The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1889-06-06

RUINOUS COMPANIONS.
"CONSORT WITH BURGLARS AND
YOU WILL BE A BURGLAR
DIR. TaImage Makes Some New Remarks
on an Old subject-How spendthrifts
and Debauchees Arc Made--EviI Wrought
by the slxeptic.

by the slSeptic.
BROOKLYN, June 2.-The Rev. T.
De Witt Talmage, D. D., preached at
the Tabernacle today. After expound-
ing the Scriptures he gave out that
popular hymn by A. M. Toplady, be-
ginning:
Your harps ye trembling saints,
Down from the willows take,
He took for his text Proverbs xiii, 90:
"a companion of fools shall be de-
stroyed." Following is verbatim re-
port Of the sermon:
May it please the court" said q
convicted criminal, when asked if he
had anything to say before sentence
of death was passed upon him, ''may
it please the court, bad company has
been my ruin. received tho blessings
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 FREQ
from tho load of guilt that hangs
round me like a vulture, threatening
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 com
pany."
This is but ono of tho thousand
proofs that the companion of fools
shall be destroyed. 1t is the invariable
rule. There is q we'll man in the
wards Of a hospital, where there arc
hundred people sick with ship fever,
and he will not be SO apt to take the
disease as good man would be apt to
be smitten with moral distemper, if
shut up with iniquitous companions.
In olden times prisoners were herded
together in the same cell, but each one
learned tho vices of all the culprits, so
that, instead of being reformed by in
generation, tho day of liberation
turned them out upon society beasts
not men.
DO NOT SEEK BAD COMPANIONS.
We may, in our places of business,
bc compelled to talk to and mingle
with bad men; but no who deliberate
ly chooses to associate himself with
vicious people is engaged in carrying
on a courtship with Delilah, whose
shears will clip off all the locks of his
strength, and he will be tripped into
perdition. Sin is catching, is infec-
tious, is epidemic. will let you look
over tho millions Of people now in
habiting the earth, and / challenge
you to show mo good man who, after
one year, has made choice and con-
sorted with tho wicked. A thousand
dollars reward for ono such instance.
4 caro- not how strong your character
may be. Associate with gamblers, you
will become gambler. Clan with
burglars, and you will become burg
lar. Go among tho unclean, and you
will become unclean. Not appreciat-
ing tho truth of my text, many q
young man has been destroyed. He
wakes up some morning in tho great
city, and knows no one except tho per-
sons into whose employ ho has en-
tered.
As he goes into the store all the
clerks mark him, measure him and
u'scuss him. The upright young men
of TIC store wish him well, but per-
hans wit for a formal introduction,
and even then have some delicacy
about inviting him into their associa-
tions. But tiTe bad young men of the
store at tho first opportunity approach
and offer their services. They patron
izo him. They profess to know, all
about the town. They will take hlm
anywhere that he. wishes 30 Eo---If he
will pay tho expenses. For il good
young man and a bad young man go
to some place where they ought not,
the good young man has invariably 10
pay tho charges. At the moment the
ticket is to be paid for, or the cham
pegno settled for, the bad young
man feels around in his pockets
and says: II have forgotten my
pocket book" In forty-eight hours
after tho young man has en-.
tered the store tho bad fellows of
the establishment slap him on the
shoulder Familiarity, and, at his stupid
ity in taking certain illusions, say:
my young friend, you will have to
be broken in;" and they Immediately
proceed to break him in. Young man,
in tho name of God warn you TO be-
ware how you let bad man talk fam
iliarly with you. If such an ono slap
you on the shoulder familiarly, turn
round and give him whitening look,
until the wretch crouches III your
presence, There is no monstrosity of
wickedneSs that can stand unabashed
under tho 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 wonder why /
give warning 10 young men, and say,
'BewGro of bad company"
Eft.sf / ,.-a,,t, xr,tt Ia glttt, fhn Clyp1N
tic-the young man who puts his fin
gers in his vest and laughs at your old
fashioned religion, and turns over to
some mystery of the Dible and says:
Explain that, my pious friend OK
plain that" And who says: Nobody
shall scare me; / am not afraid of the
future; / used 10 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 company little longer, you will
get over il too Without presenting
one argument against tho Christian
religion, such men viii, by their jeers
and SCOTS aud caricaturos, destroy
your respect for that religion which
was the strength of your father in his
declining years, and the pillow Of
your old mother when she lay
a-dying. Alas time win como when
that clustering young intidel will
have TO die, and then his diamond ring
will flash no splendor in the eyes of
Death, as he stands over the couch,
waiting for his soul. Those beautiful
docks will be uncombed upon the pill
low, and. the dying man will say; u
cannot die-I cannot die" Death.
standing ready beside the couch, says;
''You must die; you have only half q
sninutc TO live; let mo have ii right
away-your soul" mo" says the
Young inndel, here arc my gold
rings and these pictures; take them
all" No says Death, "what do
care for pictures l-your soul. STANG
back, says the dying inhdel. II will
not stand back, says Death, ''for you
have only ten seconds now 10 live;
want YOUR soul" The dying man
says; ''Dont breathe that cold
air into my face. You crowd
in the room. oGodf aHush, sayl
Death; "you said there was no God.
pray for me, y exclaims the expiring
inildel TOO late to pray, says Death,
but three moro seconds 10 1--WE, ano
I will count them oH-one-two--
three" lie has gonel Wherea Where
Carry him out-out, and bury him be
side his father and mother, who dieC
while holding fast the Christian re
ligion. They died singing; but th,
young infldelonly said; Don't breathe
that cold air into my face. You Grove
mo too hard. IL is getting dark in th'
room"
erIIr MAN WHO n0ra NOTHING Is MoRTI