The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-10-03

the rocks when God intended It for
great and everlasting uplifting.
You know as well as ! do that the
dissipatiors Of social life are destroy
ing thousands and tens of thousands OF |
people, and it is time that the pulpits
lift their voices against them, for now
prophesy the eternal misfortune Of all
those who enter the rivalry. When
did the white, glistening boards Of a
dissipated ball room ever become the
road to heaven? When was torch for
eternity ever lighted at the chandelier
Of dissipated sceneP From table
spread after such an excited and desc
Grated scene who ever went home to
pray2
In my parish of Philadelphia there
was a young woman brilliant as
spring morning. She gave her life to
the world. She would come to religious
meetings and under conviction would
for a little while begin to pray, and
then to rush off again into the disci-
pleship of the world She had all
the world could offer of brilliant So
cial position. One day flushed and
excited messenger asked me to hasten
to her house, for she was dying. en-
tered the room. There were the physi-
clans, there was the mother, there lay
this disciple of the world. asked her
some questions in regard to the soul.
She made no answer. / knelt down to
pray. rose again, and desiring to get
some expression in regard to her eter-
nal interests, said: "Have you any
hope?" and then for the first time her
lips moved in whisper as she said:
''No hopew Then she died. The world,
she served it, and the world helped her
not in the last. And tell the hundreds
and thousands of young people who
may read this sermon, the world will
laugh with you when you laugh, and
romp with you when you romp, but
they will not weep with you when you
die. 1 wish from my heart that l
could marshal all the young people in
this land to an appreciation Of the fact
that you have an earnest work in life,
and your amusements are only to help
you along in that work At the time
of religious awakening Christian
young woman spoke to man in regard
to his souls salvation. He floated out
into the world. After while she be-
came worldly IN her Christian profes-
sion. The man said one day: "Well,
/ am as safe as she is. l was a Chris
tian, she said she was Christian. She
talked with me about my soul; if she is
; safe am safe" Then sudden acci'
dent took him off without an oppor
tunity to utter one word Of prayer
Do you realize, have you not noticed
young men and old-have you moi
noticed that the designations of social
life are blasting and destroying
vast multitude? With many
life is masquerade ball, and as al
such entertainments gentlemen ant
ladies put on the garb of kings ant
queens or mounte banks or clowns anC
at the close put off the disguise, 80 {
great many pass their whole life in {
mask, taking off the mask at death
While the masquerade ball of life goe
on, they trip merrily over the floor
gemmed hand is stretched to gemme'
hand, and cleaning brow bends t
cleaning brow. On with the dance
i Flush and rustic and laughter Of i'm
measurable merry-making. But afte
awhile the languor Of death comes o.
the limbs and blurs the eyosight
Lights lower. Floor hollow with sepul
chral echo. Music saddened into
wall. Lights lower, Now the masker
are only seen in the dim light. Nov
the fragrance of the flowers is like tn
sickening odor that comes from gal
lands that have lain long in the vault
of cemeteries. Lights lower. Mist
gather in the room. Glasses shake a
: though quaked by sullen thunder
Sigh caught in the curtain. Scal
drops from the shoulder of beauty,
shroud Lights lower. Over the sliI
pery boards in dance of death glid
iealousies, envies, revenges, lust, d.
: spair and death. Stencil the LAM
wicks almost extinguished. Torn ga
lands will not half cover the ulcerate
feet. Choking damps. Chillness. Fee
still. Hands closed. Voices hushe'
b Eyes shut. Lights out.
Oh, how many of you have foate
}. far away from God through social di
sipations, and it is time you turne'
For remember that there were tw
vessels on the sea, and in q storm.
was very, very dark, and the two We
a sells were going straight for each othe
and the captains knew it not. Bl
5 after awhile the man on the looko'
I saw the approaching ship, and
shouted: Hard larboard! and fro
u the other vessel the cry went u
Il "Hard a-larboard!" and they turnt
= just enough to glance by and passed
e safety to their harbors. Some Of W
n are in the storm of temptation and W
q are driving on and coming toward fea
i full collisions unless you change yo1
q course. Hard a-larboard! Turn y
r turn We, for why will ye die, oh, hou
" of Israeli"
,. Touchy People.
9 There are people always looking o.