The Grenada sentinel., 1897-08-07
passed out While we stood there men
lost their propsrty and lost their


souls. Oh merciless place. Not once
.n all the history of that gaming.
house has there been one word OF sym
pathy uttered Tor the losers at the
game. Sir Horace Nalpole said that
iIan dropped dead in one OF the CLUB
houses OF London: his body was car
r:cd into the club houSt, and the mein-
bars OF the club began Immediately to
bet as to whether he were dead alive.
and when it was proposed to test
the matter by bleeding him. it was
only hindercd by the suggestion that
it would be unfair to some of the play
crs' In these gaming houses OF our
cities, men have their property wrung
away from them, and then they 90 out,
some of them to drowD their grief in
strong drink, some to yly the counter
feiter's pen. aud SO restore their for
tunes, some resort to the suicides re-
volver, but all going down, and that
work proceeds day by day, and night
| by night. That cart rope, says some
young man, has never been wound
around my SOUL But have not some
threads of that cart rope been twisted?
arraign before God the gift enter
! prises of our cities which have ten
dency to make this a nation OF gam
blers. Whatever you get, Young man.
in such place as that. without giving
proper equivalent, is a robbery OF
your own soul and robbery Of the
community. Yet how we are appalled,
| to see men who have failed IN other en-
terpri>es 60 into gift concerts, where
the chief attraction is not music, but
The prizes distributed among the
| audItnce; Or to Sell books where
the chief attraction IS not the book,
! hut the package that goes with
the book. Tobacco dealers ad-
vertise that on certain day they will
put money into their papers, 50 that
, the purchaser of this tobacco in Cincln-
matt or New York may Unexpectedly
come upon a magnificent gratuity.
Boys hawking through the cars pack
ages, containing nobody knows what
until YOU open them, and find they
contain nothing. Christian men with
pictures on their wall gotten in a lot
terry. and the brain of the community
taxed to find out some new way
OF getting things without paying
for them. Oh. young men. these are
the threads that make the cart rope.
and when young man consents to
these practices, he is being bound hand
and loot 10y hablt winch has already
destroyed "a great Multi,ude that no
man can number. Sometimes these
gift enterprise, are carried on IN the
name of charity: and Some Of You re-
mem Der at the clDor II our clVlt war
how many gift enterprises We're on
foot, the proceeds to 70 to the orphans
and willow, OF the soldiers and
sailors What did the men who
had charge oi those gift enterprises
care for the orphans and widows?
Why, they would have allowed them
to freeze to death upon their steps. l
have no faith in charity which, for the
SAKE of relieving present suffering,
. opens a gaping jaw that has swallowed
down 50 much OF the virtue and good
principle of the community. Young
. man, have nothing to do with these
things. They only sharpen Your APP
petite for games OF chance. Do one Of
two thipg,-be honest or die.
' have accomplished my object if l
put YOU ON the lookout. 1t is great
deal easier to fall than it is 10 get up
again. The trouble is that when men
begin to 20 astrav from the path of
duty, they are apt to say: There's no
use of my trying to get back. I've
sacrificed my respectability. | can't re-
: turn. and they go on until they are
utterly destroyed. l tell you, my
friends, that God this moment by
His Holy Spirit, can change your
entire nature. SO that you will be a
different man in minute. Your great
want-what is it? More salary? High
er social position? No; no. l will tell
l you the great want Of every man. il he
l has not already obtained it. 1t is the
) grace Of God, Are they any who have
2 fallen victims to the sin that have
been experimenting? Iou are IN pris-
on, and try to get out, and YOU fail; and
| YOU turn around and dash against the
other wall until there is blood on the
: CRATES, and blood on yOur soul. lou will
never get out in this way. There is
: only one way of getting out. There is
+ key that can unlock the prison house.
I 1t is the key that Christ wears at His
! girdle. If you will allow Him to put
, that key to the lock, the bolt will shoot
c back and the door will swing open.
5 and you will be free man in Christ
E Jesus. Oh. prodigal, what busines
e this is for you. feeding swine, when
l your Father stands in the front door.
. straining His eyesight to catch the first
: glimpse OF your return; and the calf is
: as fat as it will be, and the harps of
E Heaven are all strung and the feet
e free. There are converted gamblers in
! Heaven. The light of eternity
r flashed upon the green baize of
. their billiard saloon. In the layer
9 of Gods forgiveness they washed
$ off all their sin. They quit
trying for earthly stakes. They
u tried for Heaven and Won it. There
Il stretches hand from Heaven toward
e the head of the worst offender. l, is a
y hand not clenched as if to smite, but
e outspread as if to drop benediction.
e nAl. l,a. h,