Connecticut western news., 1896-05-21
EVIL ASSOCIATIONS.
REV. 0R. TALMAGE POINTS OUT A
 GRAVE PERIL.


 Nc Plainly shsvs the DAngsrs of Skepti-
 clam, of Idlsnsss. of Perpetual Piessure
 s>skanx ~nd of Gambling Froits of
 Tad CsnpAny.
 WASHINGTON. May 17.-Young and old. but more especially the young men and women of our time, have a vital in- terest in the theme upon which Rev. Dr. Talmage discourses today. He chose for his subject Bad Company. the text selected being Proverbs i, l5, "Walk not thou in the way with them.
 Hardly any young man goes to place of dissipation alone. Each one is accom- panied. No man goes to ruin alone. He always takes some cue else with him. May it please the court said con- victed criminal when asked if he had anything to say before sentence of death wan passed upon him-''may it please the court. bad company has been my rum received the blessing of good parents and in return promised to avoid all evil associations Had 1 kept my promise should have been saved this shame and been free from the load of guilt that hangs around me like vul- ture, threatening to drag me to justice for crimes yet unrevealed- who once 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 is a well man in the wards of 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 if 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 culprits, 60 that instead of being reformed by incarceration the day of liberation turned them out upon society beasts, not men.
 DslilAA's Shear.
 We may, in our places of business, be compelled to talk to and mingle with bad men, but he who deliberately chooses to associate himself with vicious people is engaged in carrying on 8 courtship with . Delilah whose shears will clip oil all the locks of his strength. and he will be tripped into perdition. Sin is catching, is infectious. is epi- demic I will let you look over the millions of people now inhabiting the earth. and I challenge you to show me . good man who after one year has wicked A thousand dollars reward for one such instance. I 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 a burglar, Go among the unclean, and you will become unclean. Many 8 young man has been destroyed by not appreciating this He wakes up some morning in the great city and knows no one except the persons into whose em- ploy he has entered As he goes into the store all the clerks mark him. meas ure him and discuss him. The upright young men of the store wish him well, but perhaps wait for formal introduc- tion. and even then have some delcacy about inviting him into their associa- tiona But the bad young men of the seoro 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 golf he will pay the ex- pensea For if a good young man and h~A tT> her they ought not, the good young man has invariably to pay the charges At tho moment the ticket is paid for, or the champagne settled for, the bad young man feels around in his pockets and says, "I have forgotten my pocket book.
 In <8 hours after the young man has entered the store the bad fellows of the establishment slap him on the shoulder familiarly and. at his stupidity in talk ing certain allusions, say, My young friend, you will have to be broken in, !" and they immediately proceed to break him in Young man, in the name of God warn you to beware how you let . had man talk familiarly with you. If such . one slap you on the shoulder fa- miliarly. turn round and give him a whitening look until the wretch crouches in your presence. There is no monstros- ity of wickedness that can stand un- abaahed under the glance of purity and honor. God keeps the 1ightnings of heaven in his own scabbard. and no hu- man arm can wield them, but God gives to every young man lightning that he may use, and that is the lightning of an honest eye Those who have been close observers of city life will not wonder why give warning to young men and say, Beware of evil companions
 shnn the sksptic.
 Iwarn you to shun the skeptic-the young man who puts his fingers in his vest and lanGhs at your old fashioned religion, and turns over to some mystery of the Bible, and says Explain that, my pious friend. explain that" And who says: Nobody shall scare me; am not afraid of the future I used to believe in such things and so did my father and mother, but have got over 1t" Yes, he has got over it, and if you alt in his company a little longer you will get over it too. Without presenting ono argument against the Christian re- Hgion, such men will, by their jeers and scofs and caricatures, destroy your respect for that religion which was the strength of your father in his declining years and the pillow of your old mother when she lay a-dying
 Alas, . time will come when this clustering young infidel will have to die and then his diamond ring will 1aah DO splendor in the eyes of Death as he stands over the couch waiting for his soulI Those beautiful locks will be uncombed upon tho pillow. and the dy- ing man will say. ''f cannot die; I can- not die" Death, standing ready beside the couch, says: You must die. You have only half a minute to live. Let