The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-03-21
DR.. TALAIAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject: Evil Co,npanions-Nind!y Ae-
vice to Young 0Ien-Avoid Ead Com
pany, Especially Skeptics and ldlers
-Shun Those Who Seek Only Pleasure.
[C,oyright l.'GH.l

pany, Especially Sleeptics and ldlers
-shun Those Who Seek Only Pleasure.
GC,oyrGht l?G'.l
WASHINGTON, D. C.-In this discourse
Dr.. Talnage speaks on 4 theme which III!
ncn, Young and old, will be glad to, see
discussed, and the kindly warning VIII no
doubt in many cases be taken: text, fro,
verbs Kill, 20, "A companion OF fools snaii
oe destroyed"
"Mav it please the court" said CON
victed criminal when asked by the juuSe
what he had to say why sentence OF ue".n @
should not be pronounced upon nitn, 10y
it please the court, bad company nIS ue9r -,
my destruction. I received the DlessihS VI
good parents and in return therefor pronr
ised to avoid all evil associates. hau l
ykept nv promise I should nave aVoaeu
this shame and the burden OF guilt Which,
like IL valture threatens TO oraS me -
Justice for my many crimes. AtuouSu l
once moved in high circles anu was ento.
Gained by distinguished men l asn G.,G.: eoS..
Bad company did the work Tor me. On'y
one ont OF n thousand illustrations was
thnt OF the fact that "a companion OF toois
sbnll he DESTROYED" 1t Is an invar.aDle
rule.
Here is n hospital with hundred men
down with the ship fever. Here is healtny
man who goes into it. He does not 80 COT, cor,
tainIy catch the disease rs gcou man VIII
catch moral distemper II he consents TO pr
ehnt tnn With the vicious and the abandoned.
In the prisons OF the olden time 1t was tie
clstom to put prisoners IN cell together.
and am sorry to say 1t is the custom stl'i
in some OF our prisons; 30 that Wnen the
day Of liberation comes the men, insteau
Of being reformed, are turaed out brutes.
no. men, each ons having learned tae vices
OF all the rest. -
". may in our worldly occupation DO
obliged to talk to and commlngie Win pao
neoSIe, but he who voluntarily chooses
That kind OF association is carrying on
courtship with a Delilah which will shear
the locks OF his strength, and he Will be
trimmed into perdition. Look over all tae
millions OF the race, and you cannot snow
me single instance where man rolun-
tsrilv associated with the bad for one year
and maintained his integrity. Sin Is catch
ing; 1t Is infectious; 1t is epidemic. ..
A young man wakes up IN one OF our
great cities showing only tue sehs,en has an.
OF the firm into whose service he mas en-
tered. In the morning he enters the store,
and all the clerks mark him, measure MIN,
discuss him. The bad clerks Of that estao-
tshment, the good clerks or tnat eSeap-
iishmpnt stand in some relation to him.
The GOOD clerks will wish him we'll, Dut
thew will wait for formal Introduction,
and even after they have had the intro
ducton they are very cautious as 20
whether they shall call him into tnelr aSso-
citation before thev know him very well.
But the bnd young men IN that .estao-
iIsbment all gather around him. They
patropize him, they offer to show MIN
everything that there Is in the city on one
,ondition-tbar he will pay the expenses;
for it always happens 80 when eooa
young man and Il bad young man 60 TO-
rether to place Of evil entertainment
The good young man always has to pay the
charges. Just at the time the ticket Is to
be paid for or the champagne Dill Is 20 De
settled the bad young man will ehect en-
5arrassment and feel around In his pockets
and say, "Well, we'll, really have for
gotten my pocketbook.' -.
In forty-eight hours after this innocent
SouuC man has entered the store the bad
Young men will gather around him, slap
him on the shoulder familiarity, and,
II he IS stupid in not being able to take
certain illusions, will say, "Ah, my young
friend, you will have to be broken In
And forthwith they go to work TO ''preak
him in"
Oh, young man, let no fallen young man
slap YOU on the shoulder Familiarity! Turn
around and give q withering glance that
will make the wretch cover In your pres
ence, There is nc nonstrosity OF wicked
ness that can stand before the glance OF
purity and honor. God keeps the light
nings OF heaven in His own scabbard, and
no human may reach them, but God gives
TO every Young man q lightning which he
may use, and that Is the lightning OF an
honest eve. Anybody that understands the
temptations OF our great cities knows the
use OF one sermon like this, In which try
70 enforce the thought that companion
Of fools shall be destroyed"
And, first, charge YOU, avoid the skeptic
that is, the young man who puts his
thumb in his vest and swagGers about,
,cof1ng at your old fashioned religion,
:hen taking out the Bible and turning over
20 some mysterious passage and saying:
Explain that, my friend, explain that. !
used to think just as you do. My father and
mother used to think just as you do. But
you can't scare me about the future.
used to believe In those things but I've got
over it," Yes, he las got over it, and you
will get over it il you stay In his compan-
lonship much longer. For awhile he may
not bring one argument against cur holy
Christianity. He will cy SCOTS and Jeers
and caricatures destroy your faith 10 that
religion which was the comfort OF your
father in his declining years and the pillow
on which your old mother lay a-dying.
That brilliant young skeptic will after
awhile have TO die, and his diamond will
dash NO splendor into the eye OF death.
His hair will lie uncombed on the pillow.
Death will come up, and this skeptic will
say to him: II cannot die. Icannot die"
have but ten seconds more to live. Your
,oui-give IL to meright away. Your soul!'
. sob, nol'' says the skeptic. "Do not
breathe that cold air into my face. You
,rowd me too hard. It ia getting dark in
The room. Here-take my rings and take
all the pictures in the room, but let me
eff." mo" says Death, Your soul!. Your
,oul!' Then the dying skeptic begins to
,ay, 80 God!" Death says. ."You declared
ic says, pray for me-" and Death says;
1T is too late to pray; you have only three
seconds more TO live. and I will count them
off-one, two, ttree. Gone!'' Where2
Where? Garry him cut and lay him down
beside his old father and mother, who
died under the deusions OF the Christian
cellgion singing the songs OF victory.
Again, uroid the idlers that Is, those
people who gather around thestore or the
shop or the factory and tryto seduce you
away from your regular calling md In your
business hours try to seduce you away.
There Is nothing that would plsase them
so we'll as to have you give mp your en-.
ployment and consort with them.
These idlers you will find standing around
.he engine houses or standing a. MONDAY
or about noon on the steps OF some hotel
or fashionable restaurant. They have not
lined there. They never dined there. Thew
never will dine there. Before you invite q
young man into your association ask him
plainly, "What do you do for ltving3" II
he says. Nothing; am a gentleman"
look out for him. I care not how soft his
hand or how elegant his apparel or how
high sounding his family name, his touch
g death. ..r
These people who have nothing to do
will come around you in your busy hours.
and they will ask you to ride with them to
Chevy Chase or to Central Park, and they