The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1888-05-09

Niagara Falls, and tllon, cut loose from
its moorings. it came on down through
the night, and tossed over the Falls. It
was said to hayo been q sceno brilliant
beyond all description. We'll, thero
arc thousands Of men on fire Of OWL
habit, coming down through the rapids,
and through tho awful night Of tempt.l-
ton, toward tho eternal plunge. Oh,
how hard it Is To arrest them! God
only can arrest them.
Suppose a man, after i've or ten or
twenty years OF cvil-dolng resolves to
do right. Why, all tho forces OF dark
ness are allied against him. Ito cannot
sleep nights. Ito gets down on his
knees in the midnight anu cries: "God
help mol" He bites his lip. IIo griilds
his teeth. Ito clcnchcs his fist Ill Il do
termination to keep lis purpose. IIo
dare not look ut tho bottles III tho win
dOWS Of a vino store. 1t is one long,
bitter, exhaustive. hand-to-land fight
with an lnilalned, tantalizing, and mcr-
CHESS habit. When ho thinks lie is ell
tircly free, the old %inclinations pouncc
upon him like Il pack OF hounds with
heir mnZZlcs tearing away at the Hanks
Of one poor reindeer. IL Paris there IS
Il sculptured representation Of J,lcchus,
the god Of rcyclry. lIo is riding on Il
panther at full leap. Oh, how llgyes-
tive! Let every ono who is speeding
on bal ways understand he is not rid
ing Il docile and wcll-broken stccd, but
nc is riding Il monster, wild and blood-
thirsty. going ut Il death leap.
How many there are who resolve on
Il better life, and say: "Wlcn Shall L
awakc?" but seized on by their old
habits, CRY: 81 will Try it once more;
| will seek it yet agaln!' Years ago,
there were some princeton students
who were skating, and the ice was very
thin, and some one warned tho COM
~ warned them entirely to leave The
place. But one young man with BRAY
ado. after all the rest had stopped, cried
out: "Ono round morcl', lie swept
around, and went down, and was
brought out q corpse. My friends,
there arc thousands and tens of thou
sands Of men losing their souls i'll that
way. IL is the one round moro. /.
! have also to say that if II man wants
TO return from evil practices,
10 :lETY REFUSES HIN.
Desiring TO reform, lie says: Snow, l.
will Shake OF my old associates, and |
will find Christian companionship.n
And ho appears at the church door
somo Sabbath day, and tho usllcrgrccts
him with a look rs much us to say:
why, you here? You are tho last
man | ever expected to see at church,
Como. take this seal right down by tho
door," Instead OF saying: Good
morning; am glad you arc here.
Come; l will give you II first-rate scat.
right up by the pulpit" We'll, tho pro-
digal, not yet discouraged, enters Il
Waycr-mceting, and some Christian
man, With more zeal than common
sense, says: "Glad to sec you the dy-
ing thief wa saved, and Isupposc there
is mercy for you"
THE YOUNG MAN, DlsGUsTED,
chilled, throws himself on his dignity,
resolved he will never enter into tho
house Of God again. Perhaps not quite
fully discouraged about reformation, he
sides mp by ON highly respectable
man he used to know, going down the
street, and immediately The respectable
man has an erranl down some other
street. Well, tho prodigal, wishing to
return, takes some member Of Il Chris
tian association by The hand, or tries to.
Tho Christian young man looks at him,
looks at the faded apparel and the marks
Of dissipation; instead OF giving him Il
warn grip OF tho hand, no offers him
the tip ends OF the long fingers Of tile
left hand, which is cqu0l TO stirling q
man an ne .fdcei Oh, how few Chris
tan people understand how much force
and gospel there is in a good honest
Misunderstanding! Sometimes, when you
have felt the need Of encouragement,
and some Christian man has taken you
heartily by the hand, have you not felt
thrilling through every fibre OF your
body, mind, and soul an encourage
mcnt that was lust what you needed?
You do not know anything 1T all about
this unless you know when q man tries
to return from evil courses Of conduct
he rum against
RErULSlONS INNUMER ABLE.
We say OF some man, he lives Il block
or t"O from Tie clllrCh, or half Il milo
from the church. There are people in
our crowded cities who live IL thousand
miles from church. Vast deserts of in
difference between them and the house
Of God. Tho fact is, we must keep our
responsibility, though thousands and
tens Of thousands perish. Christ sat
with publicanS and sinners. But if
tl,ere come to the house of Goa q MAJ
with marks OF dissipation upon him,
people almost throw up thoir hands in
horror, as much as to say: "Isll'C 1T
shocking?" How these 0ainty. .fustidi-
OuS ChYiSti0ns in all our churches are
going to got into heaven, I don't know,
unless they have an especial train Of
cars, cushioned and upholstered, each
ono a car to himself. They cannot go