Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-07-05
GATES TO OPERDITION.
HOW THEY SWING IN TO GIVE EN-
TRANCE TO THE DOOMED.

Rev. DIR. TaImage on Impure Literature,
the DissOlute Dance, Indiscreet Attire
and Alcoholic Beverage-Great Evils Of
society-God's Infinite Mercy.
NEW YORK, June 30.-In his sermon
for today Dr. Talmage chose a momen-
tous and awful topic, 1.-THE Gates Of
He'll, the text selected being the ia
miliar passage in Matthew xvi, is, 1.-The
gates of hell shall not prevail against
il. p"
Entranced, until we could endure no
more Of the splendor, we have often
gazed at the shining gates, the gates Of
pearl, tie gates Of heaven. But we are
for awhile to look in the opposite direc-
tion and see, swinging open and shut, the
gates Of hell
remember, when the Franco-Prussian
war was going on, that | stood one day
in Paris looking at the gates Of the Tui-
leries, and l was so absorbed in the
Sculpturing at the top Of the gates-the
masonry and the brOnZe-that forgot
myself, and after awhile, looking down,
/ saw that there were officers of the law
scrutinizing me, suppOsing no doubt
was German and looking at those gates
for adverse purposes. But, my friends,
we shall not stand looking at the out
side of the gates of hell In this sermon
/ shall tell you Of both sides, and l
shall tell you what those gates are
made of. With the hammer of Gods
truth shall pound on the brazen panels
and with the lantern Of Gods truth
shall flash a light upon the shining
hinges.
A Mighty Gate For the Lost.
Gate the First. Impure literature.
Anthony Comstock seized 20 tons Of
bad hooks, plates and letterpress, and
when our Professor Cochran Of the Poly
technic institute poured the destructive
acids on those plates they smoked in the
righteous annihilation, and yet a great
deal of the bad literature Of the day is
not gripped of the law. 1t is strewn in
your parlors. 1t is in your libraries
Some of your children read it at night
after they have retired, the gas burner
swung as near as possible to their pill
low. Much of this literature is under
the title of scientific information a
book agent with one Of these Internal
books, CLOSED over with scientific no.
menclature, went into hotel and sold
in one day 100 copies and sold them all
to womenl 1t is appalling that men
and women who can get through their
family physician all the useful infor-
nation they may need, and without any
contamination, should wade chin deep
through such accursed literature under
the plea of getting useful knowledge,
and that printing presses, hoping to be
ralled decent, lend themselves to this
infamy. Fathers and mothers, be not
deceived by the title, medical works. "
Nine-tenths Of those books come hot
from the lost world, though they may
have on them the names Of the publish
ing houses Of New York, Chicago and
Philadelphia. Then there is all the nov
elette literature Of the day flung over
the land by the million. As there are
good novels that are long, So | suppose,
there may be good novels that are short,
and so there may be good novelette,,
but it is the exception. No one-mark
this-no one Systematically reads the
average novelette, Of this day and keeps
either integrity or virtue The most Of
these novelettes are written by broken
down literary men for small cOmpensa-
tion, on the principle that, having fail
ed in literature elevated and pure, they
hope to succeed in the tainted and nasty.
Oh. this is a wide gate Of hell! Every
panel is made out Of bad book or
newspaper. Every hinge is the inter
Joined type Of a corrupt printing press.
Bvery bolt or lock Of that gate is made
out of the plate Of an unclean pictorial.
In other words, there are million men
and women in the United States today
reading themselves into hell
When in one Of our cities prosperous
family fell into ruins through the mis-
deeds Of one Of its members, the amazed
mother said TO the officer Of the law:
"Why, never supposed there was any
thing wrong. Ineyer thought there could
be ANYTHING wrong" Then she sat weep
ing in silence for some time and said
"Oh, 1 have got it now l know, l
know l found in her bureau after she
went away bad book That's what
slew her.. These leprous booksellers
have gathered up the catalogues Of all
the male and female seminarles IN the
United States, catalogues containing the
names and residences of all the students,
and circulars of death are sent to every
one, without any exception. Can you
imagine anything more deathful? There
is not a young person, male or female,
or an old person, who has not had offer
ed to him or her a bad book or bad
picture. Scour your house to find out
whether there are any Of these adders
coiled Oh your parlOr center table, or
colled amid the toilet set OH the dressing
case. adjure you before the sun goes
down to explore your family libraries
with an inexorable scrutiny. Remember
that one bad book or bad picture may dc
the work for eternity. l want to arouse
all your suspicious about novelettes
want to put you on the watch against
everything that may seem like surrepti'
tious correspondence through the post
office. | want you to understand tha'
impure literature is one Of the broadcast
highest, mightiest gates Of the lost
Improper Dancing.
Gate the Second. The dissolute dance.
You shall not divert to the general sub
iect of dancing. Whatever you may
think Of the parlor dance or the method
, ic motion of the body to sounds OF mu-
sic in the family or the social circle
am not now discussing that question.
want YOU to unite with me this hour IL
recognizing the fact that there is dis
solute dance. You know Of what
speak. It is seen not only in the low
, haunts of death, but in elegant man
sions. 1t is the first step to eternal ruiz
for q great multitude Of both sexes. Yor
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