Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-03-22
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE By THE NOTED
DIVINE.

DIVINE.
Subject: Evil Conpanions-KindIy Ad-
vice to Young Men-AvOid Bad Conn
pany, Especially Skeptics and Idlers
-Shun Those Who Seek Only Pleasure.
copyright 1901
WAsH1NGroN, D. C.-In this discourse
DR.. Talmage speaks on theme which all
men. young and old, will be glad to see
discussed, and the kindly warning will no
loubt In many cases be taken; text. Pro-
verbs KILL, 20, ga companion Of fools shall
oe destroyed"
..May It please the court" said a con-
victed criminal when asked by the judge
what he had to say why sentence OF death
should not be pronounced upon him, may
1t please the court, bad company has been
my destruction. received the blessing Of
good parents and in return therefor prom
ised to avoid all evil associates. Had l
kept my promise should have avoided
this shame and the burden OF guilt which,
like vulture, threatens to drag me to
Justice for my many crimes. Although
once moved in high circles and was enter
tanned by distinguished men, I am lost
Bad company did the work for me-" Only
one out OF u thousand illustrations was
that Of the fact that "a companion OF fools
shall be destroyed" 1t is an inyariable
rule.
Here is hospital with n hundred men
down with the ship fever. Here Is a healthy
man who goes into 1t. He does not so cer-
tainly catch the disease rs good man will
catch moral distemper II he consents to be
shut up with the vicious and the abandoned.
In the prisons OF the olden time 1t was the
custom to put prisoners In 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
80 I.t., f,,.. ,n1 fr~ nd osrt Hnt a
no: men, each one having learned the vices
OF all the rest.
We may In our worldly occupation be
obliged to talk to and commingle with bad
people, but he who voluntarily chooses
that kind of association Is carrying on Il
courtship with Delilah which will shear
the locks OF his strength, and he will be
tripped into perdltion. Look over all the
millions OF the race, und you cannot show
me single instance where man volun-
tarily 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 knowing only the gentlemen
I of the llrm into whose service he has en-
tered. lu the morning he enters the store,
and all the clerks mark him, measure him
discuss him. The bad clerks OF that estab-
iishment, the good clerks of that estab-
iishment stand In some relation to him.
The good clerks will wish him we'll, but
they will wait for formal Introduction,
and even after they have had the intro
duction they are very cautious as to
whether they shall call him into their asso-
citation before they know him very well.
But the bad young men in that estab-
lishment all gather around him. They
patronlze him, they offer to show him
everything that there is In the city on one
eondition-tbat he will pay the expenses,
for it always happens so when good
young man and II bad young man go to-
gether 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 bill is to be
settled the bad young man will effect en-
barrassment and feel around in his pockets
aud say, ''Weli, well, really have for
gotten my pocketbook."
young man has entered the store the bad
young men will gather around him, slap
him on the shoulder with familiarity, and,
il 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 "break
him in
Oh, young man, let no fallen young man
slap you on the shoulder Familiarity! Turn
around and give Il whitening glance that
will make the wretch COVER In your pres
ence There is no monstrosity of wicked
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 lightning which he
| may use, and that is the lightning OF an
! honest eye. Anybody that understands the
temptations Of our great cities knows the
use OF one sermon like this, in which try
to enforce the thought that companion
| Of fools shnll be destroyed"
And, first, charge YOU, avoid the skeptic
! that is, the young man who puts his
| thumb in his vest and swaggers about,
soothing Mt your old fashioned religion
then taking out the Bible and turning ovel
! to some mysterious passage aud saying
Explain that, my friend, explain that.
used to think just as you do. My father ant
mother used to think just as you do. But
| you can't scare me about the fnture.
used to believe In those things but I've got
! over 1t - Yes, he has got over 1t, and YOU
| will get over IL II you stay in his compan
ionship much longer. For awhile he may
| not bring one argument against cur holy
| Christianity. He will Ky SCOTS and jeers
I and caricntures destroy your faith in that
| religion which was the comfort of youl
| father in his declining years and the pillow
| on which your old mother lay a-dying.
Tint brilliant young skeptic will aftel
awhile have to die, aud his diamond viii
! flash no splendor into the eye Of death
His hair will lie uncombed on the pillow
| Death will come up, and this skeptic vii
say to him: 81 cannot die. Icannot die.
/ Death will say: "You must die, Yor
have but ten seconds more to live. You
soul-give 1t to me right away. Your soul!'
"Oh, nor says the skeptic. "Do no
breathe that cold air into my face. Yor
crowd me too hard. 1t is getting dark il
! the room. Here-take my rings and tax,
| all the pictures in the room, but let mi
off," NO" says Death, Your soull You
soull" Then the dying skeptic begins tt
say, go Godl" Death says. "You declared
there was no God" Then the dying skep
tic says, "Pray for me-" and Death says
''It Is too late to pray; you have only three
seconds more to live. and will count then
off-one, two, three. Gone!'' Where
! Where? Garry him out and lay him down
beside his old father and mother, who
died under the delusions of the Christian
religion singing the songs OF victory.
| Again, avoid the idlers-that Is, thost
people who gather around the store or the
shop or the factory and try to seduce you
away from your regular calling and in YOU
business hours try TO seduce you away
There is nothing that would please then
so we'll as to have you give up your EN-
| ployment and consort with them.
These idlers you will find standing arount
the engine houses or standing at noonda,
or about noon on the steps OF some hote
| g,e Thox n ~