Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1841-04-21

this The sins of enc community nav
mot be the SINS OF another community -
Intemperance may show its ravages in one
village, while it NAV not In another
Nothing is palmer than that, in order to
Iturnthe public mind to any particular vice,
that vice, must be presented 10 the public.
1 The temperance reformation owes It's or
4 igin and progress this very Circumstance.
4 The evil OF lntemDerance has been held
lnp, and presented in every variety ofshape
and color which talent and genius could
I devise. And this contend is the onIv
successful way to remove any vice what
lever from the community. True, we may
i hope that, when men are converted, they
will abandon sin; but the Christian, and
Especially the Christian minister, is to ex-
Eert purifying influence upon society at
large.
J. But, in order that the minister may be
prepared for the discharge of this duty,
that OF denouncing particular sins, he must,
lin the first place, know himself what sins
lexis: in the community and. in the Sec
ond place, he must, in order to be instru-
mental in removing them, dlfuse informa-
ton among the people, Takethe sin now
under consideration No minister is pre-
lpared successfully to attack it, unless he
knows something, at least, both of the ex-
tent and the nature of the evil. And he
Ecannot secure the cooperation of his peo-
pie, until they have the same information.
1t is evident, then, that in order that the
minister watch vigilantly against any sin.
he must endeavor 10 inf I'm himself and
his people, in reference to that sin.
That Ljcentlousness is sin of no com.
mon magnitude, if indeed we can speak of
one sin being greater than another, lsup-
pose need not stop here TO prove
The fact that it is prohibited in the dec
aIogue, thatfrequent denunciations against
it are to be found in the writings of the
apostles often made direct alusions to it, is
a sufficient proof that God looks upon it
as sin ofthe blacklist dye. Solomon says,
Prov. vii. e. Her house is the way
to nell going down to the chambers of
DEATH The Savior says that, {" if a man
look upon a woman, to lust after her,
he hath committed adultery with her ais
ready in his heart"
Examine the writings of Paul. Look
at his graphic description ofthis sin in the
LIST chapter of Ronans. And Cor. vi. 9,
he tells us that neither fOrnicators, nor
adulerers, nor effeminate. nor abusers Of
themselves with mankind, shall inherit
the kingdom of God Also, Gal V. 10
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest;
which are these, adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, Iasciviousness," sc. Such
was the magnitude ofthe sin as viewed by
Paul. But more ofthis hereafter.
No one, who is willing to open his eyes
to the fact, can deny that this sin prevails
TO fearful extent, even in our own hap
py community. Let any one examine the
reports OF the Worcester Insane Hospital,
and the number of miserable beings who
have become inmates of that Institution ia
consequence of their indulgence la this
shameful vice. During the first six years
after the establishment ofthe Hospital, the
average number ofpatients from this cause
was about ten per cent aud IN the year
1889, the number of cases resulting from
this vice was twenty-one and halt per
cent.
So much for the existence and extent of
the eyil.*
AS TO the effects of this vice upon the
cause oftruth, both indirectly and directly,
every one must see at once, from its very
: nature, that nothing can present greater
i obstacle. To describe its effects IN one
: word, it reduces man, made in the image
, of God, to-a brute Yea, to something
l. III.
whole man, mental, moral, and physical.
: Its legitimate tendency, as testified by those
who have long been convcrsant win It's
| effects upon its miserable victims is 20
5 complete the worst forms Of complete i'd
ocv.
: Now it is a plain inference from the
l known effects Of this vice, upon the moral,
physical and menlal constitution, that it is
exceedingly sinful Probably, no sin is
: more closely interviewer into the very ole-
; ,mens of fallen human nature than this.
OBJECTIONS.
/. But says one, "it is a delicate sub
|ject | answer,--"to the~pure all things
are pure" | claim for the minister OF
5 the gospel the same license to speak on
this subject, that Paul assumed as an in
spired writer. Palmer language, or more
: direct illusions, never need be used, than
are found in his epistles.
2 Says another, cit is dangerous
! subject Now ask, can it be danger
Ious to speak of the effect of any sin
! Who ever feared to lecture upon intern
perance, lest he might excite in his heares
n lon a uotite f. Stron0 drink 2 r. the eft.
Q fects of this sin so different from those o.
every other, that. while scarcely sin can
i be mentioned which involves men in So