right hand In
tie fire rs once to indulge in it. Why! Be-
ca,,s, it was such terrific struggle to get
over it. Now, let q man be advised by bis
physicia,i to give up tue use OF tobacco. tie
goes around not knowing what 10 10 VIII
himself. lie cannot add up line OF figures.
He cannot sleep nights. It seems as if th-
world luad turned upside down He feels his
business is going to ruin. Where he was
kid and olliging he IS scoldig and fretiul.
The co,niosure that characterized him has
cire:: wnv to fretful restlessness, and he
has Lccolne n complete fidget. What power
is i: tlu,t l:as rolled wave of woo over the
earth and shaken u portent in the heavenss
He l,as t-N to sop smoking! After while
he says: II AN going to do as please. The
Doctor doesn't understand my case. am
goiu: tnrk to my old habit" And he re-
turns. Everything assumes its usual COM
posurc. His business seems to brighten. The
world l,eolncs an attractive place to live in.
His children, seeing the difference, hail the
return OF their fathers genial disposition.
What wave OF color has dashed blue into tho
sky, and g,eenness into the mountain foliage,
and the glow of sapphire into the sunset
Whut enchcntment has lifted world of
beauty snd joy on his souls He has gone
bacl; to smoking.
Oh. the fact is, ns we all know i'll our own
experience tl:"t habit is tasklnaster; as
long is We obey it it does not chaStisc US, but
1ot ~ ,,.c;St ,,u] we finl wa are to be lOSbed