The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-08
THE SLAUGHTER.
DR.. Talmage's Sermon Yesterday,
The Great Preacher Ediflos Vast
st. Louis Audience.
Just as An OK Is Ignorant Of His
Coming Doom,
So Young Men Are Led Into Their
Moral Death by Temptation.
We Are Apt to Blame Young men FOL
Being Destroyed When We Ought
to Blame the Influences That De-
stroy Them-Social Demands.

st. LOUIS, NO., April t-lne kcV. Il.
Dewitt Talmage, ID. D., OF Brooklyn,
preached here this evening to vast audi
ence. His subject was "The Slaughter"
and his text, Proverbs, vii. 2l "As an OK
to the slaughter" The eloquent preacher
said:
There is nothing in the voice or manner
OF the butcher 10 indicate TO tho OK that
there is death ahead. Tse OK thinks he is
going on to q rich pasture field OF clover,
where all day long he will rcyel in the her
baceous luxuriance; but after awhile the
men and the boys close In upon him with
sticks and stones and shouting, and drive
him through bars and into a doorway,
where ho is fastened, and with a well
aimed stroke the AK iells him; and so the
anticipation Of the redolent pasture field is
completely disappointed. So many n
young man has been driven on by tompta-
ton to what he thought would be paradi-
siacal enjoyment; but after while innu-
ences with darker hue and swarthier arm
close in upon him, and he finds that in
stead OF making an excursion into gar
den he has been driven las an OK TO the
slaughter"
We are apt TO blame young men for
being destroyed when we ought TO blame
the influences that destroy them. Society
slaughters great many young men by the
behest "You must keep up appearances;
whatever be your salary, you mus; dress
rs well ns others; you must wine and
brandy as many friends; yon must smoke
as costly cigars; you must give rs expen-
sive entertainments, and you must live in
as fashionable a boarding-hUuse. II YOU
haven't the money borrow. II you can't
borrow, make false entry, or subtract
here and there bill from n bundle Of
bank bills; you will only have TO make
the deception a little while; in a few
months,o in year or two, you eau make
all right. Nobody will be hurt by Il; no.
body will be the wiser. You yourself will
not be damaged" by that awful process
100, 900 men have been slaughtered for
time and slaughtered for eternity.
Suppose you borrow. There Is nothing
wrong about borrowing money. Thcre is
hardly man in the houss but has some
times borrowed money. Vast estates have
been built on n borrowed dollar. But
there are two kinds OF borrowed money.
Money borrowed for the purpose Of start
ing or keeping up Legitimate enterprise
and expense, and money borrowed To
get that which you can do without.
The frst Is right; the other is wrong. II
you have money enough Of your own 10
buy a coat, however plain. and then you
borrow money for a dandy's outfit, you
have taken the first revolution Of the
wheel down grade. Borrow for the ncccs-
sites; that may be well. Borrow for the
luxuries; that tips your prospects over In
the wrong direction.
The Bible distinctly says the borrower Il
servant OF the lender. II IL bad state OF
things when you have 10 20 down some
other street 10 escape meeting somo one
whom you owe. II young men knew what
is the despotism OF being in debt more Of
them would keep out OF H. What did
debt do for Lord Bacon, with mind tow.
ering above the ccnturies7 II induced
him 20 take bribcs and convict himself NJ
"a criminal before all ages. What did debt
do for Walter ScottY Broken-hcartcd at
Abbotsiord. Kept him writing until his
hand gave out In paralysis 10 keep the
sheriff away from his pictures and staiu.
ary. Better for him II ho had minded the
maxim which he had chiseled over the
fireplace at Abboisiord: Waste not,
want not"
Tho trouble is, my friends, the people
do not understand the ethics OF going In
debt, and that II you purchase goods with
no expectation OF paying for thop, or 20
into debts which you cannot meet you
steal Just 80 much money II | 20 into q
grocor's store, and buy sugars and coi-
fees and meats, with no capacity TO pay
for them and no intention OF paying for
them, am more dishonest than II 20
into the store, and when the gtoccr's face
Il turned the other way OH my pockets
with the articles OF merchandise and carry
off ham. In the one case ! take the
merchants time, and take tho time ol
his messenger 10 transfer the goods 10 my
house, while In tho othor case take none
VI the time Of the merchant, aud wait
upon myself, aud / transfer the goods
without any trouble 10 him. In other
words, q sneak thief IL not 80 bad as q
man who contracts for debts he never OK
poets 10 pay.
Yet In all car cities there are families
that move every May day 70 get into
proximity 10 other gr0oor aud meat shop'
and apothecaics. They owe everybody
within half mile Of whore they now 1--we
and next May they will move into a dis
tant part Of the city, An1ing new lot o
victims. Meanwhile you, the honest lam
ily In the new house, arr bothered day b.
day by tho knocking at W door Of dis
appointed bakers, and butchers, and drl
goods dealers, and newspaper carriers, ant
you are asked where your predecessor is
You do not know. Il was arranged yot
. 1T. L. faF