The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-09-26
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
rHs NOTED DIvINE's SUNDAY
DIsCOURan.s
Subject. reformation of Habits"

Subject: "keformat10n or Haplts."
TEXT: .when shall awake? 1 will seek
1t yet again"
With an insight into human nature snch
as no other man ever reached. Solomon, in
my text, sketches the mental operations OF
one who, having stepped aside from the
path OF rectitude, desires to return. With
u wish for something better he says: "When
shall l awake? When shall come out of
this horrid nightmare OF iniquityf" But
seized upon by uneradicated habit, and
forced down hill by his passions, he cries
out: II will seek 1t yet again. / will try it
once more"
Our Libraries are adorned with an elegant
literature pointing out all the dangers and
perils OF life-emplete maps OF the voyage.
showing all the rocks, the quicksands, the
shoals. But supposea man has already made
shipwreck; suppose ne is already of the
track; suppose he has already gone astray,
how Is he to get back? That is a field COM
paratively untouched. propose to address
myself this evening to sncb. There al those
in this audience who, with every passion OF
their agontzed soul, are ready to hear this
discussion. They compare themselves with
what they were ten years ago, and cry out
from the bondage in which they are incar-
cerated.
Habit is task master. As long as we
obey it it does not chastise US; but let us re-
sist, and we find we are to be- lashed with
scorpion whips and bound with ship cable,
an thrown into the track OF bone-brsaking
Juggernants. During the war of 1912 there
was ship set on fire Just above Niagara
Falls, and tlrn. cut loose from its moorings,
it came on down through the night. and
tossed over The falls. 1t WITS said to have
been a sc3ne brilliant beyond all descrip-
tion. We'll, there are thousands of men on
fire OF evil habit, coming down through the
rapids. aud through the awful night OF
temptation; toward the eternal plunge. Oh,
how hard 1t is to arrest them God only can
arrest them.
Suppose man, after five, or ten, or twenty
wears OF evil doing resolves to do right.
Why. all the forces of darkness are allied
against him. He cannot sleep nights. He
gets down ON his knees in the midnight, and
cries. "God help metz He bites his lip; he
gdnds his teeth; he clenches his fist in a
determination to keep his purpose. He dare
not look at the bottles in the windows of a
wine store. 1t is one long, bitter. exhaus-
tive. hand-to-hand fight with an innamed,
tantal zing and merciless habit. When he
thinks he is entirely free the old inclinations
pounce upon him like pack of hounds, with
their muzzles tearing away at the tanks of
one poor reindeer. In Paris there is sculp-
tured representation of Bacchus. the god Of
reve ry. He is riding on a panther at full
leap. Oh, how suggestive! Let Every one
who is speeding on bad ways understand he
is not riding docile and well broken steed,
but he is riding monster, wild and blood
thirsty. going at death leap.
How many there are who resolve on a bet
ter life, and say, "When shall awaken" but,
seized on by their old habits, cry, II will
try 1t once more. will seek it yet again."
Years ago there were some Princeton stu
dents who were skating, and the ice was
very thin, and some one warned the CON-
pany back from the air hole, and finally
warned them entirely 10 leave the place.
But one young man, with bravado, after all
the rest had stopped, cried out Zone round
morer He swept around and went down,
and was brought out corpse. Ny friends,
there are thousands and tens Of thousands
of men losing their souls In that way. It is
the lone round more"
Ii man wants to return from evil prac-
tices, society repulses him. Desiring to re-
form he says, "Now will shake of my old
associates and I will find Christian COM
partnership" And he appears at the church
door some Sabbath day and the usher greets
him with LOOK as much as to say, "Why,
you here. You are the last man l ever ex-
pected TO see at church! Come, take this
seat right down by the door, instead OF say
ing, GOOD morning! am glad you are
here Come. will give you first-rate seat
right up by the pulpit" Well, the prodigal,
not yet discouraged, enters prayer meeting
and some Christian man, with more zealthan
common sense, says, "Glad to see you; the
dying thief was saved and suppose there is
mercy for you." The young man, disguised,
chilled. throws himself on his dignity, re-
solved he will never enter the house of God
again.
Perhaps not quite fully discouraged about
reformation, he sidles up by some highly re-
spectacle man he used to know, going down
the street, and Immediately the respectable
man has an errand down some other street
Well, the prodigal, wishing to return, takes
some member OF a Christian association by
the hand. or tries TO. The Christian young
man looks at him, looks at the faded apparel
and the marks of dissipation; instead OF Civ
ing him warm grip of the hand, he offers
him the tip ends OF the long fingers of the
left hand. which is equal to striking a man
in the face Oh! how few Christian people
understand how much force and gospel
there il in good honest handshaking.
Sometimes. when you have felt the need of
encouragement, and some Christian man has
taken you heartily by the hand, have you
not felt thrilling through every fibre Of your
body, mind and soul an encouragement that
was Just what you needed? You do not know
anything at al! ABOUT this unless you know
when man tries to return from evil courses
he runs against repulsions innumsrable.
We shy OF some man, he lives a block or
two from the church, or half mile from the
church. There are people in our crowded
cities who live thousand miles from church
Vast deserts Of indifference between them
and the house Of God. The fact IL, we must
keep our responsibility, though thousands
and tens of thousands perish. Christ sat
with publicans and ainnera Rut IL fhero
| comes to the house of God a man with marks
OF dissipation upon him, the people almost
| throw up their hands In horror, as much as
to say. "fsn't 1t shocking" How these
dainty, fastidious Christians in all our
churches are going to get into heaven don't
know, unless they have an especial train OF
cars, cushioned and upholstered, each one a
| car to himself. They cannot go with publ
| cans and sinners.
OH ye who curl your lip of scorn at the
| fallen, tell your plainly. IL you had been
surrounded by the same influences, instead
OF sitting to-day amid the cultured. and the
| refined and the Christian, you would have
been crouching wretch, covered with filth
and abomination. 1t is not because you are
any better, but because the mercy of God has
protected you. Who are you that, brought
| up in Christian circles and watched by Chris.
tian parentage, you should be so hard on the
| fallen?
First of all, my brother, throw yourself OF
God. Go to Him frankly and earnestly and
| tell Him these habits you have, and ask Hin
If there is any help in all the resources O
omnipotent love to give 1t to you. Do no
go with long rigmarole people call prayer
| made up of 'ohs" and tahs" and "fore We
and ever, amens' Go to God and cry TO-
help! help! help! and if you cannot cry fol
help, just look and live.