Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1896-05-22
SIN is INFECTIOUS.
REV. DR.. TALMAeE SHOWS THE EVILS
OF BAD COMPANY.

OF bRD COMFAN1.
e Association with the Wicked Breeds Coz
ruption, and He Who Consorts with tn
Unclean VIII Be Polluted. Says the Grea
Divine-Tdieness Leads to Ruin.
WASHINGTON, May l7.-Young and old
bat more especially the young men an,
women Of our time. have a vital intores
in tho themo upon which Roy. Or. Tai
mage discourses today. He chose for hi
subject, "Bad Company, " tho text selecte,
being Proverbs !, ., "Walk not thou IL
the way with them
Hardly any young man goes to a plao'
VI dissipation alone. Each one is accom-
panied. No man goes to ruin alone. He
always takes some one else with him
May it please the court, " said a convicted
criminal when asked II he had anything &C
say before sentence Of death was passed
upon im-'may 1t please the court, bad
company has been my ruin. received
the blessing OF good parents, and, in re-
turn, promised to avoid all evil assooia-
lions. Had kept my promise / should
have been saved this shame and been free
from tho load Of guilt that hangs around
me like vulture, threatening to drag me
to justice for crimes yet unreyealed. /,
who once moved in the first circles of So
oiety and have been the guest Of distin-
guished public men, am lost, and all
] through bad company"
This is but one Of the thousand proofs
that OWL associations blast and destroy.
1t is the invariable rule. There is a we'll
Z -. a.
there are a hundred people sick with ship
foyer, and no will not be so apt to take tho
disease ms a good man would DO apt to be
smitten with moral distenpor if shut up
with ubiquitous companions. In olden
times prisoners were herdod together in
the same coll, but each one learned the
vices of all tho culprits, so that instead of
being reformed by incarceration the day Of
liberation turned them out upon society
beasts, not men.
Beware of the Vicious.
We may, in our places of business, be
compelled to talk to and mingle with bad
men, but no who deliberately chooses to
associate himself with vicious people is en-
gagged in carrying on a courtship with
Delilah whose shears will clip off all the
locks Of his strength, and he will be tripped
into perdition. Sin is catching, is infec-
tious, is epidemic. I will let you look over
the millions Of people now inhabiting the
earth, and 1 challenge you to show mo
good man who, after one year, has made
choice and consorted with the wicked. A
thousand dollars reward for one such in
stance. I care not how strong your char
acter may be. Go with the corrupt, and
you will become corrupt; clan with bur-
glars, and you will become a burglar; go
among the unclean, and you will become
unclean. Many young man has been
destroyed by not approaching this. He
wakes up some morning in the great city I
and knows no ono except the persons into |
whose employ he has entered. As he goes |
into the store all the clerks mark him, |
measure him and discuss him. The up
right young men of tho store wish him !
well, but perhaps wait for formal intro 1
duction, and even then have some delicaoy .
about inviting him into their associations.
But tho bad young men of tho store at the
first opportunity approach and offer their
services. They patronize him; they pro-
TESS to know all about the town; they will
take him anywhere he wishes to go--if he
will pay the expenses-fo if a good young
man and a bad young man 60 to some
place where they ought not the good young
man has invariably to pay the charges
At the moment tho ticket is paid for, or
the champagne settled for, the bad young
man feels around in his pockets and says,
II have forgotten my pooketbook."
In 4S hours after the young man has
entered the store the bad fellows of the es-
slap him on the shoulder ia
military and at his stupidity in taking
certain illusions say, My young friend,
you will have to be broken in, >" and they
proceed to break him in.
Young man, in the name Of God l warn
,ou to beware how you lot bad man talk
amiliarly with you. If such a one slap
you on the shoulder Familiarity, turn round
md give him a whitening look until the
wretch orOuches in your presence There Is
10 monstrosity Of wickedness that can
stand unabashed under the glance Of pu,
'ity and honor God keeps the lightninga
# heaven In his own scabbard, and no
human arm can WELD them, but God
.ives to every young man lightning that
le may use, and that is tho lightning Of
IN honest eyo. Those who have been close
observers of city life will not wonder why !
give warning to young men and say,
Beware of evil companions.
shun the skeptic and Inhdel.
4 WhEll lOu " nlluA luN bhtBbAo-hAAoI .
Dung man who puts his fingers in his
est and laughs at your old fashioned re-
igion and turns over to some mystery Of
he Bible and says, Explain that, my
ious friend; explain that" And who
avs: Nobody shall scare mo. am not
fraid of the future 1 used to believe In
UGH things, and so did my father and
mother, but have got over it" Yes, he
as got over it, and II you sit in his com y
any little longer you will get over 1t !,
90. Without presenting one argument :
gainst the Christian religion such men :
ill, by their jeers and SCOTS and carica- :
ures, destroy Your respect for that re- :,
giOn, which was the strength of your !,
ither in his declining years and the pill y
Nv Of your old mother when she lay =
dying !,
Alas a time will como when this blus- y
sring young infldel will have to die, and 4
hen his diamond ring will flash no SPLEEN :
OF in the eyes OF Death, as he stands over I
he couch, waiting for his soul Those ,
eautiful locks will DO unoOmbed upon the !,
illow, and the dying man will say, Il y
lnnot die-I cannot die. =" Death, stand -
" ready beside the couch, says: "YOu =
lust die. You have only half minute TO !.
We. Let me have it right away-yOur I,
Jul" "No,n says the young infdel, :
here are my gold rings and these pic .
Tres. Take them all. " No. says Death. :,
What do care for picturesf Your soul r. 4
Stand back ~ says the dying infidel. u h
i'll not stand back, says Death, ''foryou n
ave only ten seconds now to live, ! want n
lur soul. F" The dying man says; "Don't a
,eathe that cold air into my face, You q
ovid me too hard. 1t is getting dark IN r,
IN moan, n CodlIf fsutreb ~ cove nautb