South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1896-08-13
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Washington Divinss
Sunday Sermon.
sdhie<s: s.Refsrmasion or Habits"

Txxrs 'when shall awake yin s,.x
1t yet again"
Win an insight into hu nan nature such
as no other man ever reached Solomon In
my text, sketches the mental operations on
one who, having stepped aside from the
path OF rectitude, desires TO return. With
Wish for something better be cayss "when
s spi 1 awake When shall come out OF
rms nornu nightmare OF ifliquityt" Baf
seized Upon by dnerddicaea habit, and
forced down hill by his passions. he cries
out; y Nili seek 1t yet again. will tfy II
!, Our iibraries are adorned with an slerap,
!; erature pointing ont ali the dspgess AMI
perils OF life-complete maps OF the VOYAGE.
sl owing all the rocks. the ,quicksands: the
cuoaisl But suppose ma has alreadv M IA
snipwreck; suppose he is aiready 81 the
track; suppose he has already gone as,ray.
par m y. 10 Ses oscsl That Is field COM
myself this evening to such. There a. q those
IN TINS au Hence who; with every passion Of
,neir agonizei soul, are ready to hear this
discussion They compare themselves with
Via. ,ney were len Years ago, aud cry out
cerated.
Habit is task master. Az ionp ma VIZ
OBEY II II does not ehastiss Us. but let us ro-
sist, and we find we are to be lashed wifi,
scorpion whips and bound with ship cable
IN thrown into the traek OF bone-brsaLI,,,
duSgernauts. During the war of 1872 tbere
was snip set on fire Just above Magma
raHs, aud then. cut loose from its moortnps
u camo on down through tho night. and
tossed over The falls, 1t WIS said to have
Deen scene brilliant beyoni all deserin-
ton. Well, there ara thousands Of mon ~,
nre OF evil habit, coming down through the
rapids. aud through the awful night Of
temptation, toward the eternal plunge. Oh.
now hard II Is to arrest theml God only can
arrest them. 49,
Suppose man, after Ave, or ten. or twenty
yeats OF evil doing resolves to do riohf
why, all the forces Of darkness are allied
against him. He cannot sleep nights. Hs
gets down on bis knees in the midnight, and
cr,es, 800 help mel" He bites his lin; he
Erinds his teeth, he clenches his fist In n
determination to keep his purpose. He dare
not look at the bottles in the windows of "a
wine store. 1t Is one long. bitter, exhans-
1--WE. nand-to-hand fight With an iniamei.
tiasnIaiizing and merciless habit. When he
tninks he Is entirely free the old inclinations
pounce upon him like pack of hounds. with
Inesr muzzles tearing away at the fianks OF
one poor reindeer. In Paris there ia a scnin-
tured representation OF Baccbus. the god Of
Ieve ~. He Is riding on a panther at full
leap. Oh, how suggestivei Let every ore
who is speeding on bal ways understand he
rs not riding docile and well broken steed
out ne Is riding a monster, wild and blood
thirsty. going at a death leap.
How many there are who resolve on bet
Ter i'ie, and say. When shall awaken but,
seized on by their old habits. cry. AT will
Try 1t once more. will seek it YET again. y
Years ago there were some Princeton sim
Gents who were skating. and the ice was
very INN, and some one warned the com
pany pack from tho air hole, and finally
warned them entirely 10 leave the place.
But one young man, with bravudo, after NH
the rest mad stopped, cried out. zone round
nore! He swept around and went down
ana was brought out a corpse. Nv friends
tnere are thousands aud tens OF thousands
OF men losing their souls In that way. IN is
the zone round more"
. III man wants TO return from evil prac-
tees, society repulses him, DESIRING 10 re
form he says, "Now will shake of INV old
associates and 1 will find Christian com
panlohsnip: And he appears at tho church
loor some sabbath day and tho usher prpei .
him With look as much as to saw. ,Whv.
you herel You are tho last man ever ex
pected to see at church! Come: take this
seat right down by the door, :" instead OF saw
ing, "6ood morningl 1 am glad you are
right uD by the pulpit" Well, the prodIpaI
not vet discouraged, enters a prayer meeting
ana some christian man, W, I'll more zealfhan
common sense, says "Glad to see you; the
dylpg TIMER was saved and / suppose there Is
mercy for you" The young man, dis0usted
chilled. throws himself on hfs di0nifv no,
solved he will never enter the house OF God
again. -
Perhaps not quite fully discouraged about
reformation, he sidles up by some highly re-
sPeclaoie man ne used TO know, 20 ng down
the street, and Immediately tho resnertabie
man mas an errand down some other street
wen, the prodigal, wishing TO return, takes
SOME member OF Christian association nv
the hand. or tries 20. The CHRISTIAN voun1
man looks at him, looks at the faded anpareI
m nrl ~ az -
Ing him warm grip OF the hand he offsrs
MIN the TAP ends OF the long fingers of the
lett hand. which is equal TO striking n man
In the face. OH how few Christian peonle
understand how much force and gosp
there is in good honest handsba,.ips,
Sometimes. when you have felt the mead 81
encouragement, and some Christian man has
taken you heartily by the hand hava rror
not felt thrilling through every nbre OF your
pouy' mind and soul an encouragement that
Whs lust what you neededY You do not know
anything nj all about this unless you know
when n man tries 70 return from evil courses
ne runs against repulslons innumerable
We say on some man, no lives n block or
tWO rom the church, or half a mile from tho
cnurcn. There are people iu our crowded
49, w Nno I'VE thonsand miles from church.
vast deserts Of indifference betveem fbeo.
ana the house Of God. The fact IL. We roue,
Keep our Tespectabiiity, though thoueands
ana tens OF thousands perish Christ a.,
WIN pnpueans and sinners. But IN fbere
comes TO the house Of God a man with marie
81 dissipation upon him, the peopio alrooe,
throw up their hands in horror. as ,onch ~
70 say. Isn't Il sbockinun' How thesc
oniniy, fngtidicus Christians Ia AL on
ehufcne9 are going to get into heaven don'l
Know, unless they have an especial train ol
care. onsnioned and upholstered. encn one !
eer % himself They cannot 20 With publj.
cans and sinners
on ys VINO curl vonr III ~ 80. -. a.
fallen, teii your plainly. IN Won baS 80,
sufrQunded ~ the same Influences. ingfoaS
81 suing today amid the cultureI and fbs
.ehneo ana the Christian. Won would bav,
peen 2 crouching wretch, covered with mn
$40 aDoininaiion. n is not Decauss v6u nrr
80 oestsi, put pecnuse the mercy Of God h.s
Protected you- Who are you thar. broughl
Up ~ christian circles and watched fv C,hris'
fallon2 ~ ~
FIRST ~ ~ my brother. throw Yourself on
oed, 20 - Him frankly and earnestly Ard
ts,a hlin tnese habits Won have. and nak Hin
- thtfe - any help in alt the resources ri
otnnipoient love 60 give II 20 You. DO ~,
- WIN long riCmHroio people cali rra,sr
tnaue up ~ "Ohe" and "ahso and ,si0r. ~,
ane over, ameusi" G3fo Col AMI 81, ~
hoip' heipi help ani ia you canaot ~ fs-
help just look anj live.
j. remember iu the late war. 7 was 4.
Autietam. and ! went into ihe n5spitais AZ
ter the battls and said o. n man. "W here
are you hurf He made no answer buf
heid up his arm. swollen aul aeiinirrad 4
saw where De was hurt The sfnpie fact is
when man has n wounded soul. AL NJ has
70 do Is 70 hoi1 Il Mp before q svmnatheiit
Lord aud set q healed. IL does not axe ans
long prayer. Just hold 30 the wound Oa
d ls no small Thing whru mah IL nery0uI
and weak and eEtauofe.I coming from hif
eFN "sys,to feel thar God puts two onniD.