Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-02-23

mercal travellers have sometimes gone
that evil path. Why not your Halt! The
are other gates of ruin through which
man may go and yet come out, but tht
gate has 4sring lock which snaps hin
in forever. He who goes there Is damne,
already. He may seem to be comparati,c
ly free for n little while, but he Is only oi
the limits, and the satanic police hay,
their eyes upon him to bring him in at
any moment.
The hot curse Of God Is on that crime
and because of 1t there are men whose
heaven WAS hlotted out ten years ago.
There is no danger that they DO lost
They are lost now. 4 look through their
glazing eyehalls down into the lowest cav
ern of hell Oh, destroyed spirit, why
CONTEST thou in here today? Dost think
have the power TO break open the barred
gateway of this pcntcntiary of the damned?
There is passage in Proverbs somewhat
hesitate to read but do not hesitate long.
"At the window of my house l looked
through my easement and bcheld among
the simple ones, | disocrncd among the
youths, n young man voi1 Of understand
ing passing through the street near hcr
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 All OK goeth to the slaugh-
ter, or as q fool to the correction of the
stocks, till 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 right track?
without charging you farthing l will
prescribe for you IA plan which will save
you for this world and the next if you will
take 1t. Go before you leave home to the
Young Mems Christian association of the
city where you live. Get from them let
tors of introduction. Carry them out to
the towns and cities where you go. If
there be no such association in the place
you visit, then 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: 4 am com
merial traveller l am far away from
home, and come in here tonight to seek
Christian society" The best houses and
the highest style of amusement will open
before you, and instead of your being de
pendent upon the leprous crew who hang
around the hotels wanting to show youall
the slums of the city on the one condition
that you will pay their expenses, you viii
get the bencdiction of God in every town
you visit Romembcr this, that whatever
place you visit bad influences will seek you
out. Good influences you must seek out
While l stand here / bcthink myself
commercial traveller who was mcnbcr
Of my church in Philadelphia. He was d
splendid young man, the pride of his wild
owed mother and of his sisters. 1t was his
Joy to support Them, and for that purpoeo
he postponed his own Mar. iage day. j,
thrivcd in business and after awhile s..
up his own household L wing that cit .
for another city, | had no opportunity for
three or four years of making inquiry IN
regard to him. When I made such inquiry
l was told that he was dead The story
was, he was largely generous and kint
hearted and genial and social, and he 90!
into the habit OF treating" custome
and of showing them all the sights OF tn,
town, and he began rapidly to 90 down,
and he lost his position in the church
which he was a member, and he lost hi.
position in the commercial house of which
he was the best agent, and his beautihi
young wife and his sick old mother ant
his sisters went into restitution, and he
as n result of his dissipation died in Kirk
bride Insane asylum.
o commercial travellers, l pray for you
the all sustaining grace of God! Thcr'
are two kinds of days when you are cspe
cially in need of divine grace. The one
. the day when you have no success-whel
you fail to make a sale, and you are yer,
much disappointed, and you go back t.
your hotel discounted. That night yol
will he tempted to go TO strong drink ant
rush into bad surroundings. The othc
day when you will especially need divin
grace will be when you have had n day {
great success and the devil tells you yol
must go and celebrate that success. Thcl
you will want the grace of God to rcstraii
you from rollicking indulgences -
there will he a third day when you vii
need to be Christians and that will be tn
l last day of your life. l do not know whcr
you will spend it. Perhaps in your house
1 more probably in rail car or a steamer
Q or the strange hotel l see you on you
last commercial GRAND. You have bidde
goodby to the family at home for the las
time The train Of your earthly cXistenc
is nearing the depot of the grave. IL
e ,rakcs are falling The bell rings at til
= 'rminus. The train stops All out fo
9 crnity Show your ticket now for get
+ * into the gate Of the shining city-th
+ / ticket washed in the blood Of th
c nab.