The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-17

Sunday you will be surprised TO find that
| young man suddenly asking for the prayers
OF the church. Some Sunday YOU will see
him ut the sacrament and perhaps drink
ing from the same kind of chalice that the
| old folks drank out of years ago when they
| commcmorated the sutlorings of the Lord.
Yes, my lad, YOU do not have such fun in
sin rs you seem 10 have. know what
spoils your fun. You cannot shake oil the
influences so long ago offered, or of those
kind admonitions. You cannot make
them 90 away, aud you feel like saving:
Father, what are you doing hcre2 Moth
or, why do you bother me with suggest
ions OF those oldcn timcs?" hut they will
not 90 away. They will push you back
from your evil paths, though they have to
como down from their shining homes in
heaven and stand in the very gates OF hell,
and their backs schorchcd Of the fiery
blast, and with their hand on your should
| or, and their breath ON your brow, and
their eyes looking straight into yours,
they win say: 1--WE have come 10 take
you home, o, son OF many anNicticsl"
| At last that young man turns through the
consecutive influence of pious parcntagc,
who out of prayers and facilities innumcr-
| able, made u chain. That IL the chain
that pulls nightly thismorning on 800 of
you. You may be too proud 10 shed n
tear, and YOU may, TO convince Others OF
your imperturbability smile TO your
friend beside you, but there Is not no
much power in an Alpine avalanche after
II has slipped for 1000 feet and having
struck lower cliff il taking its second
bound for ! SEQ feet moro OF plunge, M
| there is power in the chain that pulls you
| this moment toward God and Christ and
heaven. OH the almighty pull Of the
long chain OF early gracious iniluenccsl
But all people between thirty and forty
yeas OF age yes, between forty and fifty
aye, between fifty and sixty years and
all septuagcnarans IA we'll, need sur
rounding conjunction of g,ol influences.
In Sing Sing, Auburn, Moyamensing and
oil the other great prisons, nrc men and
women who went wrong in mid-liic and
old age. We need around us u cordcn of
good Influences. We forget To apply the
well known rule that chain In no stronger
than its weakest link. II the chain be
made up Of 1000 links and 300 are strong
but one is weak, the chain will be- in dan.
ger Of breaking at that one weak link. We
may be strong In 1000 exccllcnccs and
yet have one weakness which endangcrs
Us. That IN the reason that We sometimes
see men distinguished for whole round
OF virtues collapse and 20 down. The
weak link in the otherwise stout chain
gave way under the pressure.
The first chain bridge was built In Scot
land. Walter Scott tells how the French
initiated Il in a bridge acruss the river
Seine. But there was one weak point In
that chain bridge. There was a middle
bolt that was Of poor material, hut they
did not know how much depended on that
middle bolt Of the chain bridge. On the
| opening day "A procession started, led on
| by the builder oi the bridge. aud. when
the mighty weight Of the procession was
fairly ON IL, the bridge broke and prccipi.
tntcd the multitudea. The bridge WIS all
| right except In that middle bolt So the
bridge Of character may bc made up OI
mighty links strong enough 10 hold n
mountain; but II thofc be one weak spot,
that Que spot unlocked after may be the
DESTRUCTION Of everything. Aha wha,
time and all eternity because in
tho chain bridge Of their character
there was lacking strong middle bolt.
| He had but one fault aud that was nvaricc;
hence, forgery. lie hal but one fault and
that was u burning thimt for intoNicants,
| hence, his fatal dUhauch. She had but
one fault and that an inordinaio iundnc-s
| for dress, and hence her own aud her huE-
| bands bankruptcy. She had but one fault
aud that u quick temper hence, the diH.
| graceful outburst, What We all want n 81
| have put around us n strong chain oi good
| influences. Christian association IN n link.
| Good literature Is q link. Church mem
| bcrHhip is n link. Habit II prayer h n
/ link. Scripture research IL link. Faith
In God is u link. Put together oil these
influences Make u chain.
Most excellent Is II for M 10 got into
company better than ourselves II we arc
given 10 telling vile stories let us put our
| selves among those who will not abide
such uitcrnncc. II We are slingy let us
put ourselves among the charitable. II
We are motoso let us put ourselves among
| the good.natured. II We arr given 10 40.
tlc.iattlc let M put ourselves among those
| who sneak no III OF their ncighbor II W.
arc respondent let NJ put ourselves among
those who make the best ui things. II
evil Is contagious, | am glad 10 nay that
good * also catching. People go up into
the hill country for physical health; 20 u
you would be- strong IN your soul got your
self up of the 10 Nlands into the ulti
| tubes Oi high moral association. For many
OF the circumstances u our life We are
not responsible. For our plrruiugc ",
are not responsible. For the place IT oul
nativity, not responsible, for our features
our stature, our color not responsible, iOl
the family relation In which We were born
for our natural tastes, for our mental char
nctcr, not responsible. liutWo are fcHpJn'
siblc Tor the associates that We choose und
the moral influences under which W. pa
ourselves. Character seeks an cguilib
mum. A. H. IN n good man. Y. n. is
bad man. let them now voluntarily
choose each others society. A. u. vii
lose part Of his goodness and y. 4
d part al his badness, aud they will graiu
nlly approach each other la character nnl
will finally stand on the same level on
oi the old pIiutcn refused 10 look nj poo
pictures because he fsid Il damaged hl
style. A musician cannot Afford tu dwell
among diEcordH, nor Clu % writer ailurd 4
peruso books 81 nn inferior style, nor 90
architect walk ont among dispfupUiipnc'
, structures Aud no man MOI woman WI
ever w good as 10 boz able 81 choose CNi
, ass Citations. Therefore ! sny have u
, rule ui your life to ~ among those bette
I than yourselves Cannot find thcm' lhrl
, what a pink Vi perfection you must. BE-
/. When Was your character completed
I | What misfortune Tot lhO sanity and mi
! gelic Of heaven that they afu not Cnloyin
/ the improving influence 0i your spcicil
, Al. n YOU cannot lud those boitcr TIM
yourself II Is because your are ignoEni
/ yourself Woe unto you, Scnhcs an
! Phnrsocs, hypOcfllcsl
4 but, as | remarked In the opening /
. sacred and In all STYLES OF literature q yhal