The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-08-08
"RUINOUS COMPANY"
A Trite Sermon on the Evils of
Bad Companionship.
The First Downward Step-The Dangers
of Idle -Healthful and Danger
Gus Sport-Nan's Good and
Bad Angel.

companion of fools shall be destroyed
Proverbs xiii. 20.
May it please the court" said con-
victed criminal, when asked if he had
any thing to say before sentence of death
was passed upon him, may it please the
court, bad company has been my ruin.
/ received the blessings Of good parents,
and, in return, promised to avoid all evil
associations. Had l kept my promise
should have been saved this shame, and
been free from the load of guilt that
hangs around me like vulture, threat
ening to drag me to justice for crimes
yet unrevealed. |, 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 de-
stroyed. 1t is the invariable rule. There
is a well man in the wards of hospital,
where there are o 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 distem-
per if shut up with ubiquitous compan-
ions. In olden times prisoners were
herded together in the same cell, but each
one learned the vices of all the culprits,
so that, instead of being reformed by in
generation. the day of liberation turned
them out upon society beasts, not men.
We may, III our places of business, be
compelled 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
a Delilah, whose shears viii clip off all
the locks of his strength, and he will be
tripped into perdition. Sin is catching,
is infectious, is epidemic. I will let you
look over the millions of people now in
habiting the earth, and | challenge you to
show me good man who, after one year.
has made choice and cons0rted with the
wicked. A thousand dollars reward for
one such instance, care not how 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 a young man has been destroyed.
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 upright young men CT the store wish
him well, but perhaps wait for a formal
introduction, and even then have some
delicacy about inviting him into their
associations. But the bad young men of
the store at the first opportunity APP
proach and offer their services They
patronize him. They profess to know all
about the town. They will take him any
whore he wishes 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, or the
champagne settled for, the bad young
man feels around in his pockets and
says: 81 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 broken
in" and they Immediately proceed to
brake 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 yon presence. There is no monstrosity
OF wickedness that can stand unabashed
under the glance of p urity 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 observ-
ers will not wonder why give warning
to young men, and say: Beware of bad
company"
First, 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
plous friend; explain that" And who
saws: Nobody shall scare me; am not
afraid of the future; 1 used to believe in
such things, and so did my father and
mother. but have got over it" Yes, he
has got over it; and if you sit in his COM
pany little longer you will get over it,
TOO. Without presenting one argument
against the Christian religion, such men
Will, by their jeers and SCOTS and Carl
catures, destroy your respect for that re-
%tSAcA NhtSA W as Gi1e strength or your IA
Their in his declining years, and the pillow
OF your old mother when she lay a-dying.
Alas time viii come when that buster
ing young intidel will have to die, and
then his diamond ring will fash no
splendor in the eyes of Death, as he
stands over the couch, waiting for his
soul. Those beautiful locks will be I'M
combed upon the pillow. and the dying
man will say: II can not die-I can not
dieo
Death standing ready beside the couch,
says: 'You must die; you have only
half a minute to live; let me have it right
away-your soul" NO." says the Young
infdel, "here are my gold rings and these
pictures; take them alL'' NO" saws
Death, what do l care for pictures J.
your soul" "Stand back" SAYS the dv-
ing inidel. 81 will not stand back" saws
Death, 'for you have only ten seconds
now to live; want your SOUL" The dv-
ing man says: Don't breathe that cold
air into my face. You crowd me to hard.
Il is getting dark in the room. o GodY"
Hush, says Death, ''you said there was
no God" "Pray for me-" exclaims the
expiring infdel "Too late to pray.n
says Death; ''but three more seconds to
live, and will count them off-one-two
three" He has gone! Where? Where?
GsarF.Nr him ont l.,