The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-12-04
and the curse Of Heaven was upon, me

4 1uy years ago WORD came to me
that two imposters, as temperanc.
lecturers, had been speaking in Ohio,
In various places, and giving their ex.
perience, and they told their audience
That they had long been intimate with
me, and had become drunkards by
dining at my to BILE, where always had
liquors OF all sorts. Indignant to the
last degree, | went down to the chief
OF Brooklyn police, saying that was
going to start that night for Ohio to
have the villains arrested, and want
ed him to tell me how to make the arr
rest. He smiled and said: "Do not
waste your time by chasing these men.
Go home and do your work and they
can do you no harm" took his coun-
sci, and all was well. Long ago made
up my mind that If one will put his
trust in God and be faithful to duty,
he need not fear any evil. Have God
on your side, young man, and all the
combined forces of earth and hell can
do you no damage.
And this leads me to say that the
mightiest defense for young man is
the possession of religious principle.
Nothing can take the place Of it. He
may have manners that would put to
shame the gracefulness and courtesy
OF a Lord Chesterfield. Foreign Ian
guages may drop from his tongue, He
may be able to discuss literature, and
foreign customs. He may WELD pen
of unequaled polish and power. His
quickness and tact may qualify him
for the highest salary of the counting
house. He may be as sharp as Her.
cd and strong as Samson, with as
line locks as those which hung
Absolom, still he is not safe
from contamination. The more ele-
CANT his manner, and the more fasci-
mating his dress, the more peril. Sa-
tan does not care for the allegiance Of
cowardly and illiterate being. He
can not bring him into efficient serv-
ice. But he loves to storm that castle
of character which has in it the most
spoils and treasures. 1t was not some
crazy craft creeping along the coast
with valueless cargo that the pirate
attacked, but the ship. full winged aud
tagged, plying between great ports,
carrying it's millions of specie. The
more your natural and acquired ac-
the more need of the
religion of Jesus. That does not cut in
upon or hack up any smoothness of dis
position or behavior. 1t gives SYM
metry. 1t arrests that in the soul.
which ought to be arrested, and pro-
PEELED. 1t fills up the gulleys, 1t ele-
Yates and transforms To beauty it
gives more beauty, to tact more tact,
to enthusiasm of nature more enthusi-
asm. When the Holy Spirit impresses
the image of God on the heart He does
not spoil the canvas. II in all the
of young men upon whom
religion has acted you could find one
nature that had been the least dam
aged, would yield the proposition.
You may now have enough strength
of character to repel the various
to gross wickedness which
assail you, but do not know in what
strait you may be thrust at some
future time. Nothing short of the
grace of the cross may then be able to
leliver you from the lions. You are
not meeker than Moses, not holier
han David, nor more patient than
Jacob, and you ought not to con-
slider yourself invulnerable. You may
nave some weak point of character
hat you have never discovered, and in
some hour when you are unsuspecting
he Philistines will be upon thee, Sam
ION. Trust not in your good habits, or
your early training, or your pride of |
nothing short of the arm of |
Almighty God will be sufficient to up
iold you. You look forward to the
world sometimes with chilling
Cheer up; will
tell you how you may make
fortune. Seek first the King |
lom of God and His righteous
Tess, and all other things shall be
.dded unto you" know you do not
want to be mean in this matter. Give |
rod the freshness of your life. You
will not have the heart to drink down
he trimming cup of life and then pour
he dregs on Gods altar. To Saviour
o infinitely generous you have not
he heart to act like that. That is
lot brave, that is not honora-
,le, that is not manly Your
.reatest want in all the world is
new heart. In Gods name, l tell
ou. And the blessed spirit presses
through the solemnities and privileges
f this holy hour. Put the cup of life
ternal to your thirsty lips. Thrust it
ot back. Mercy offers it; bleeding
mercy, long-suffering mercy. Reject
II other friendships, be ungrateful
onall other kindness, prove recreant
o all iother bargains, but to despise
iod's love for your immortal soul-do
OF do that.
Iwould like to see some OF you this