Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1889-06-07

Or. Ialmage Makes some new AhehnAfAn
ON an Old subiect-HOw Spendthrifts and
Debauchees Are SIade-Evil Wrought by
the skeptIc.
BROOKLYN, June 2.-The Rev. T. De Witt
Talmage, D. D., preached at the Tabernacle
today. After expounding the Scriptures he
gave out that popular hymn by A NJ. Top
lady, beginning:
Your harps ye trembling saints,
Down from the willows take.
He took for his text Proverbs xiii, 20: "a
companion Of fools shall be destroyed" Fol-
lowing is verbatim report Of the sermon:
May it please the court, said 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
pany has been my ruin. received the bless
ings of good parents, and, in return, prom
ised to avoid all evil associations. Had |
kept my promise l should have been saved
this shame, and been free from the load Of
guilt that hangs round me like n vuture,
threatening to drag me to justice for crimes
yet unrevealed. l, who once moved in the
first circles Of society, and have been the
guest of distinguished public men, am lost,
an'i all through bad company"
This is but one of the thousand proofs that
the companion Of fools shall be destroyed
It is the invariable rule There is a well man
in the wards of hospital, where there are a
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 smitten with
moral distemper if shut up with iniquitous
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.
DO NOT SEEK BAD COMPANIONS
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 car
rying on a courtship with Delilah, whose
shears will clip off all the locks of his
strength, and he will be tripped into perdi-
ton. Sin is catching, is infectious, is epi-
demic | will 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 dollars reward
for one such instance. care not how strong
your character may be. Associate with gam
blers, you will become a gambler. Clan
with burglars, and you will become q bur-
glar Go among the unclean, and you will
become unclean. Not approaching the truth
Of my text, many young man has been de-
stroyed. He wakes up some morning in the
great city, and knows no one except the per-
sons into whose employ he has entered.
As he goes into the store all the clerks mark
him, measure him and discuss him. The up
right young men of the store wish him well,
but perhaps wait for formal introduction,
and even then feel delicacy about inviting
him into their associations. But the bad
young men of the store at the first opportu-
nifty approach and offer their services They
patronize him They profess to know all
about the town. They will take him any
where that he wishes TO go-if he win pay
the expenses. For if a good young man and
bad young man go to some place where
they ought not, the good young man has in
variably to pay the charges. At the moment
the ticket is to be paid for, or the champagne
settled for, the bad young man feels around
in his pockets and says; II 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 taking certain illusions, say:
"My young friend, you will have to be bro
ken IN" and they Immediately proceed to
break him in Young man, in the name Of
God | warn you to beware how you let bad
man talk Familiarity with you. II such an
one slap you on the shoulder Familiarity, turn
round and give him a 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 lightning Of an honest eye. Those
who have been close observers will not Won
der why give warning to young men, and
say: Beware Of bad company"
First, l warn you to shun the skeptic-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: mo
body shall scare me; l am not afraid of the
future; I used to believe in such things, and
so did my father aud mother, but have got
over it." Yes, be has got over it; and if you
sit in his company little longer you will get
over it, too Without presenting one argu
ment against the Christian religion such men
will, by their jeers and SCOTS and caricatures,
destroy your respect for that religion which
was the strength Of your father in his de-
clining years, AID the pillow OF your old
mother when she lay a-dying. Alas time
win come when that clustering young infidel
viii have to die, and then his diamond ring
will flash no splendor in the eyes Of Death as
be stands over the couch waiting for his soul
Those beautiful locks will be uncombed Upon
the pillow, and the dying man w;il say:
81 cannot die-I can.ot die" Death, stand
ing ready beside the couch, says: You
must die; you have only half minute to
live; let me have it right away-yOur soul ="
mo- says the young infidel, 'here are my
gold rings and these pictures; take them all. :"
"No," says Death, "what do care for pic
turesl-your soul.n "Stand buck" says the
dying inildel. Il will not stand back, says
Death, ''for you have only ten seconds now
to live; / want your soul" The dying man
SAYS; Don't breathe that cold air into my
face. You crowd me too hard Its getting
dark In the room. Godw "Hush,n says
Death; .you said there was no God" "Prny
for me-" exciaims the expiring infldel TOO
late to pray,n says Death; "but three more