Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-06-13
SUNDAYS SERMON.
ONE OF REV. DIR. TALMAGE'S
STERLING DISCoURsES.
subject in the Morning; "Ruinous
Company" Subject i'm the Even
ing: Lessons of the Penn
syIvania Flood"

-
stroysd. proverbs xiii, 20.
..May It please the court said a convicted
criminal when asked if he had anything to
say before sentence of death was passed upon
him, may it please the court bad COM
many has been my ruin. | received
the blessings of good parents, and, in re-
turn. promised TO avoid all evil associa-
tons Had kept my promise l should have
been saved this shame, and been free
from the load of guilt that hangs round me
ike vulture, threatening to drag me to JUS
tjce for crimes yet unreyealed /, who once
moved in the first circles Of society, and have
been the guest of distinguished public men.
am lost and all through bad company
This is but one of the thousand proofs that
The companion of fools shall be destroyed.
II is the invariabe rule There is well man
ia 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 a
good man would be apt TO be snitten with
moral distemper, if shut up with Ubiquitous
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 COM
PEELED to talk TO and mingle with bad men;
but he who deliberately chooses to associate
himself with vicious people is engaged in
carrying on a courtship with Delilah, whose
shears will clip off the locks of his
strength, and he will be tripped into
perdition. Sin Is catching is infec-
tous is epidemic. ] win let you look over
the millions of people now inhabiting the
earth, and | challenge you to show me good
man who after one year, has made choice and
consorted with the wicked A thousand dol
lars reward for one such instance. | care not
bow strong your character may be. Associate
with gamblers, you will become a gambler.
Clan with burglars, and you will become a
burglar. Go among the unclean, and you
will become unclean. Not approaching the
truth Of my text, many young man has
been destroyed. He wakes up some morning
10 the great city, and knows no one except
The persons into whose employ le 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
veil 6utperhaps wait for formal introduc-
ton 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 patron
lie him. They profess to know ali about the
town. They will take him anywhere that he
wishes to go-if he win pay the expenses
HO SOou young una II Dilu young
man 60 10 some place where they ought not,
the good young man has invariably to pay
the charges. At the moment the ticket is
10 be paid for, or 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 entered the store the
bad fellows of the establishment slap him on
the shoulder Familiarity, and, at his stupidity
in -faft ,Il Nv
friend you will have 10 be broken IN" and
they Immediately proceed to break him in.
Young man, in the name of God l warn you to
beware how you let a bad man talk fam
iiarly with you. If such an one slap you on
the shoulder familiarity, turn round and give
him whitening look until the wretch
1ouches in your presence. There is no mon
sToSity Of wickedness that can stand una
Dashed under the glance of purity and honor.
First, ! warn you b shun the skSptic-the
young man who puts his fingers in his vest
and laughs at your old fashioned religion,
and turns over to some mystery of the Bible
and says: Explain that my pious friend;
explain that" And who says: Nobody
shall scare me; ] am not afraid of the
future used to believe in such
Rlngs, and so do my father and
mother, but | have got over itp Yes, he
as got over It; and II you sit in his COM
9ny little longer you will get over it too.
Without presenting one argument against
lne Christian religion, such men will, by their
SEN and SCOTS, and caricatures, destroy
your respect for that religion which was
ne strength of your father in his
declining years, and the pillow of
ssdyng. Alas a time viii come when that
clustering young infidel will have to die, and
nen bis diamond ring will fash no splendor
me eyes OF Death, as he stands over the
couch waiting for his soul
AGAIN. urge you to shun the companion
Apot oilers. There are men hanging around
every store and Office, and shop, who have
nothing TO do, or act as if they had not. They
ueApt 10 come in when the firm are away,
IN wish to engage you in conversation
lenle you are engaged in your
regular employment. Politely suggest
such persons that you have no time 10 give
1en during business hours. Nothing would
peas them so well rs to have you re-
Slhee your occupation and associate with
4sn Much of the time they lounge around
~ cub rooms or the doors of engine
FUSES or after the dining hour stand upon
Hs steps Of fashionable hotel or an
"a mat tnat Is the place where they dine.
Sal they do not dine there. They are sink
down lower and lower, day by day.
aetner by day nor by night have anything
% 90 with the idlers. Before you admit
- hpo gOuI acquaintance asa nm
plaiey: What do you do for a liv-
-sf II he says: Nothing; / am a gentle
nan look out for him. He may have very
~ hand and very faultless apparel, and
ave a high sounding family name, but his
@ach Is death. Before you know it you viii
aE presence be ashamed of your work
- business viii become to you drudgery,
go alter awhile you will lose your place,
~ afterward your respectability, and
~ ~ d all your soul. Ideness is next door TO
ES.lhy. Thieves, gamblers, burglars. shop
~ 80 and assassiIls are made from the class
,aave nothing to do When the police 90 TO
= y up and arrest culprit they seldom go
LOB IN among busy clerks or in the busy
ase factory, but they 60 among the
so.N Of oilers. The play is going on at the
safe When suddenly there is scuifie in
:. % gallery. What is it, A policeman
4 - - cone in, and, leaning over, has tapped on
- aiouder Of a young man, saying: Il
- you, slr." He has not worked during
sn!y J, but somehow has raked together a
S.gs or two 10 get into the top gallery. He
~ laier The man on his right hand Is an
II anu the man ON his left hand is an idleT.
~ nk back from idleuess in yourself and
~ usls you would maintain right posi-
~ A