The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-18
BAD COMPANY LEADS TO RUIN.
TALMAGE POINTS OFT PEOPLE TO
BE Stunned.

Nearly Every Nan Who Goes 30 Per-
ditIon Takes Another with Him.
Men Who Laugh at Religion Good
ones 10 Leave AIoue-IdIerS Not
Coed Persons 10 Associate with.
IdIeness Next 10 ViIIaluy.
Washington. May II. 1Se5-Touug and
old. but more especially the young men
ana women of our time. have a vital
interest in the theme upon which Rev.
DR. Talmare discour=ss t0-5ly. lie chose
for his subject "Bad Company" tle text
selected being Prov. 1915. walk not
thou in the way with them"
Hardly any young man goes 90 place
OF dissipation alone. Zach one is ac-
companlcd. SO man goes 10 ruin al0na.
he always takes some one else wi-h him.
May it please the court" said a con-
victed criminal. when asked il he had
anything TO say before sentence Of death
was passed upon hlm-"may il please
the court bad company has been my
ruin I received the blessing OF good
parents. and. In return, promised to avoid
all evil associations. Mad i kept my
promise I should have been saved this
shame. and been free from the load OF
guilt that hangs around me like Vpl-
ture, threatening 10 drag ms 10 justice
for crimes yet unrevcaled. l. who once
moved in the first circles of society, and
have been the guest Of distinguished
public men. am lost. and an through bad
company"
This is but one Of the thousand proofs
that evil associations blast and destroy.
Il IS the invariable rule There is
well man in the wards of hospital
where there are hundred people sick
with ship fever, and he viii not be so
apt to take the disease as good
man would be apt to be
smitten with moral distemper If
shut uD with imiquitOus companions.
In olden times prisoners were ncrded TO-
gether i'm the same cell, but edcn one
learned The vices OF all the Cuipr-ts, so
generation. the day OF Liberation turned
them out upon society beasts, not men.
We may, in our places OF business, he
compelled TO talk 10 and mingie with BAD
men, but he who deliberately chooses 70
associate himself with vicious people. is
engaged IN carrying on c0urtshlp WIN
a Delilah, whose shears VIII clip of all
the locks or MS strength, ana ne VIII DC
tripped into perdluOn. Sin is catching, Is
infectious, is epidemic. 1 VIII let you iOOk
over the millions of people now lnnapluhg
a good man who, after one year. mas mace
choice ana consOrted with the wicked. A
thousand dollars reward for one sucn ln-
stance. / care not how strong your ch1r-
acter may be. Go with the corrupt and
you viii become corrupt Clan with burg
lars, and you viii become burglar. co
among the unclean and you VIII become
unclean. Many young man has been de-
strOyed by not approaching This. He
wakes up some morning I'm the great city,
and knows no one 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 upright
young men OF the store wish MIN Well
but perhaps wait Tor formal lnlIodRc-
ton, and even then nave some deHcacy
about inviting him into their associations.
But the bad young men OF the store at the
first opportunity approach and offer their
services. They patronize him. They pro-
TESS TO know all about the town. They
viii take him anywhere he wishes to 60
II he viii pay the expenses. scr X good
young man and bad young man 80 to
some place where they ought not, the good
young man has invariably 10 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, Il have forgotten my pocket-book."
In fOrty-eight hours after the young man
has entered the store the bad fellows Of
the establishment slap him on the Shout
der Familiarity and, at his stupidity in tax
ing certain illusions, say: My young
friend, you will have to be broken i'm
and they Immediately proceed to break
nm IN. Young man, in the name OF God, /
warn you to beware how you let "a bad
man talk Familiarity with you. If such an
one slap you on the shoulder Familiarity,
turn round and give him whitening look,
unLA me Wretch crouch IN your pres
ence. There is no monstrosity of wicked
ness that can stand unabashed under the
glance of purity and honor. God keeps the
hghtnings of heaven IN his own scabbaFd,
and no human arm can WELD them; but
God gives to every young man a lightning
that ne may use, and that is the lightning
OF an honest eye. Those who have been
close observers of city life VIII not Won
der why give warning to young men, and
say, Beware of evil companions"
l warn you to shun the sceptic-the
young man who puts his fingers in his
vest and laughs at your old fashioned re-
liSlon, and turns over 70 some mystery Of
the Bible, and says, Explain that, my
plous friend; explain that And who
says, Nobody shall scare me; ] am not
afraid OF the future; 1 used to believe in
such things, and so did my father and
mother but l have got over it," Yes, he
has got over it; and if you sit in his com
pany little longer you viii get over it
TOO. Without presenting one argument
against the Christian religion, such men
will, by their jeers and SCOTS and carica-
lures, destroy your respect for that relig-
ion, which was the strength of your father
In his declining years, and the pillow of
your old mother when she lay a dying.
Alas! a time will come when this blus-
tering young infdel. will have to die, and
then his diamond ring Will dash no splen-
dor in the eyes of death, as he stands over
the couch, waiting for his soul. Those
beautiful locks will be uncombed upon the
cannot die-I cannot die" Death standing
ready beside the couch, says: You must
die; you have only half a minute TO live;
let me have il right aWay-your soul -
No" says the young infdel, there are
my gold rings, and these pictures; take
them all" No" says Death, what 10
I care for pictures your soul" stand
back says the dying inhdel. II win 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. II is getting dark in
the room. o Godr' Hush" saws
DEATH you said there was no God. "
Pray for me-" eXclaims the expiring in
fidel. TOO late to pray" says Death:
''but three more seconds TO live. and
I viii count them off-onc-two-three q"
He has gone! Where? Where? Carry
him out and bury him beside his father
and mother, who died while holding fast
the Christian religion. They died sing
ing; but the young infidei only said:
Don't breathe that cold air into my
face. You crowd me too hard Ii is get
ting dark in the room. +"
Again. 1 urge you to shun the com
partnership of idlers. There are men hang.
ing around every store, and office, and
shop, who have nothing to do, or act
as if they had not They are apt tC
come in when the firm is away and wish
TO engage you in conversation while you