Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-24
g DANGERS Or FEhCE-BREAKIKG. ;
TIMELY DISCOURSE ON A PREVAILING
LOCAL MALADY.
The Serpent That Lurketh in the Hedge
How Gaming Leads to Dishon-
esiy and Certain Ruin.

1 ~ANsAANASOAA1
Lutheran Church, preached in Pioneer
Hall last evening from the text: "Whosc
breaketh an hedge, serpent shall bite
him"-Eccl. KS. He said: Law has its
seat in the bosom of God its voice Is the
harmony of the world. All things above
and below pay it homage; angels and men
and all creatures, with common consent.
join In admiring law as the occasion OF
peace and Joy and comfort. Obedience is
| not slavery, but highest freedom for the
creature. Its ways are ways of pleasantness
and all its paths are peace. God "has made
law for the rain," He gave His decree
| unto the sea, that the waters should not
pass His commandment" and to all NOV.
ing bodies in the heavens path for motion
and time to rise and set ; to this earth of
ours, seasons for planting and towering
and fruiting, and of life and death-thus
law, law everywhere. In obedience then
is the music of the spheres" But just let
the earth seek some other orbit, and the
moon refuse to travel in the old wav or to
| obey law which has held it essentially to
the one path for these many thousand
years. At once there would be discord and
confusion-the wreck of worlds.
Since the time when God first proclaimed
His laws upon the world, heaven and
earth have hearkened unto His voice and
labored to obey His will. We see it writ.
ten everywhere, and plain enough for him
who runs to read, that obedience of the
creatures to the laws of nature is the stay
of the whole world.
Human beings are not put into this
world to roam at will. like the bison on the
Oh.
well for this. He knows that the devices
and desires of their hearts are tending to
evil continually, and He gives them laws
hedges them about by few plain COM
mandments.
We see them along the highways, and at
the crossings and forkings of life. They
are the plain and simple Thou shalt and
Thou shalt not" which mark the lines
between right and wrong-between what
we may and what we may not do. And
these shall remain the same for all times
and all peoples. Gods fence is to remain.
1t Is Tor our protection and not imprison-
ment; happiness and not misery; freedom
IN the truest sense, and not narroWness at
all. 1t is well for US, in the boosted free
dom of our times, to question whether we
have freedom which comes from knowl-
edge of the truth. If not, we are not free
indeed. Methinks there are signs of decay
in some things. We need some of the
authority of law to hedge about our homes,
more of its enforcement on our streets
more of its rule over our lives.
God, who is all-wise and very good to US,
has surrounded us with fences, and it is
very foolish and sinful for us to break
through them or to tear them down.
Whose breaketh through an hedge, q ser.
pent shall bite him" The new version
has fence" for hedge" Stone fences
were built around the VINEYARDS in Pales
tine to separate them one from another.
Snakes would hide in these fences. If one
man would try to break into his neighbours
lot by tearing down the wall or breaking
through, the serpent was there to bite him.
These fences could be broken through. but
the guilty one suffered punishment. Gods
fences may be broken, TOO, but the offender
must pay the penalty.
Everyone knows how certain and speedy
are the punishments that come to our bod
les from the violation of the simple laws of
health. Here the serpent is always coiled
and ready to strike, and who has not been
bitten In these cases the poison may be
expelled or counteracted. These poor bod
les may suffer pain and contortion, but the
poison will be removed. There is a much
more dangerous poison and here we would
have all forewarned that they might be fore
armed, Tor little prevention is of more
value than vast amount Of cure. We
speak especially to the young Older peo-
pie are cautious, and are supposed to look
out for the serpent. 1t is the young, of ar
dent spirits and impulsive nature, who are
likely to rush into danger. They take the
risk before counting the cost
In these times, when men live full lives
IN half the time allotted to them. so much
do they crowd into these years, caution. a
careful observance of Gods fences, is espe-
cially necessary; and yet the customs tend
toward breaking them down. This applies
to both health and morals. Take the one
sin OF gambling. How much gambling is
there IN our country? Certain it is that it
is prevalent to degree which sober, quiet
people never dream of. Why is it that the
great gambling institution of this country
is pushing itself before so many houses of
legislation to have its destructive and nefa-
rious business legalized? Simply because
in all these places there are vast numbers
of people who want it legalized. 1t is SIM
ply shrewdly calculated business that
makes this company offer such large money
brides to have its business receive the pro-
lection of law. They know the money
will flow back to them if once they succeed
in the legal work. Then what a condition
of society does this indicate? Is it not that
there are thousands in every small commu-
nifty who favor gambling? 1t is a fearful
thing to contemplate.
We read OF tragedy after tragedy perpe-
trated under the insane infatuation of the
gaming table. Many of the strange sui
cldes which appear on the records of
morgues, or haunt the depths of the rivers
around our cities, tell the same stories.
ibis business is practiced often, indeed, in
very small way and for very small stakes,
by very many young men in all our cities;
1t is often in the privacy of their rooms in
lodging houses, and again in public places.
Employers little suspect-alas! fathers and
mothers little suspect-what devilish mis-
chief is done under the cover of secrecy.
Many petty larcenies, committed in stores
and counting-rooms and banks are done
to cover these losses at the card table
Yea, verify, gambling is many times more
dangerous to community than the leper
recently discovered in our city. 1t is
moral pestilence that "walketk IN dark
ness" and therefore its terrible prevalence
escapes the eye of the public All honor
to the statesmen in our legislative halls
and to the editors of our daily papers, who
throw the weight of their powerful infiu-
ence against this terrible evil and danger.
Gus enemy
In all this terrible work which becomes
so fatal to character and to soul, there is
beginning which is simply playing with
fire, a breaking through Gods fence of
honor at the risk of the serpent. Right
under the first dime that is ever thrown in
| a game Of chance lies the hidden snake.
| Just when young man makes his first
bet, or puts up his wager on match or
a race, or when he risks his first money at
card-table, he puts the hot coal of fire to
his bosom, which is not easily put out; it
may kindle great flame which will burn
| unto the lowest hell. 1t is dangerous
There is always a first stone to be torn
| from the fence, and always first step in
sin. Here is the danger; this is the step
that costs. And the sin is not in the
amount of the risk, or the place where
taken, or the object. Here no end justifies
| means. Gambling for penny is as much a
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