The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-08-14
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE NOTED DEVINE'S SUNDAY
SERMON.
TE1r: "when shall awake? I will seek
II vet RCnin"


one who, having stepped aside from tho
path OF rectitude. desires to return with
u wish Tor something better he says: ''When
snail L awake? When shall como out OF
this horrid nightmare OF iniuuiiy:" But
seized upon by unerndicated habit. and
forced down hill by his passions, hs cries
once more"
Our libraries are adorned with an elegant
literature pointing out all the dangers and
periis ot life-completo MAPS OF the yovn-c.
showing all the rocks, the uucksands. tho
:shoa's. But supposed mau has alr.n,lv male
snipWrecki suppose no is already of tho
track: suppose he has already gone as,rny.
how Is hc to get back? Tint is a field com
paratively untouched. propose to address
mysctf this evening to such. There are those
IN TINS audience who, with every passion Of
thelr agonizei soul, ure ready to hear this
discussion. They compare themselves with
what lhey were ten years ago. and cry ont
ccratcd. 'S'''
Habit is n task master. AS LONG os wa
obey it It does not chastise uy; but lot us re-
sist, and we find wc nro to be lashed with
scorpion whips and bound with ship cable
ann thrown int" til" track OF hone-hrpatIng
JuGSernautS. During the war of 1912 there
was ship set on fro just above Niagara
thiis. ana then, cut loose from its moorincs
1t came on down through the night. and
tossed over the falls. 1t WAS said to have
been n scene brilliant beyond all desrrin.
tion. Well, there are thousands OF mon ON
lire OF evil habit, coming down through tho
rapids. and through the awful might Of
temptation. toward tho eternal plunge. Oh,
now hard 1t is to arrest them! God only can
arrest them.
suppose man, after five, or ten. or twenty
years 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 tho midnight. anil
cries: God help me.' He bites his lip; he
Erinds his teeth; he clenches his fist in n
determination to keephis purpose He dare
NOT look ut the bottles in tho windows Of II
vino store. 1t IS one long, bitter eyhaus-
tive. hand-to-hard fight with au innnmed
tantaliZing and merciless habit. When he
thinks hc Is entirely free tho OLD inclinations
pounce uron him Ikea pack OF hounds. with
their muzaicS tearing away at the flanks OF
one poor reindeer. In Paris there IL a scuIp-
turcd representation of Baccbus, the god OF
rcVery. lie Is riding on u panther ut full
ieap. On, now suSGestive! Let every one
VINO Is speeding on bad ways understand he
Is not riding q docile anl we'll broken steed,
out he is riding monster. wild and blood
thirsty, going ut u death leap
HOW many there are who resolve on n bet
ter 'ite and say. when shall 1 awake?" but.
seized on 10y their old habits cry .aI will
try it once more. l will seek it yet again"
Years ago there were somo Princeton stu
dents who were skating, and tho leo was
very thin, and some one warned ~" COM
pany back from the air hole. and finally
tut one young man. with bravado. after all
the rest had stopped. cried out .Onc round
more He swept around and went down,
ana was brought out corpse. My friends,
tnerc are thousands and tens OF thousands
or men losing their souls in that way 1t Is
the lone round more"
II man wants to return from evil prac-
tlces, society repulses him. Desiring to re-
form he says, Now will shake or nv old
associates and I will find Christian com.
partnership And he appears at the church
door some Sabbath day and the usher gr.ets
MIN with look rs much as to say, "Why,
you mere! You are the last man ever ex-
pected to sec at church! Come take this
seat right down by the door, 4" instead OF sny-
ing. Good morning! l am glad you are
here. Come will give you Il flrst-rnto seat
right up by the pulpit" Well, tho prodigal,
not yet discouraged, enters prayer meeting,
and some Christian man, with more zeal than
common sense, says, "Glad to sec YOU; the
dying thief was saved and I suppose there is
mercy Tor you. The young man. disguised,
chilled. throws himself on his dignity re-,
solved lie will never ente- tho 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 tho respectable
man has an errand down some other street
wen, the prodigal wishing to return, takes
some member of II Christian association by
tho hand. or tries to. The Christian young
and tho marks Of dissipation; instead OF Civ
ing him warm grip Of the hand. he offers
MIN the tip ends Of the long finger, of the
lett hand. which Is equal To striking Il man
IN IN" face. Oh. how few Christian peoplc
understand now much force and yosp 1
there Is in u good honest Misunderstanding
Sometimes. when YOU have felt the need oi
encouragement. and some Christian man hns
taken you heartily by tn" hand. have You
not felt thrilling through every fibre of YOUR
body, mind and soul IN enc puragcmcnt thar
was Just what vou needed? You do not know
anything NJ all about this unless YOU know
when man tries 20 return from evil courses
NE runs against repuisiOnS innumcrablc.
Wo say o! some man. he lives 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 betwerm tbcn
and tho house OF God. The fact is, we must
keep our rcspectability, though thousands
and tens of thousands perish. Christ sat
with publicanS and sinners. But if there
comes to tho eot God II man with marks
OF dissipation upon him, the people almost
throw up their hands in horror, aS much rs
to say. "lSnt it shocking" How thrs,.
dainty, fastidious Christians in all our
churches are gong to get into heaven don [
know. unless they nave an especial train of
ears. cushioned anh upholstered, each one n
car to himself. They cannot 50 with publ
cans and sinners.
On we VINO curl your liz OF scorn Mt the
laii'h, l"ii your p.alnlE. II YOU hat been
surrounded ly the samo Influences instead
OF sitting today amid the cultured, and the
refined andth" Christian, YOU would have
been crOuching wretch. covered with filth
and abomna,ion. 1t is not because you arc
any better. but because the mercy Of God hae
protected yOu. Who are YOU that brought
up in Christian circles and watched hy Chris.
tian parent0sc. You should be so hard on the
fallen?
First of all my brother, throw yourself on
God. Go to Hin frankly and earnestly aE,i
tell ll;:n the" habits you have. and ask Him
if there i any help in all tn" resources OF