Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-10-04

as won. Money changes hands. and thou
sands suffer where hundreds gain. Wrecks
OF characters lie all along the pathway OF
speculation. In all ranks and grades OF
society are found the victims OF wild,
reckless gambling. Greed of wealth Is be.
coming too much an American vice. Its
allurements are proving too strong Tor our
bright, energetic and ambitious young
men, and there is a call for steadier,
wiser and safer spirit in business affairs"
Second. there are many people insane to.
day because OF self-indulgence, the lack OF
self-restraint Self-indulgence ruins men
self-denial makes them; self-indulgence
sells a mans birthright for a mess of pot.
tage, and he tries to get IT again only to
find that it is impossible; self-denial
makes one to be possessed of increasing
strength; self-indulgence led Belshazzar
on until we find him in the centre of the
feast where the fingers of mans hand
write upon the wall, Weighted in the
balances and found wanting" and the
same thing is true to-day, ii is the lack OF
self-restrant that has made many a man
to lose his soul. DR.. Talmage tells OF the
man whom he saw on the shores of lake
in Scotland creeping out from under the
up his hands tremblingly said, please,
sir, will you give me a penny" For
what?" said the minister. The answer
was, For strong drink" DIR. Talmage
said to him. Il am a minister and i cannot
give you the money for that, but l will
help YOU. What is your name: and he
said the man buried his face in his hands,
shook with emotion, and then finally said,
my name is"-and he sobbed it out.
"Why," said DIR. Talmage. II knew man
by that name in Edinburgh, a prominent
merchant; did you know him." God
pity me, sir" SAID he, Il arr that man;
sin slew me. and I am here; my wife is
dead. my children are in the Door house
and / am on my way to hell" What
warning for every man who gives way in
the least to sin.
tutions to-day because OF self-indulgence
and lack of self-restraint. Who was il
that said, Better is he that ruleth his
spirit than he that taketh city," Why,
il a man could only take city what a
hero he would be! The word of God says
that every man may be greater than he
that taketh a city if he will rule his own
spirit. Self-indulgence ruins, self-denial
makes men. Self-indulgence sells a mans
birthright for less than a mess of pottage.
Be not deceived. God is not Knocked,
whatsoever a man sows that shall he reap.
l came across one young man in the in
sane asylum who came from one OF the
first families in the country. There is not
a man better born than he. He had every.
was he lacking in self-restraint himself.
but his people were lacking in se!f-re-
straint. II the boy desired to 60 to
school he was at liberty to go: il he pre-
ferred not to go to school he could stay at
home. After a while there came defect
in the brain: after a little while it was in
sanity, so that now he is in an insane
NIT me to 60 to father and MOTHER"
Certainly, certainly" the keeper said
HE will never go. He will never be
ready to go. He rises in the morning.
then he falls back on his cot: he begins u
dress and then steps; he will just about
be ready tonight; tomorrow morning he
viii have the delusion again. He never
quite gets up TO his desire. That is his
mania" There is many a boy, possibly
IN our church, whose home atmosphere ia
like that, and it is a most dangerous one
/ do not know that the fathers were strict
enough. l do not think my father was too
strict. In my boyhood's home life was
the forming of my character. I should
like to hold up to every boy and every
young man the highest ideals of manhood,
and l ask YOU to take Christ.
Third. there are very many people men,
tally unbalanced to-day because of some
hallucination. A poor woman cried out as
I passed along through the wards of the
institution. doctor, | am burning up; il
/ could only have a breath of fresh air l
would feel perfectly well again" A man
who used to be a leader OF society was ac-
tually burrowing in the ground like an ami
NAL, all the dignity of his manhood gone.
and the woman who was once the pride of
her home a mental wreck, and when /
said to the doctor, What is il that causes
this?" his answer was, 1T is sin in very
many cases." know very well that there
are many who are insane because of in.
herited tendency and some because of over
work, their poor overstrained nerves have
given way, but l have seen a countless
number in these latter days insane be.
cause OF sin, and it is against this that ]
cry out.
There is kind OF insanity in the posi-
being Christians
First, let us suppose a casesof sickness
where the patient gradually grows worse,
the temperature is high, the pulse is rapid,
the heart is entirely wrong, the skin is
dried and parched. the case is critical, a
cure must come quickly or not at all, and
You go to the afflicted one and propose a
and You have been cured. Suppose the
patient should remark, Il do not feel that
this remedy will cure me, after while /
will try it" Possibly that is a specie of
insanity, but suppose he declares that he
will wait until he grows better and the
disease has practically left him; in this,
too, he is insane. But suppose he tells you
that he cannot understand how the rem
edy would cure him. and that until he can
comprehend it he will not accept it. Could
anything be more insane than such a DO.
sition. Or suppose he should say, 81
would take it. but / know one who tried
it and failed" ask you, is not this
species of insanity?
Second. what would you say concerning
the position of such sick man? / know
what you would say You would look at
feelings have nothing to dc with the mat
ter; you cannot grow better without a
remedy. The doctor understands the case
and you do not need to understand it."
This is what you would say, but / know
thousands OF people who are away from
Christ and staying away from Him for
these very reasons.
Some years ago a young man threw him.
self into the river from a steamboat, and
at once the cry of Man overheard"
startled all the passengers. They threw
the night and could see that he was sink.
ing, but suddenly some one threw him
rope, and cheer went up because he had
caught hold of it. He drew the rope to-
ward him until at last they saw him lift
himself out CT the water and then throw it
as far as he could and go down beneath
the waves. He was an insane man, hay.
ing escaped from his keepers, but the man
who rejects Christ, it would seem to me,
Is more insane. for he, has turned away
from the only cure Tor sin and rejected the
only hope OF heaven.