The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-06-19
BAD COMPANY.
Sermon by Rev. T. De Witt Tai
mage, DID.
Young Men Should Beware Of skeptics,
Idlers and Pleasure Seekers - Tho
Ways In Which They Seek to
Lead the Upright Astray.

In his recent sermon at the Brooklyn Tab
ernacle DR.. Talmage chose for his text Prov
CRIBS xiii, 20: "a companion Of fools shall
be destroyed" The OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES spoke
q follows:
"May it please the court" said . cor
yicted criminal, when asked II he had any
thing to say before sentence Of death was
passed upon him, smay it please the court,
bad company has been my ruin. Ireceived
the blessings Of good parents, and, in re-
turn, promised to avoid all evil associations.
Had l kept my promise l should have been
saved this shame, and been free from the
load Of guilt that hangs round me like avul-
ture, threatening to drag me to justice for
crimes yet unrevealed. !, who once moved
IN the first circles Of society, and have been
The guests of distinguished public men, On
lost, and all through bad company"
This is but one of the thousand proofs that
the companion of fools shall lie destroyed.
1t is the invariable rule There Is well
man in the wards Of hospital, where there
are hundred people sick with ship fever,
and he will not be so apt to take the disease
as good man would be apt to be smitten
with moral distemper If shut lp with in
iquitous companions.
In olden times prisoners were herded to-
gether in the same cell, but each one learned
the vices of all the culprits, so that, instead
of being reformed by incarceration, the day
of liberation turned them out upon society
beasts. not men.
We may, in our places Of business, be
compelled to talk and to mingle with bad
men, but he who deliberately chooses to as
sociate himself with vicious people is en-
gagged in carrying on courtship with
Delilah, whose shears will clip of all the
locks of his strength, and he will be tripped
into perdition. Sin is catching, is infectious,
is epidemic. Twill let you look over the
millions of people now inhabiting the earth,
and l challenge you to show me good man,
who, after one year, has made choice
and consorted with the wicked. A thou
sand dollars reward for one such instance.
care not how strong your character may
be. Associate with gamblers, and you will
become gambler. Clan with burglars, and
you will become burglar. Go among the
unclean, and you will become unclean. Not
approaching the truth of my text, many a
young man has been destroyed. He wakes
up some morning in the great city, and
knows no one except the persons into whose
employ he has entered
AS he goes into the store all the clerks
mark him, measure him, and discuss him.
The upright young men of the store wish
him well, but perhaps wait for formal in
PRODUCTION, and even then have some deli
cacy about inviting him into their associa-
tons. But the bad young men of the store
at the first opportunity approach and offer
their services. They patronize him. They
profess to know all about the town. They
will take him anywhere he wants to go-if
he will pay the expenses. For if good
young man and bad young man go to some
place where they ought not the good young
man has invariably to pay the charges. AT
the moment the ticket is to be paid for, the
champagne settled for, the bad young man
feels around in his pockets and says: ~
have forgotten my pocket book" In forty
eight hours after the young man has en-
tered the store the bad fellows of the estab-
lishment slap him on the shoulder familiar
ly, and, at his stupidity in taking certain IL.
lusions, say:
"My young friend, you will have to be
broken in" and they Immediately proceed
to break him in. Young man, in the name
of God / warn you to beware how you let q
bad man talk Familiarity with you. If such
an one slap you on the shoulder Familiarity
turn round and give him whitening look
until the wretch crouches in your presence
There is no monstrosity of wickedness that
can stand unabashed under the glance Of
purity and honor. God keeps the lightnings
Of heaven in his own scabbard, and no human
arm can WELD them; but God gives to every
young man lightning that he may use, and
that is the lightningof an honest eye. Those
who have been close observers will moi
wonder why give warning to young mer
and say, Beware of bad company"
First-I warn you to shun the skeptic-
the young man who puts his fingers in hi.
vest and laughs at your old-fashioned re
ligion, and turns over to some mystery of the
Bible and says: explain that, my pious
friend explain that" And who says: "No
body shall scare me; I am not afraid Of thu
future; used to believe in such things, ani
so did my father and mother, but have 60
over it," Yes, he has got over it; and i
| you sit in his company a little longer, 70,
will get over it too. Without presenting
one argument against the Christian religion
such men will, by their ieers and SCOTS an(
caricatures, destroy your respect for that re
legion which was the strength Of your fathel
in his declining years, and the pillow O
your old mother when she lay a-dying
Alas q time will come when that buster
ing young infidel will have to die, and thel
his diamond ring will flash no splendor il
the eyes Of death, as he stands over tn,
couch, waiting for his soul. Those beauti
full locks will be uncombed upon tn
pillow, and the dying man will say: "
can not die-I can not die" Death standin.
ready beside the couch, says: "YOu mus
die; you have only half a minute to live
let me have it right away-your soul.
"No," says the young infidel, "here are m,
gold rings, and these pictures; take then
ALL" "No," says death, ''what do care TO
pictures your soul" 'Stand back" say
the dying infidel ~ will not stand back,
says Death, ''for you have only ten second
now to live; want your soul" The dyinl
man says Don't breathe that cold air int
my face. You crowd me too hard. 1t is get
ting dark in the ROOM o Godw "Hush,
says Death, ''you said there was no God.
"Pray for me-" exclaims the expiring inf
del "Too late to pray" says Death, "bu
three more seconds to live, and will coun
them off-one-two-three." He has gone
Where Where. Carry him out--out, an
bury him beside his father and mother, VIII
died while holding fast the Christian relig
ion. They died singing; but the young in
fidel only said: "Dont breathe that col
air into my face You crowd me too hare
1t is getting dark in the ROOM"
Again urge you to shun the companion
ship Of oilers. There are men hangin
around every store, and Office, and shol
who have nothing to do, or act as if the