The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-08-08


ready for his speech against "1'he
Petition of the Clergy" by spending
90 hours at the gambllng table. lrv-
ing's life of Oliver Goldsmith says
that the great poet lost f3a, all his
earnings, in a short tour to see the
world Gibbon. the suthsr Of THE
Decline and Fall of the Roman En-
pire." came TO his own decline and
fail through vaming practices and
in a letter in l776 said: II have un-
done myself, and it is TO no purpose
to conceal from you my aboninable
madness and folly. l have never lost
SO much in five days - I have to-
night, and am in debt to the house
for the whole"
But while you are hotly Indignant
against the crime, how do you feel
about those who were feeoed and
slain? They did not know that their
small boat was SO near the maelstrom.
Some of them were born with tend
ency to recklessness and experiment
and hazard. They inherited disposi-
llOu Suah'u. Nv NV hSa
on them additional disoouFagements;
do not deride their losses. Help them
TO start again. Show them that there
are more fortunes yet to be gained
than have yet been gathered and that
with God for their friend they will be
provided for her and through tho Sa-
viour's mercy they may reign forever
in the land where there are no losses
and infinite gains. While yoa may red
den in the face at the fact that gam
bling is the disgraceful mother Of
multitudincus crimes, of envies, jeal-
ousies, revenge, quarrels, crueities,
fslsehoods. forgeries, suicides muir
dsrs and despair, be careful what you
say of the victim Of the vice and What
you do. He needs more sympathy than
the man who came up from inobriety
and debauch ard sassination, for
many such repent and are saved, but
confirmed gamblers hardly ever re-
form.
During the course ola prolonged min
istry I have seen thousands redeemed,
many Of them who were clear gone in
sin, by Almighty grace rescued. In
all parts Of this land and in some parts
Of other lands l have seen those who
were given up as incorrigible and lost
recovered for God and Hsavon. but
how many confirmed gamblers havs I
seen converted from their evil ways
A thousand? No. Five hundred7 No.
Fifty. No. Two, No Oae7 No.
read In q book Of ono such rescus I'd
have no doubt there have been other
cases, but no evil does rs worlss 70
thoroughly and etsrnaily ~ gamSli.g 9.
Such almost hspslsss Of rsfoYmat tion
ought to calf forth from you deeper
sympathy then. you feet for say ether
unfortunate. Pity By ell means, for
those who, shipwrscked sad bruissd
amsn1 the timbsrs, hsvs nevertheless a.
climbed up 10 the hshermsn's cabin
and found warmth and shei%en but
more pity for those who never reach
shore, but are dashed 70 deatA in the
breakers Be sasry st the $40, buA
sympsthtzs With its victims.
One sct Of fravd teld Of IN big. head
lines IN the morning papers rightfully
arouses tho nations wrath. II Il the
interest Of every coed man and good
woman who reads Of the crime TO have
It exposed and punished. Let II 20 un.
soathsd. aad you put . premium on
fraud. you d<pross public morals, Wv
induce those who are on the fence be-
tween right and wrong to get down on
the wrong side. and you put tho busi.
ness Of the world on Q down grade.
The oonstabulary and psnitentiary
must do their work. But whiie the
merciiess and the godiess cry: "Good
for hint" ~ am glad he is within tho
prison doorsi" be Il your work to find
out IL that man Is worth saving and
what were the causes Of his moral
overthrow. Perhaps he started In
business nfe under tricky firm, who
gave him wrong notions Of business
integrity; perhaps there was combi-
nation OF circumstances almost un-
paralleled for temptation; perhaps
there were aReviations; perhaps he
was born wrong and never got over II;
perhaps he did not realize what he was
doing, and II you are q merciful man
you will think Of other perhapses
which, though they may NOT excuse.
Will extenuate. Perhaps he has A.
ready reperted and is washed In the
blood Of the Lamb, and 10 as sure Of
Heaven as you are. What an opportu-
nifty you have for obeying ny text.
You were angry At the misdsmanor.
but you are hopeful Tor The recovery
of the recslcitrant Blessed all prison
reformersl Blessed are those gov.
ernors and presidents who are glad
when they have q chance 10 pardon!
Blessed tho forgiving father who wei.
comes homo the prodigai! Blessed
the dying thief whom the Lord took
With Him to glory, saying: This day
shalt thou be with No In Paradise!"
There 10 another evil that we ought
10 abhor, while wo try to help the
victim, and that Is infdeGty. 1t
snatches the life preservsr from the
man sAoat and affords not so much
as . spar or plank as substitute. 1t
would extinguish tho only light that
n evsp heeu kinNlad Cor TIA trouhIed