The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-04-05
4 KINDLY WARNING.
M. Talmage Speaks Concerning
Evil Associations.
..,~ illustrates His Text That "a
Companion of Fools Shall BE
Destroyed''-Adyice for
Young and Old.
downright, 1900, by Louis Klopsch.l
= XNa hi =

Washington.
In this discourse DR.. Talmage
.ueaks ON theme which all men,
young and old. will be glad to see dis
sussed, and the kindly warning will
mo doubt in many cases be taken;
a.xt. Proverbs 1920: n companion
~ fools shall be destroyed"
.May it please the court" said a
~cnvicted criminal when asked by the
;ndre what he had to say why SEN
tence of death should not be pro-
nounced upon him, may it please the
court, bad company has been my de-
strsction. | received the blessing of
rood parents and in return therefor
nromised to avoid all evil associates.
Had kept my promise ! should have
avoided this shame and the burden of
guilt which, like a vulture, threatens
to drag me to justice for my many
crimes. Although l once moved in
hieh circles and was entertained by
distinguished men, l am lost. Bad
company did the work for me-" Only
one out of a thousand illustrations
was that of the fact that "a COM
panion of fools shall be destroyed"
Il is an invariable rule.
Here is hospital with hundred
men down with the ship fever. Here
is healthy man who goes into it.
He does not SO certainly catch the
disease as good man will catch
moral distemper if he consents to be
shut up with the vicious and the
abandoned. In the prisons of the
olden time it was the custom to put
the prisoners in a cell together. and
am sorry to say it is the custom
still in some of our prisons; so that
when the day of liberation comes, the
men, instead of being reformed. are
turned out brutes, not men, each one
having learned the vices of all the resi-.
We may in our worldly occupation
be obliged to talk to and commingle
with bad people, but he who volun-
tarily chooses that kind of associa-
ton is carrying on courtship with
Delilah which will shear the locks
Of his strength, and he will be tripped
into perdition. Look over all the
millions of the race, and you cannot
show me single instance where a
man voluntarily associated with the
bad for one year and maintained his
integrity. Sin is catching; it is in
1ectious; it is epidemic.
A young man wakes up in one of
our great cities knowing only the
gentlemen of the firm into whose
service he has entered. In the morn
ing he enters the store. and all the
clerks mark him, measure him. dis
euss him. The bad clerks of that es-
Enlistment. the good clerks of that
\ establishment. stand in some relation
70 him. The good clerks will wish
aim well, but they will wait for for
NAL Introduction. and even after they
have had the Introduction they are
very cautious as to whether they shall
call him into their association before
they know him very well.
But the bad young men in that es.
tabtishment all gather around him
iney patronize him. they offer to
snow him everything that there is in
the city on one condition-that he
Will pay the expenses, for it always
happens SO when good young man
sno bad young man go together to
place of evil entertainments
good young man always has to pay
we charges. just at the time the
ucket is to be paid for or the cham.
Pgne bill is to be settled the bad
young man will affect embarrassment
ana feel around in his pockets and
sa We'll, well, really l have for.
gotten my pocketbook."
~ As hours after this innocent
young man has entered the store the
oed young men will gather around
MN. slap him on the shoulder with
,smiliarity. and. if he is stupid in not
peing able to take certain illusions
VII ssy: "Ah. my young friend. yo,
VII have to be broken in" And forth
~i1n they go to work to 'breal
Inn in.'
V1, young man, let no fallen youn.
An slap you on the shoulder familiar
Turn around and give witherins
aance that will make the wretch COVER
= your presence. There is no mon
ss.osity OF wickedness that can stant
M s sloie the glance of purity and honor
~ 49, Keeps the lightnings of heaven il
u own scabbard, and no human ma,
& .en them, but God gives to ever,
sosng man lightning which he MAJ
and that is the lightning of al
est eye. Anybody that understand
! temptations of our great cite
soWs the use of one sermon like this
~. nIch | try to enforce the though
companion of fools shall b.
ano' first, l charge you. avoid TIN
.e-that is, the young man VIII,
- ms thumb in his vest and swac
~ sDout. scofsing at your old-fasll
S:ss religion, and taking out tn
se and turning over to some mys
passage and saying: "Explail
81 5 8 ny friend, explain that. I use
.nk Just as You do. Ny father an,
|@S used to think jus. as you dc
tea can't scare me about the IL