The record-union., 1897-06-04
AWHACK ATSACRAMENpANS.
Some Things Said by Evangelist Bane
Last Night.
He Speaks of "Infamous Whist
CIubs,'' and Says Women
Visit the Saloons.

At the SiXth-street Methodist Church
last night Rev. Mr.. Bane spoke with
great energy and fervor, as is his Gus
tom. The audience was large, and
close attention to the discourse was
given His theme was Lot in Sodom-"
Genesis xiii. u, was his text: And
Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom.
The speaker said that associations
enter very largely into the formation
Of character. Our lives are not what
they would have been had we not had
certain persons for our companions.
Wise persons are careful where they
locate their homes. In Lots time as
sociations We're easily found and easily
broken To-day they are not so easily
broken. Hence we should be more
careful concerning their formation
Lot and Abram became rich in
Egypt-so rich that they were crowded
for room for their cattle. So a quarrel
arose. Abram said it would not do for
Gods people to quarrel. So they
agreed to separate. Abram told Lot
to choose which portion of the land
he would have. He selected the rich
est part The world would say he made
a wise choice. But not so. Selfishness
always overreaches itself. However,
Lot became very rich, and if the times
Were like those of to-day, he was high
ly honored. We bow to wealth; we
esteem bullion above brains. Lot gain
ed nothing else. Let us reckon his
losses. He lost the companionship of
his best friend, Abram. He lost his
property. He lost his influence for
good over his family and over his
posterity. He lost his family
He lost the presence and IA
vor of God, and doubtless lost his
soul. To-day men make the same mis-
take. They choose wealth, honor and
pleasure, instead of Christ.
The text says that Lot pitched his
tent toward Sodom. He would not go
into that wicked city. So no one ex-
poets to go deep into sin. Only a lit
tie indulgence is planned. But be-
Warei the drawing power of sin is the
greatest drawing power in the uni
verse All about us in this wicked city
We see persons being drawn into vice
by the attractive power of sin. So
Lot was drawn into Sodom and breath
ed the awful poison of that miasma
Friends, if you start in the direction of
Sodom, and keep on, you will certainly
get there. Many people are going in
the direction of hell, and surely they
will reache the pit and go down into
it unless they quickly stop, right
about-face, and go in the other direc-
ton. There are some here on the
verge of perdition, and 1 beg you to
stop.
Suppose you attempt to draw two
parallel lines. Soon you discover a
divergence of one-sixteenth of an inch.
tend those lines 100 feet, 100 yards, a
mile, how great the divergence! Are
you diverging from the path of rec
titude? Stop, or you will get so far
from God that you cannot find your
way back. There are men in Sacra-
mento who are bound for hell as surely
as they are breathing. They are dead
to all the cody influences that reach
them. There are petrified trees, and
there are Detrified hearts
Are there not some here tonight
whose tents are pitched toward Sodom?
You may not be in the Sodom of drunk
enness, but perhaps you are pitched
in that direction. The social glass at
home, at the wedding or at the meet
ings of the abominable whist clubs or
Sacramento are forming the appetite
A prominent member of the Ohio State
Liquor League declares that the appe-
tite must be formed; that the boys must
be treated; that nickels spent in this
way viii bring dollars over the bar by
and by. What wickedness reigns in
this city! l do not know of another
place in the State where respectfully
appearing women walk into saloons in
broad daylight.
You may not be in the Sodom of
gambling, but are not some of you
pitched in that direction, gambling
about your whist tables, shaking dice
at the cigar stands, buying tickets in
a lottery or a rattle, perhaps at a church
fair? Perhaps not in the Sodom of I'M