West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-08-01
HOW TO CONQUER.
THE POWER OF EVIL HABITS.
Taimage Tells OF n Campaign Co Re
cover Lost Ground.

yet dgdin."-Prov xiii. IS.
With an insight into human nature such as
no other man ever reached, Solomon, in my
text, sketches the mental operations of one
who having stepped aside from the path OF
recttude desires to return. With wish for
something bottor, no said: 'sWhen shall
nw9kes When shall como out OF this horrid
nightmare OF fniquityy' But, seized upon by
uneradicted habit, and forced down hill by
ms passions, he cries out: 81 will seek il vet
again. win try It once moren
a., Our libraries are adorned with an elegant
literature addressed to young men, pointing
out TO them oil the dangers and perils of life
complete maps OF the voyage showing all
inc rocks, the quicksands, the shoals But
SUPPOSE man has already made shipwreck;
suppose ne Is already of tho track; suppose
he has already gone astray. How is no TO
get backg That is a field comparatively nm
s1uched. propose to address myself 10 such.
anere are those IN this audience who with
every passion OF their agonized soul, are
ready TO hear such discussion They com
pare themselves with what they were ten
years ago, and cry out from the bondage in
DC any here, come with an earnest
purpose, yet feeling they are beyond
the pale Of Christian sympathy and that the
sermon can hardly be expected 10 address
right hand, and call them brother Look
up. There is glorious and triumphant hopo
Tor you yet 1 sound tho trumpet of Gospel
uellverance. The church is ready TO spread
OF heaven to fall into limo of hammered pro-
cesslon mt the news of your emancipation
so Tar as God may help me, propose TO
show what are the obstacles OF your return,
una tnen how you arc 10 surmount those
obstacles. The first difficulty i'm the way OF
your return is the force of moral grayitation
Just as thcrc is a natural law which brings
DOWN TO The earth anything you throw into tho
air, 50 there is a corresponding moral CRAWL
tation. In other words IL Is easier to 90
uoWn tnan IT Is TO go up; it is easier to do
wrong than It is TO do right Call to mind
inc comrades OF your bcyhood days
some OF them good, somo of them bad
which most affected your Call to mind tho
anecdotes that you have heard In the Inst
nVe or ten ycars-some of them are puro
anu some OF them impure Which, tho
more easily sticks to your memory
During the years OF your life you have
formed certain courses OF conduct-Some OF
them good some of them bad. To which
style of habit did you tho more easily
yields All, my friends, we have to take but
moment of self-inspection to find out
that there is in all our souls a force of
moral ,gravitationi But that gravitation
may be resisted. just as you may nick up
from the earth something and hold it in YOUR
hand toward heaven, just so, by the power
OF Gods grace, a soul fallen may be lifted
toward peace, toward pardon, toward heaven.
Force OF moral gravitation in every ono of
us, butpower in Gods grace to overcome that
force of moral gravitation
The next thing in the way of your return
y the power OF evil habit. 1 know there are
those who say it is very easy for them TO give
up evil habits do not believe them. Here
is man given to intoxication. He knows he
Is disgracing his family, destroying HIS prop
9eFFy running him, body, mind and soul.
and loving his family, could easily
give up that habit would he
not do so2 Tho fact that he does not give
AZ up proves that it Is hard to give it up. 1t
rs very easy thing to sail down stream, the
tide carrying you with great force; but sup
pose You turn the boat up stream, Is it so easv
then to row It? As long as we yield TO the
ssu incllnauons IN our hearts, and our bad
habits, we arc sailing down stream; but the
moment we try to turn, we put our boat in
the rapids just above Niagara and try TO
row up stream. Take a man given to tho
na5iI OF using tobacco, as most of you do,
and let him resolve to stop and he finds IL
very difficult. Twenty-seven years ago quit
that habit, and would as soon dare to mt
my right hand in the fire as once to indulge
IN is MhyE Because it was such
terrific struggle to get over 1t. Now,
let man DO advised by his physi
can to give up the use of tobacco
ne goes around not knowing what to do
with himself. He cannot add I'D a limo of
figures He cannot sleep nights 1t seems
as II the world had turned upside down. He
feels ms business going to ruin Where he
was KIND and obhging he is scolding and
.retIui. The composure that characterized
him has given way to fretful rostlessmess
and ne has become a complete hdget What
power is it that has rolled q wave Of WOO
over the earth and shaken portent In the
heavensl He has tried to stop smoking or
chewingl After while he says. 81 am poing
20 90 as please. The doctor doesn't under.
stand my case. Pm going back to my old
haDit" And he returns Everything assumes
us usual composure. His business seems to
brighten, the world becomes an nttractive
Ilace to live in. His children, seeing the
difference hail the return OF their
i "a hers g genial disposition. What wave
OF color has dashed blue into the sky, and
grccDncss into the mountain foliage and fire
glow Of sapphire into the sunsetY What en-
chantment has lifted a world of beauty and
JOY on his sOuli He has gone back to to.
Oh, the fact Is, as VIC nil know in o,r o,,r
experience, that habit Is taslsnnstcr. os
long as we obey IL, il does not chastiso ne.
nut let us resist, aud wo find we ere 10 ba
.5 lss vain scorpion whips and bound with
snip cable, and thrown into tho tract, Of
oone-Dreating Juggernautsi During tho war
~ lolS there was a ship set on fire lust oI,ove
Niagara Falls, and then, cut loose from it,
M ttls, u came on down through the night
,,no tossed over the falls. It was said 10 have
oeea scene brilliant beyond oil tlescription
vel, there arc thousands OF men ON hre ~
wi naDit, coming down through the rapids
una through the awful night Of temptation
toward the eternal plunge OH bo,y ba,.1 -
Is to arrest them God only can aTrest eIc- -
suppose a man after FIVE OF ten or tvyentv
years OF evil doing, resolves 10 do rights WIN
Al tue forces 81 darkness are allied agafnst
Nun lie cannot sleep nights. He gets down
on ms knees ia the midnight and cries siC,oJ
heip meH He bites his lip re grjpds ne
.estn. Tie clenchos his fist I'm bis determina
tiVn 70 Keep his purpose. He dare not Tool,
~ the bottles In the window Of n wine store
~ was ono long, bitter, exhaustive hand Ia
hauo hght with infiamed fanfnlizing and
ineIciles habit. When he thinks ne r. cn-
.iFeiy Tree, tho old inclinations r,ornce NM,
MIN iiko pack II hounds with their fnuzziee
ttaring away at The TANKS Of one Door rein
ueef. Ia Paris there is q scuIptured ren,re-
soNtetivil OF BocchUs the god Of revelrv IIc
" IluinB on panther at full leap. Oh how
suB9sa9yci Let every one who is gpaalijug
~ ,an ways understand he ie not ridiuo =
uocllo and well-brOkon steed but ho H. ridl,,
monster Wild and bloodthfrsty. going at q
hy~ many thoro are who receive on n ia
IRE ana say; when shall I ayvairo5,
-, scizod on b. their old hatife crv. ~
VII ~ % once more, / win saek n vet
tsam Years ago there were some Primo.
~ s.udents Who were skating and fho ico
20 very thin, aud some ono warned ~
goinpnny back from tho air hole oDd fnaiIv
nathcd them entirely ~ leave tho rioce
.tt one young man with bravado affor All
lne fesl had stopped cried out. 'sOue rourJ
Hf.r.f a..