The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-04-12
MIDNIGHT IN TOWN"
Subject Of an Interesting Sermon
by Rev. DR.. Talmage.
Tho Hour When Criminals Do Their Worst
Work, and Gambling and Drunken
ness Prevail-Pen Picture OF
u. visit to Drunkard's Homo
Darkness In the Slums.

Il
mon in the Brooklyn tabernacle q
theme Of universal interest-the dark
side Of social life in our great cities
The text was Genesis l., g. "And the
darkness He called night" The sermon
follows:
Two grand divisions of time. The
one Of sunlight, the other of shadow;
the one for work, the other for rest;
the one type of everything glad and
beautiful, the other used in all Ian
guages as type Of sadness, and afiic-
tion and sin. These two divisions were
made by the Lord Himself. Other di-
visions of time may have nomenclature
Of human invention, but the darkness
held up its duslSy brow to the Lord and
He baptized it, the dew dripping from
His fingers as He gave it a name-"and
the darkness he called night" Ny
subject is midnight in town The
thunder of the city has rolled out of
the air. The slightest sounds cut the
night with such distinctness rs to attract
your attention. The tinSling of the
bell of the street car in the distance
and the baying of the dog. The stamp
of horse in the next street The
slamming of saloon door. The hic.
cough of the drunkard The shrieks of
the steam whistle five miles away. Oh!
how suggestive, my friends; midnight
in town.
There are honest men passing up and
down the street Here is city mission
ary who has been carrying scuttle Of
coal TO that poor family in that dark
place. Here is an undertaken going up
the steps of a building from which
there comes bitter cry which indicates
that the destroying angel has smitten
the frst-born. Here is minister Of
religion who has been giving the sacra-
ment to dying Christian. Here is
physician passing along in great haste,
the messenger few steps ahead hur-
rying on to the household Nearly all
the lights have gone out In the dwell
ingS That light in the window is the
light of the watcher, for the medicines
must be administered, and the fever
must be watched, and the restless toss
ing off OF the coverlid must be resisted,
anu Luc lCC uuuSJ 10 hCpb Oh NhO hOe
temples, and the perpetual prayer must
20 up from the hearts soon to be bro
ken. OH the midnight in town! What
stupendous thought-a whole city at
rest
Weary arm preparing for to-morrow's
toll Hot brain being cooled off Rigid
muscles relaxed. Excited nerves soothed
The white hair of the octogenarian In
thin drifts across the pillow, fresh fall
of fakes on snow already fallen. Child
hood with its dimpled hands thrown
out on thepillow, and withevery breath
taking in new store Of fun and frolic.
Gods slumberless eye will look. Let
one great wave of refreshing slumber
roll over the heart of the great town,
submerging care, and anxiety, and wor-
riment, and pain.
Let the city deep But, my friends,
be not deceived. There win be thou
sands tonight who will not sleep at all.
Go up that dark alley and be cautious
where you tread, lest you fall over the
PROSTATE form of drunkard lying on
his own doorstep. Look about you, lest
you feel the garroter's hug. Look
through the broken window-pane and
see what you can see You say, "Noth
ing" Then listen. What is it2 God
help as" No footlights but tragedy
ghastlier and mightier than Ristori oil
Edwin Booth ever enacted. No light
no fire, no bread, no hope. Shiverinl
in the cold, they have had no food foi
twenty-four hours You say, "Why
don't they begP" They do, but they ge'
nothing. You say, "Why don't they
deliver themselves over TO the aims
house?" Ahl you would not ask that l
you ever heard the bitter cry OF mar
or child when told he must 90 to thu
almshouse. 10" you say, "they ar,
the vicious poor, and, therefore, the!
do not demand our sympathy.
Are they vicious2 So mucl
more need they your pity. Tn
Christian poor, God helps them
Through their night there wrinkles tn
round, merry star of hope, and through
the broken window pane they see tn
crystals OF heaven; but the vicious poor
they are more to be pitied. Their las
light has gone out You excuse your
self from helping them by saying the
are SO bad, they brought this trouble o.
themselves reply, where / give te
PRAYERS for the innocent who are SUI
feringI will give twenty prayers fo
the guilty who are suffering. The FISH
erman, when he sees vessel dashin
into the breakers, comes out from b
hut and wraps the warmest flannel
around those who are most chilled an
most bruised and most battered in th
wreck; and want TO know that thet
vicious poor have had twoshipwreclfs-
shipwreck OF the body, shipwreck {
the soul-shipwreck for time, shipwrec
for eternity. Pity, by all means Ii
innocent who are suffering, but pit
more the guilty. -tai2o
Pass on through the alley Open Il
door. 20" you say, ut is locked
No, IL is not locked; Il has never bee
locked. No burglar would be temple
TO 90 In there to steal anything TT
door is never locked. Only broke
chair'stauds against the door. Shove
back. Go in. Strike a match. No,
look. Beastliness and rags See tho
glarinQ eyeballs. BE careful now win
YOU say. Do not utter any insult
not ntter any suspicion II you yal'
your life What IL that rcd mark I
the wall2 II is the mark Of q murde
er'shandi Look At those two eyes r
Ing up ont Of the darkness and out fro