Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-06-03

Your hsrps, ye trembling saints,
Down from the willows take
He took for his text Proverbs xiii, 20: "a
companion Of fools shall be destroyed. "
Following lie verbatim report of the ser
mon:
MAY it please the court" said a con-
victed criminal, when asked if be had any
thing to say before sentence Of death was
passed upon him, 'may it please the court,
bad company has been my ruin. re-
ceived the blessings of good parents, and i,
in return promised to avoid all evil associ-
atiOns. Had l kept my promise 1 should
have been saved this shame, and been free
from this load of guilt that hangs round
me like vulture, threatening to drag me
to justice for crimes yet unrevealed. l,
who once moved in the first circles o
society, and have been the guest of dis
tineuished public men, am lost, and all
through bad company"
This is bat one of the thousand proofs
that the companion of fools shall be de-
stroyed. 1t is the invariable rule There
is we'll man in the wards of a hospital,
where there are 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 distempter,
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, 30
that, instead of being reformed by incar-
ceration, the day Of liberation turned them
ont upon society beasts, not men.
sHUN THE sKEPTIC.
First, warn you TO shun the skeplic-
the young man who puts bis fingers in
his vest and laughs at your olG-iashioned
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; 1 am not
afraid of the future; used to believe IN
such things, and so did my father and
mother, but l have got over il" Yes, he
has got over it; and if you sit in his COM
pany a little longer you will get over II too
Without presenting one argument against
the Christian religion, such men will, by
their eers and SCOTS and caricatures, de-
stroy your respect for that religion which
was the strength of your father in his de
clining years, and the pillow Of your old
mother when she lay a-dying Alas a
time will come when that clustering young
infidel will have to die, and then his dia-
mond ring will flash no splendor In the
eyes of Death ss he stands over the couch,
waiting for his soul. Those beautiful
locks will be uncombed upon the pill
low, and the dying man will cay: u
cannot die-I cannot die" Death,
standing ready beside the couch, says,
You must die; you have only half min
ute to live; let me have II right away
your SOUL NO" says the young inf
del, "here are my gold rings, and these
pictures; take them ALL" No" says
Death, what do care for pic,ures!-your
SOUL" "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. 1t is getting
dark in the room. o Godn' "Hush,'
says Death "you said there was no God. "
Pray for me, exclsims the expiring in
idel. TOO late to pray" says Death
but three more seconds TO live, and will
count them off-one-twO-three." lie
has gone Where? Where? Garry him
and bury him beside his father
and mother, who died while holding fast
.he Christian religion They died singing;
but the young infidel only said: Don't
breathe that cold air into my face. You
,rowd me too hard. 1t is getting dark in
The room"
sHUN THR IDLER.
Again, / urge you to shun the compan-
onship of idlers. There are men hang
ing around every store, and Office, and
shop. who have nothing TO do, OF act
as If they had not They are apt to
come in when the fim are away, and
wish to engage you in conversation while
you are engaged in your regular employ
meDt. Politely sug est 10 such persons
that You have no time to give them during
business hours. Nothing would please
them so we'll az to have you renounce your
and associate with them. Much
of the time they lounge around club
rooms OF the doors Of engine houses, or ar
ter the dining hour stand upon the
steps of fashionable hotel OF an ell
eeant restaurant, wishing to give
Won the idea that that is the place where
they dine. But they do not dine there.
They are sinking down lower and lower,
dsy by day. Neither by day nor by night
have ANYTHING to DO with the idlers. Be
fore you admit q man into your acqualnt-
ance ask him politely: What do you do
for a liviDg2n If he says, Nothing lam
a gentleman, f." look out for him. he may
have very soft hand and very iault'ess
apparel, and have high-sounding family
name. but his touch is death. Before you
know it you will in his presence DO
ashamed OF your work dress. Business
will become to you drudgery, and alter
awhile you will lose your place, and alter
wards your respectability, and last OF al
your soul. Idleness is next door 10 vale
lainy.
THE PERPETUAL PLEASURE SEEKER.
Again: / urge you TO avoid the per
petual pleasure seeker. believe IN reac-
tion and amusement. need IL AZ much
as need bread, and 90 to my daily e1er-
else with az conscientious purpose az
20 to the Lords Supper; and all persons
of sanguine temperament must nave
and recreation. God would
not have made us with the capacity TO
laugh if he had not intended Us sometimes
To indulge in it. God hath hung IN sky,
and set in wave, and printed on grass
many a roundelay; but he who chooses
pleasure seeking for his life work does not
understand for what God made him.
Onr Amusement. are intended to
helm us in some earnest mission.
The thunder cloud hath an edge
exquisitely purple, bat with voice
that Jars the earth, it declares: j 20 70
water the green fields" The wild flowers
under the fence are gay, but they cay;
1--WE stand here 10 make beautiful edge
for the wheat field, and to refresh the
busbandmen in their incoming The
strean sparkles and foams, and frolics,
and saws. 'I 20 to bsptizs the moss.
lave the spots on the trout. l slake the
thirst of the bird. l turn the wheel oil
the mill. I rock in my crystal cradle
muckshaw and water lily" And 30,
while the world plays, it works. Look
ont for the man who always plays and
never works.
ATIME FOB DECISION.
Decide this soon, oh, young man, what
direction you will take. There comes such
moment Of final decision-why not this
One night l saw a young man at the street
corner evidently doubling as to which di-
rection he had better take, his hat lifted
high enough 80 you could gee he had an IN
tellieent forehead, and he had a stout ches;
and a robust development. Splendid young
~AN- - = -. uounraa