Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-05-27
REY. Or. Ta[uaGE.
The Eminent Divine's Sunday
SermOl.
Subject: "Bad Company"
TEXT: "Walk not thou in the way with
hem. ."-PrOyerbs IL

some one else with him. MAY it please the
court. said convicted criminal when asked
II he had anything to say before sentence O
death was passed upon him-"mav 1t pleass
the court. bad company has been my ruin.
received the blessing Of good parents and In
return promised to avoid ali evil associa.
tions. Had kept my promise should have
been saved this shame and been free from
the load of guilt that hangs around me Hike
q vulture; threatening to drag me to Justice
Tor crimes yet unrevealed. I who onco
moved in the first circles OF society and have
been the guest Of distinguished public men
am lost and all through bad company"
This Is but one OF the thousand proofs
that evil associations blast and destroy. 1t
Is the invariable rule. There ia u we'll man
in the wards Of a hospital where there are a
hundred people sick with ship fever, and he
will not be- so apt to take the disease as a
good man would be apt to be smitten with
moral distemper II shut up with iniquitous
companions. In olden times prisoners were
herded together in the same cell, but each
one learned the vices of all the culpr1ts. so
that instead Of being reformed py incarcera-
tion tn" day Of liberation turned them out
upon society beasts. not men.
We may. In our places of business, be COM
PEELED to talk to and mtngle with bad men,
but he who deliberately chooses to associate
himself with vicious people is engaged in
carrying on courtship with a Delilah
whose shears will clip off all the locks OF his
strength, and he will be tripped into perdi-
tion. Sin is catching, Is infectious, Is epi-
demic. will let you look over the millions
Of people now inhabiting the earth, and
challenge you to show mo q good man who
after one year has made choice and consorted
with the wicked. A thousand dollars re-
ward for one such instance. care not how
strong your character may be. Go with
the corrupt and you will become corrupt.
Clan with burglars, and you will be-
come burglar. Go among the unclean,
and you will become uncean. Many a
young man has been destroyed by not
appreciafing this. He wakes up soma
morning In the great city and knows no
he has entered As he goes into the store all
the clerks mark him, measure him and dis.
cuss him. The upright young men of the
store wish him well. but perhaps wait for a
formal Introduction. and even then have
some delicacy about inviting him into their
associations. But the bad younSmen OF the
store at the first opportunity approach and
offer their services. They patronize him.
They profess to know all about the town.
They will take him anywhere he wishes TO
go-ff he will pay the expenses. For IL good
young man and a bad young man go to
some place where they ought not, the good
young man has invariably to pay the
charges At the moment the ticket is paid
for. or the champagne settled for, the bad
young man feels around in his pockets and
says, 81 have forgotten my pocketbook."
In fOrty-eight hours after the young man
has entered the store the bad fellows of the
establishment slap him on the shoulder ia
miiiariy, and, at his stupidity In taking Ger
tain illusions, say, "My young friend, you
will have to be broken in," and they imme.
diately proceed to break him In. Young man,
In the name of God warn you to beware
how you let a bad man talk familiarly with
you. II such one slap you on the shoulder
Familiarity, turn round and give him a with.
ering look until the wretch crouches in your
presence. There Is no monstrosity of wick.
edness that can stand unabashed under the
glance of purity and honor. God keeps the
lightnings of heaven in His own scabbard.
and no human arm can WELD them, but God
gives TO every young man a lightning that he
may use, and that is the lightning of an hon.
est eye. Those who have been close observ-
ers OF city life Will not wonder why 1 give
warning to young men and say, "Beware O,
evil companions"
warn you to shun the skeptic-the young
man who puts his fingers In his vest and
laughs at your old fashioned religion, and
turns over to some mystery of the Bible, and
says, Explain that. my pious friend, ex.
plain that" And who says: ''Nobody
future. I used to believe in such things,
and SO did my father and mother, but have
got over it." Yes, he has got over it, and II
you sit in his company little longer you will
get over it too. Without presenting one
argument against the Christian religion,
such men will. by their jeers and SCOTS and
caricatures, destroy your respect for that re-
iRion which was the strength Of your father
In his declining years and tine pillow of your
old mother when she lay a-dying.
Alas, q time will come when this bluster-
ing young infidel will have to die and then
his diamond ring will flash no spendor in the
eyes OF Death as he stands over the couch
waiting for his soul! Those beautiful locks
will be uncombed upon the pillow, and the
dying man will say, ~ cannot die; L cannot
die" Death, standing ready beside the
couch, says: "You must die. You have
right away-your soulr' "No," says the
young infidel, "here are my gold rings and
these pictures. Take them ALL" ''NO," !"
says Death. "What do care for pictures.
Your soulI' ''Stand back!' says the dying
infidel 81 will not stand back" says
Death, "for you have only ten seconds now
to live want your soul" The dying man
says: ''Don't breathe that cold air into my
face. You crowd me too hard. 1t is getting
dark in the room. o, God?" "Hush," says
Death. "You said there was no God"
''Pray for me-" exclaims the expiring infidel.
"Too late to pray" says Death. but three
more seconds to live, and will count them
of-one, two, threer' He has gone! Where?
Where? Garry him out and bury him beside
his father and mother, who died while hold
Ing ia5t Ino CnrlSttau IctlxlOu. 4uey ultu
singing, but the young fnfidel only said:
"Dont breathe that cold air into my lace.
You crowd me too hard. 1t Is getting dark
In the room"
Again, urge you to shun the companion
ship of idlers. There are men hanging
around every store and Office and shop who
have nothing to do, or act as il they had not.
They are apt to come in when the firm are
away and wish to engage you in converse
iOn while you are engaged in your regular
, employment. Politely suggest to such per-
sons that you have no time to give them
| during business hours. Nothing would
! please them SO well as to have you renounce
| your occupation and associate with them.
Much Of the time they lounge around the
doors of engine houses, or after the dining
hour stand upon the steps OF a fashionable
,otel or an elegant restaurant, wishing to
give you the idea that that is the place where
hey dine. But they do not dine there.
they are sinking down lower and lower day
,y day. Neither by day nor by night have
! anything to do with idlers.
Before you admit a man into your &C
4uaintance ask him politely, "What do you
10 for living2" If he says, Nothing; am
4 gentleman" look out for him. He may
have a very soft hand and very faultless ap-
| ,arel, and have a high sounding family
,ame, but his touch Is death. Before you
! rnow it you will in his presence be ashamed
/ If your work dress. Business will become
o you drudgery, and after awhile you Will
| ose your place, and afterward your respect
| .bility, and last of all your soul. 1dieness
8 next door to villainy. Thieves, gamblers,
| burglars shopiifters and assassins are made
| rom the class who have nothing to do.
| When the police go to hunt up and arrest q
| ,ulprit, they seldom go to look in at the busy
carriage factory or behind the counter where
| iiligent clerks are employed, but they go
unn9 iha 9rnnns of idlars- The nlav Ia 0o'
J fng on at the theatre, when suddenly tner
| is scuffie in the top gallery. What is Il
| A policeman has come in, and leaning owe
| has tapped on the shoulder OF young mar
saying, sT want you, sir" He has nc
| worked turing tho day, but someho'
has raked together q shilling or two to g
| into the top gallery. He IL an idler. Th
man on his right hand II an idler, and th
man On hia LETT hand il an idler.