The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-11-16
SIOVALL'S ADDRESS
WARNS YOUNG men
AGAINST EVIL DAYS
Baptist Pastor Urges Con-
gregation ito Stay in Game
When Friends Poke Fun at
You"

The following is an excerpt from
the sermon by the Rev. w. o. Sto-
vail at the First Baptist church, last
night:
In Ecclesiastes 1911, the preacher
says: Remember also thy Creator in
the days of thy youth, before the evil
days come. These words bring up
question at once. Is it true that evil
days are coming? Is this man kill
Joy who would set up deaths head
at the festival of youth? Is it true as
the night follows the day that sorrow,
burdens, cares, regrets, remorse, guilt
must follow the care free, joyous days
of youth?
Let US see. Here is a man who
had tasted life. He had had opportu-
nifty He had made resolutions and
broken them. He had glimpsed high
ideals and had lost them. He had
been in the best things and the worst.
He had observed Observation was one
of his specialties. Read the Proverbs
and Ecclesiastes, and see how many
things he has said about you and me.
and yet he never saw us. He went
out of this world long before we came
into it. But ether folks lived while
he was here, and he knew them. And
apparently they were very much like
Su.
Experience Warns Young.
After watching for some time the
things that go on under the sun, he
formed some conclusions and gave out
some advice. Now did he know? Are
evil days coming? Let us not split
hairs with the preacher over this
thing The man who has gone up in
the airship of experience and looked
down on the doings of the world for a
generation has a right to be heard.
1t becomes us to listen when he points
shis finger towards the future days and
says. Inok-out! Evil days lurk down
that way-days when pleasure shall
lose it's tang; days when life's sun
shine shall be yelled in clouds; days
when physical life shall lose its zest;
days when conscience shall sound like
a midnight alarm; days when every
noise shall be imagined some creditor
to collect his bill, some despot his
tribute, some Shylock his pound Of
flesh. Beware, young man and young
woman, how you rush heedlessly
along that way!'
I'm the days of thy youth is the
time to begin, according to the preach
err That is when the material is still
fresh and the opportunities are all
still before you. There is no conf
dence like the confidence that the
young men and young women possess
now Walt Whitman has put your
feeling into words for you.
Those evil days, the preacher hints
at are for those who do not stay in
the game. 1t is to him that over
cometh,' that the Master has said He
will give the good things of life, the
things worth WHILE the eternal things.
All heaven, along with all earth, de-
spises the gutter
The great difficulty is not to get
young people to make a good start
and to kindle noble impulses within
them. The great difficulty is to stay
in the game when the taunts and ridi-
Guile CT friends poke fun at you. to
stay when doubts and questionings
confront you, to stay when temptation
makes its onslaughts on you.
Now this the thing that l wish to
emphasize especially and directly.
might call attention to the church as a
place for social life of high type
or as an opportunity for young people
to be of service in the world. These
are fine things. 1t is a wholesome
thing to have the young people consid
er the church as a sort of center fol
their social occasions, and it is help
full and uplifting to have them unself
ishly engaging in the work Of making
life better and happier; but these
things are only incidental and amount
really to nothing unless the church
can help the young people get tha
strength of character and enthusiasm
of spirit that are possessed only by
the life that considers God in all its
affairs"