The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-08-01
A SERMON ON GAMBLING.
PASTOR 4LDwELh SOUNDS A
NOTE OF WARNING.
HcSays There are Only Four Ways to
llIake Money, VIZ: inherit il, Earn
it, Beg il, or Steal 1.-THE Gam
b.e.. in the Latter Glass.

it. Beg il, or Steal t-hHc Gam
b:e. in the Latter Glass.
A warming from the pulpit against
gambling.
Il large congregation heard the
strong ard practical sermon, Sunday
| night, OF Rev. Is. f. Caldwell, pastor
of the First Presby terrain church,
upon the subject OF gambling. In
the discussion there was 20 mincing
| of words. Things were called by the
right names. The argument was con-
vincing and we trust that great good
will result from this timely denuncia-
ton and warning.
We would be glad to lay the full
| text of the sermon before our readers,
| but will have to be content with d
| brief synopsis.
Mr. Caldwell took as his text the
9th verse of the 18th chapter of
| Mark: "And when then they had
crucified Him, they parted His gar
ments, casting lots upon them, what
| every man should have"
Gambling was defined as game of
chance, involving anything of value.
Several forms O, gambling were men
| tioned-playing cards. betting on cleo
/ tiOnS, gambling in futures, etc. The
| prevalence of the sin is astonishing.
] Some have no dream or conception of
| how widespread it is. 1t is a sort of
| secret sin and is not easily detected.
| On the other hand there are open and
| fIagrant practices of the sin, showing
| that public sentiment is far below the
| standard on this subject. Railing at
| church fairs was referred to. A Judge
| on the bench has declared that pro-
! grcsSiVe euchre comes under the head
| of gambling. The spirit of gambling
! is eYe7ywhere-a disposition to make
something for nothing. Not only is
| it found in back alleys, but sometimes
| in upper circles.
Some Of the causes for gambling
were discussed:
/. Cupidity-the desire to make
| money. The desire for gain. Love of
money is the root of this evil.
2. LaZiness-idleness 1t is an easy
| way to make money. Other ways are
too slow. God has appointed only one
Way-by the sweat of the brow, by
honest toll. Gambling defeats the
object of nature.
5. Desire for excitement. The
world is filed with restleSSnesS and
nervousness. The excitement grows
and goes on to the ruin of self or some
one else. The gambler becomes a slave
to passion.
1t is high time we were taking
some notice of this sin and speaking
out against it. 1t is time for the pull
pit to speak. 1t is a direct violation
of the law Of God, which says: Thou
shalt not steal" There are only four
ways to get money, viz: Inherit it,
earn it, beg it, or steal it. The
gambler does not inherit it, he does
not earn it, he does not beg it. There
fore he must steal it.
The gambler says gambling is an
overt act. So is highway robbery. He
says it is with consent. Not so. Each
tries to get the others money. There
is no consent. He says it is fair and
legitimate. Not so. Gambling as
carried on-scientific gambling-iS
stealing. Men determine to make
money at any cost. The gambler
will cheat, sooner or later. What
chance has an unfiedged youth in the
! hands of such people? 1t is the old
| case of the spider and the fly.
1t is time to call gambling by it's
right name-robbery, stealing.
1t is time for the courts to speak. 1t
| is a sin against the laws of the land
as well as the laws of God. The
| statutes are explicit. Here the pastor
read some of the laws bearing upon
the subject. 1t is time that the peo-
| pie knew the law.
| 1t is time that business men were
taking notice of it. They are effected
| by it. Eighty million dollars day
pass over the gaming table. Where
does it come from? Largely from en-
| ployees. A Guarantee Co. has fur
nished bonds for IA, 600 people in 10
| years, exercising great care in the
matter, and yet there have been 1000
| defaulters, traceable directly to gam
bling. Chauncey M. Depew has had
thousands in his employ. He has
studied the matter and says that 80
per cent. of those who have proved
defaulters were made so under the
temptation of the gambling den.
The pastor spoke very earnestly of
his interest in young men, of his
sympathy for those exposed to tempta-
tion, and urged employees to throw
safeguards around them-to remove
the temptation to steal by paying
them sufficient salaries to afford them
a living.
The preacher propounded the in
quiry: Is the young man Absolom
safe and dwelt upon it very earni
estly.
Mr.. Caldwell said he started with
the cross and would stop with the
cross. There were gamblers at the
foot of the cross. Christ pardoned a
thief on the cross. Christ is able tC
save. There is a pardon for the
| gambler, but he must be reDentant