The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-03-18


spend eternity and will tell you what
will be his worldly prospects. There is
an abundance of choice. There is your
room with the books. There are The
Young Mems Christian association
rooms. There are the week night serv-
ices CO the Christian churches. There
is the gambling saloon. There is the
theater. There is the house of infamy.
Plenty of places to go to- But which,
Oimmortal man. which? o God, which?
We'll" you say. Il guess will guess
| will go to the theater." Do you think
the tarrying in that place until II
o'clock at night will improve your bod
lily health or your financial prospects
or your eternal fortune? No man ever
found the path to usefulness or honor
or happiness or commercial success or
Heaven through the American theater.
WELL you say. II guess, then, will
go to- guess will go to the gambling
saloon" You will first go to look.
Then you will go TO play. You will
make 500, you will make $500. you will
make $1,000. you will make 81. 5OO-then
you will lose all. Then you will Dor
row some money so as 10 start anew.
You will make $50. you will make 5000.
you will make $600-then you will lose
all. These wretches of the gambling
saloon know how to tempt you. But
mark this-all gamblers die poor. They
may make fortunes-great fortunes
but they lose them.
We'll" you say. IF ! can't 60 to the
theater. and if can't go to the gamb-
ling saloon. then guess guess | will
go to the house of infamy." CONNER
cal travellers have told me that in the
letter box al the hotel within one.hour
after their arrival they have had letters
of evil solicitation in that direction. 1t
is far away from home. Nobody will
know it.. Commercial travellers have
sometimes gone in that evil path. Why
not you? Haiti There are other gates
of ruin through which a man may 60
and yet come out, but that gate has a
spring lock which snaps him in forever.
He who goes there is damned already,
He may seem to be comparatively
free for little while, but he is only on
the limits. and the satanic police have
their eyes upon him to bring him in at
any moment.
The hot curse of God is on that crime,
and because of it there are men whose
heaven was blotted out ten years ago.
There is no danger that they be lost.
They are lost now. look through their
glaring eyeballs down into the lowest
cavern of hell! Oh. destroyed spirit
why contest thou in here to-day? Dost
think ] have the power to break open
the barred gateway of the penitentiary
of the damned? There is passage in
Proverbs somewhat hesitate TO read
but | do not hesitate long. AT the
window of my house looked through
my easement and beheld among the
simple ones, | discerned among the
youths, young man void of under
standing, passing through the stree,
near her corner. and he went the way
to her house. in the twilight. in the
evening. in the black and dark night
He goeth after her straightway, as ar
OK goeth to the slaughter, or as foo
to the correction of the stocks. till 6
dart strikes through his liver"
But now the question is still open
Where will you spend your evening
Oh. commercial travellers, how much
will you give me to put you on the righr
track? Without charging you farth
ing will prescribe for you plan which
will save you for this world and the
next if you will take it. Go before yor
leave home to the Young Mems Chris,
tian association of the city where you
live Get from item letters of intro
duction. Carry them out to the towns
and cities where you 60. If there be nc
association in the place you visit. ther
present them at the door of Christian
| churches and hand them over TO the
| pastors. Be not slow to arise in the
devotional meeting and say: IL am 6
commercial traveller. am far away
from home. and come in here tonight
to seek Christian society" The bes,
houses and the highest style of amuse
ment win open before you, and insteac
of your being dependent upon tn.
| lepnous crew who hang around the
hotels. wanting to show you all tn,
slums of the city on the one condition
tina, you will pay their expenses, you
will get the benediction of God in ever,
town you visit. Remember this. tha
whatever place you visit bad influence.
will seek you out. Good Influences yol
must seek out.
o commercial travellers, pray fol
you the all sustaining grace of God
There are two kinds of days when 80,
are especially in need of Divine grace
The one. the day when you have 40 sue
cess-when you fail to make sale. ant
you are very much disappointed, ant
you go back to your hotel discounted
That night you will be tempted to 60 IL
strong drink and rush into bad sur
roundings. The other day when 20,
will especially need Divine grace will
be when you have day of great success,
and the devil tells you you must go ant
celebrate that success. Then you vii
: want the grace of God to restrain 20,
from rollicking indulgences. Yes, Their,
will be third day when you will neet