Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-03-22
Dr.TALMAGE SERMON
THE GREAT DIvINE'S ELOQUENT
nESSAOE.
Subject: Evil Companions Kindly Ad-
vice to Young Men-Avoid bad Com
pany. Especially %Skeptics and 1dlers
-shun Those Who Seek Only Pleasure.


WAsHIxGIox, d. C.-In this discourse
DR.. Talmage speaks on a theme which all
men, young and old, will be glad to see
discussed, and the kindly warning will no
doubt IL many cases be taken; text, Pro-
verbs Stti., %. "A companion Of fools shall
10 destroyed"
May it please the court" sail a con-
victed crintnnl when asked by TIE Judge
what he bad 10 say why sentence CT death
mould not be pronounced upon him. may
i. please the curt. bad cnpany has been
ny destruction. received the blessing Of
good parent ard IN return therefor prom
i-ed - avoid all evil associates. Had |
k"pt NY promise | should have avoided
'his shame and tie burden o. guilt which.
Iik" = H%uiture, threatens TO drag me to
~!uatir. for my many crimes. Although J
once moved in high circles and was enter
tanned by distinguished men, I am lost.
Bad eom amy did the work for me-" Only
one out II n thousand illustrations was
Tint ofthe fact that "a companion Of fools
shall be de5troyed.' 1t is an invarlable
rule.
Here is a hospital with n hundred ren
down with tie ship fever, Here Is a healthy
laan who goes into Il. He does not SO GER
tainiy catch the disease IS q good man will
latch moral Iistcmper if he consents to be
shutup with the viciousandthe abandoned.
In the prisons OF the oldcn time 1t was tie
cl7tom to put prisoners in Il cell together,
ana | an sorry TO saw it - the custom still
II some of our prisons: &c that when the
day Cf liberation comes the men, instead
- being reformed. are turned ont hrutes.
not men, each one having learned the vices
OF MI the rest,
w. may In oVr worldly occupation be
obliged 10 talk t0and colnmingie with bal
people. bat he WIG Voluntarily chooses
jliat kind q nsEoriation is carryinf: on u
H9Irt~lip with aDelilah which will shear
E flD locks If mis- ctrpupfu AMI he will ta
trippci into perdition. Lock over ali the
millions Of the race, and you .caDnot show
ne a single instance where n man NOlln-
tarilv associated with the bad for one wear
and maintained his integrity. Sin is catch
ing; tt is Infectious: it is epidemic.
A YOUNG man wakes NJ in one OF onr
great cities knowing only the gentlemen
81 the firm into whose service he has en-
tered In the morning he enters the store.
and all the clt,ks mark him. measure him
discuss him. Tie bad clerks Of that estab-
lishm-nt. thp good clerks OF that estab-
li>hm Mt stand in some relation to him.
The COOL clerks will wish him we'll, but
they will wait for a formal Introduction,
and even after they have bad the intro
. duction they are very cautious rs to
whether they shall call him into their asso.
citation before they know him very we'll.
Bat the bad young men in that eStab-
lishment all gather around him. They
patronize him, they offer to show him
everything that there is in the city on one
condition-ttat he will pay the expenses.
for it always happens SO when Il good
young man and Il bad Young man go TO-
gether to a place Of evil entertainment
the good young man always has to pay the
charges. Just ut the time tho ticket IS &c
he paid for or the champagne bill is to be
settled tho bad Young man will effect EN-
barrass.nent end feel around in his pockets
aud say, "Weli. we'll, really l have for
gotten my pochetbook."
In forty-eight hours after this innocent
young man has entered tho store the bad
young men will gather around him, SLAP
him on the shoulder with familiarity, and,
if he IS stupid in not being able to take
certain illusions, will say, "Ah, my young
friend, You will have to be broken iD.'
And forthwith they so to work to "breaE
him H."
Oh, young man. let no fallen young MAJ
slap you on the shoulder familiarity! Turn
around and give a whitening glance thai
will make tho wretch cover Ia your pres
sDcc. There is no mOnetrosity Of wicked
ness that can stand before the glance 81
purity and honor. God keeps the light.
'ninSs OF heaven in His own scabbar6, anG
no human may reach them, but God gives
TO every young man q lightning which he
may use, and that is the lightning Of ar
honest eye. Anybody thai understands the
temptations % our great cities knows The
alse IT one sermon like CHS, in which / ttS
to enforce the thought that q companion
Of fools shall be destroyed
And, first, charge YOU. avoid the skspti1
that is, the Young man who puts hi:
thumb in his vest and about
scottn. at v0ur old fashioned religion
then takin: out tie Bible and turning ovel
to some mysterious passage and saving
Explain that. my friend. explain that.
used to think just as you do. My father ant
mother used to think just as you do. Blu
y-nt, np,'f x,e ~, ma, 1kA,S TITO -,
used to believe in those things but I've go
ovcrit.' Yes, he has got over it, and 20,
will get over it If you stay in his compan
ionship much longer. For awhile be ma,
not hrtnS one argument against cur hol,
Christianity. He Will ~ SCOTS and ieer
and caricatnres destroy your faith in tina
religion which was tie comfort Of You
father III his declining FEARS and the pillow
on which your old mother lay a-dying.
That brilliant young skeptic will ufte
awhile have to die, and his diamond will
fash no splendor into the eye of death
His hair will lie uncomhed on the pillow
Denth will come up, and this skeptic viii
say TO bin: IL cannot die. cannot die.
Death will say: You must die. Yo1
have but ten seconds more to live. You
soul-cive it to meriSht away. Your soul,
"Oh. nor says the skepti,. DO no
breathe that cold air into my face. Yo'
crowd me too hard. II is getting dark i
the room. Here-take my rings and tax
all the pictures in the room. but let n
or" NO says Death. Your soul. You
soul.' ToeE the dying skeptic begins t
say. "OGoi!' Death SAYS. You declares
there was no Cod Then the dying skier
tic says, Pray for me- and Death says
II Is too late to pray; You have only thre
seconds NOR" to live. and l will count ther
of-one, two, three. GOne.' Where
Where? Carry him out AMI ley him dow
beside his old father and mother, VIII
died under tho delusions OF the Christia
religion singing the songs Of victory.
Again, avoid the ii!erS-that Is, thos
people who gather around the store or -
shop or the factory ana try 10 seduce yo
away from YOU regular calling and il you
business bours try to selune YOU ava
Their l. nothing that would please the,
50 We'll d - have YOU give up your el
piovlent and consort with them.
lhrs"ffiers you VII find standing aroun
The engine houses or standlnc az noonda
or about moo on the steps of some hot
or fashionable restaurant. They have ~
dicei there. They never Gined there. The
never will !lDe there Before YOU invite
young man into vour association ask hi
plainly, What IL you do for a living:'
he says. Nothing: | am u gentleman
te0k ont for lin. | care not how soft Il