The Bossier banner., 1894-11-15
NUMBER 50.

that others may take a drink. But
while all this is so, we can have no
sympathy with sinful indulgences, and
| am going to speak of some of them,
though l should tread on a long train
of some popular vanities.
What are the dissipations of social
life to-day, and what are the dissipa-
tions of the ball room? In some cities
and in some places reaching all the
year round, in other places only in the
summer time and at the watering
places. There are dissipations of social
life that are cutting very wide swath
with the sickle of death, and hundreds
and thousands are going down under
these influences, and my subject in APP
plication is as wide as Christendom.
The whirlpool of social dissipation is
drawing down some of the brightest
craft that ever sailed the sea-thous-
sands and tens of thousands of the
bodies and souls annually consumed in
the confagration of ribbons
Social dissipation is the abetter of
pride, it is the instigator of jealousy,
1t is the sacrifcial altar of health, it is
the defiler of the soul, it is the avenue
of lust, and it is the curse of every
town on both sides of the sea. Social
dissipation. 1t may be hard to draw
the line and say that this is right on
one side, and wrong on the other side.
1t is not necessary that we do that, for
God has put throne in every mans
soul, and 1 appeal to that throne to-
day. When man does wrong he
knows he does wrong, and when he
does right he knows he does right, and
to that throne which Almighty God
lifted in the heart of every man and
woman l appeal.
AS to the physical ruin wrought by
the designations of social life there can
be no doubt. What may we expect of
people who work all day and dance all
night? After awhile they will be
thrown on society nervous, exhausted
imbeciles. These people who indulge
in the suppers and the midnight revels
and then go home in the cold, un-
wrapped of limbs, will after awhile be
found to have been written down in
Gods eternal records as suicides, as
much suicides as if they had taken
their life with a pistol, or knife, or
strychnine.
You know as well as do that the
dissipations of social life are destroy
ing thousands and tens of thousands of
people, and it is time that the pulpits
lift their voice against them, for now
prophecy the eternal misfortune of all
those who enter the rivalry. When
did the white, glistening boards of
dissipated ball room ever become the
road to Heaven? When was torch
for eternity ever lighted at the chan
delier of dissipated scene? From a
table spread after such an excited and
desecrated scene, who ever went home
to pray?
Do you not realize, have you not mo-
ticed, young men and old--have you
not noticed that the dissipations of so
cial life are blasting and destroying a
vast multitude? With many life is a
masquerade ball, and as at such enter
tainments gentlemen and ladies put on
the garb of kings and queens or mounte-
banks or clowns, and at the close put
off the disguise, so great many pass
their whole life in a mask, taking off the
mask at Geath. While the masquerade
ball of life goes on, they trip merrily
over the floor, gemmed hand is
stretched to gemmed hand, and gleam-
ing brow bends to cleaning brow. On
with the dance! Flush and rustic and
laughter of immeasurable merry-mak.
ing. But after awhile the languor
of death comes on the limbs
and blurs the eyesight. Lights
lower. Floor hollow with Sc
pulchral echo. Music saddened into a
wall. Lights lower. Now the maslxers
are only seen in the dim light. Now
the fragrance of the flowers is like the
sicl1ening odor that comes from gar
lands that have lain long in the vaults
of cemeteries. Lights lower. Mists
gather in the room. Glasses shake as
though quaked by sullen thunder. Sigh
caught in the curtain. Scarf drops
from the shoulder of beauty shroud
Lights lower. Over the slippery boards
in dance of death glide jealousies, en-
vies. revenges, lust, despair and death. q
Stencil the lamp-wicks almost extin-
guished. Torn .garlands will not half
cover the liberated feet. Choking
damps. Chill,ness. Feet still. Hands
closed. Voices hushed. Eyes shut.
Lights out.
Oh, how MANY of you have foated
far away from God through social dis
sipations, and it is time you turned.
For remember that there were two
vessels on the sea, and in storm. 1t
was very, very dark, and the two yes
sells were going straight for each
other. and the captains knew it not.
But after awhile the man on
the lookout saw the approaching
ship, and he shouted: Hard ala;
board!' and from the other vessel the
cry went up: Hard ALA boardy' and
they turned just enough tt' glance by,
and passed in safety to their harbors.
Some of you are in the storm of temp
tation and you are are driving on and
coming toward fearful collisions unless
you change your course. Hard e-lar-
board Turn ye. turn ye, for why
will We die, oh, house of Israeli"
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BE help, not hindrance.-l was