St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-09-04

some OF them 20 drown their grief IL
strong drink, some to ply the counter
feiter's pen, and % restore their for
tuneA some resort 10 the suicides Ne
volver, but all going down, and tina,
work proceeds day BY day, and nigh,
by night THAT cart rope,n says some
young man, has never been wound
around my soul" But have not some
threads OF that cart rope been twisted,
Iaraign before God the gift enter
prises Of our cities. which have . ten
dency to make this = nation Of gam.
blers- Whatever you get, Young man
in such place as that without giving
. proper equivalent il robbery OF
your own soul and . robbery of the
community. Yet how we are appalled,
to sec men who have failed in other en-.
terprises 60 into gift concerts, where
the chief attraction 10 not music, but
the prizes distributed among the
audience; or to sell books where
tho chief attraction 10 not the took,
but the package that goes with
the book. Tobacco dealers Id
vertise that on = certain day they will
put money into their papers, 30 that
the purchaser of this tobacco in Cincin-
natl or New York may Unexpectedly
come upon . 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 q 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 foot by habit which has already
destroyed - great multitude that no
man can number" Sometimes these
gift enterprises are carried ON in the
name of charity; and some of you re-
member ut the close Of our civil war
how many gift enterprises were ON
foot, the proceeds to 60 to the orphans
and widows of the soldiers and
sailors. What did the men who
had charge of those gift enter prises
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 gaping jaw that has swallowed
down SO much Of the virtue and good
principle of the community. Young
man, have nothing to do with these
things They only sharpen your ap-
petite for games of chance. Do one of
two thipgs-bc honest or die.
have accomplished my object If l
put you on the lookout 1t Is y great
deal easier to fall than it is to get up
again. The trouble is that when men
begin to 20 astrsy from the path OF
duty. they are apt to say: There's no
use Of my trying to get back. I've
sacrificed my responsibility, can't re-
turn. " and they go ON until they are
utterly destroyed. I tell you, my
friends, that God this moment BY
His Holy Spirit can change your
entire nature, SO that you will be .
different man in . minute. Your great
want-what is it! More salary? High
er social position? No; NO. viii tell
you the great want Of every man. il he
has not already obtained it 1t is the
grace OF God. Are they any who have
fallen victims to the sin that l have
been reprehendingS You arc 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 You will
never get ont in this way. There is
only one way Of getting out There is
. key that can unlock the prison house.
It il the key that Christ wears at His
girdle. II you will allow Him to put
that key TO the lock, the bolt will shoot
back and tho door will swing open,
and you will be . free man in Christ
Jesus Oh, prodigal what = bushes
this is for you. feeding swine, when
your Father stands in the front door,
His eyesight to catch the arst
glimpse OF your return; and the calf is
n fat rs it will be, and the harps of
Heaven are Ill strung and the feet
free. There arc converted gamblers in
Heaven. The light of eternity
flashed upon the green baize OF
their billiard saloon. In the laver
Of Gods forgiveness they washed
OH all their sin. They quit
trying for earthly stakes. They
tried for Heaven and won it. There
. hand from Heaven toward
the head Of the worst offender. It is 4
hand, not clenched Is if to smite, but
outspread - II to drop = benediction.
Other seas have . shore and may be
fathomed, but the sea of Gods love-
has not plummet to strike the
and immensely no iron bound
shore to confine it. Its tides are lifted
By the heart Of infinite compassion.
Its waves are the hosannahs Of the re-
ieemed. The argosies that sail ON it
drop anchor 1t last amid the thunder
ing salvo Of eternal victory. But alas
Tor that man who sits down to tho
inal game Of Life and puts his immor-
nj soul on the acc, while the angels Of
God keep the tally-board; and after
kings and queens, and knavea. and
spades are ''shu@ed" and ''cut," and
he game IL ended. lowering ard inn
worlds discover that he has
ost it, the faro-bank Of eternal dark
less clutching down into its wallet al |
he blood-stained wagera
work. t |
God hath ordained that work alone
brings peace. Ask the laborer ct the
orge or factory, ask him who shapes
lis block OF stone or molds his pillar |
4 brass or polisAes his wood, or per-
ects his tool, and the workman will |
ell you that honest toll gives asweet
Deace that wealth can not increase nor |
poverty take away. For God hath or