Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-05-17

! still allows himself to say 10 regard to his
religious obligations, "The good that
would do not, and the evil [ would
not, that 1 do" why should he not expect
that the workings around him, dead as
they are in lrespasses and sins. will exhib-
it equal or greater laxity of principle,
even in regard to their social and moral
obligations The thief, as we'll as the
Christian sinner, may say, by way of ac-
counting for his transgressons, Il see
law in my members, warning against the
law Of my mind and bringing me into
captivity to the law of SIM" and if this is
an admissible excuse for the one, so that
he is justified before God, why should it
not also shield the other from the judy
ment of man, and the vengeance of the
law2
What avails it 10 preach against the
various forms OF external sin, while the
great radical vice of the heart, moral I'm.
becitity, is openly tolerated, and defended
by the preachers themselves? Yet this
is just what large portion of our relg-
ious teachers are doing. They an
nounce to the world that they are slaves
to sin, according to the supposed apostol-
ic model, in Rom. vii. RS powerless
against temptation, approving aud desir
! ing to keep, but invinclbIy prone to break
the commandments of God and with this
groVeling confession on their tongues,
they turn upon "poor Sinners" and re-
quire them to keep the Sabbath, to abstain
from profanity, lewdness aud intemper-
ance, to forsake all their darling lusts, AMI
lead life of prayer and benevoence.-
Surely, these are they who +" lade men
with burdens grievous to be borne, and
they themselves touch not the burdens
with one of their fingers"
Let Us look for moment at the bear
ing of this miserable mistake about the
7th chapter of Romans, on the cause OF
temperance Suppose that poor captive
of alcohol, one who has broken all sorts
! of resolutions and pledges under the pres
sure of appetite, 10 the anguish of sober
hour takes up the Bible, and searches its
pages for something applicable TO his case.
He reads Rom. vii. 7-25, and finds in Its
language the very echo of his daily ex.
! perIence. To accommodate it to his Pc
culiar infrmity, he parapbrases it thus
!" am carnal sold under The love of Ii
quor.l That which | do [viz. tipping
| allow not: for what | would [viz. keep
my pledged lha: do | not; but what
hate, [viz. drunkenness,l that do |. Ii
then l do that which | would not, con-
sent unto the law [of the temperance So
ciety.l that it is good. Now then it is no
more that do it, but 1.-THE love Of liquor
that dwe!Ieth in me. For know that in
me, that is in my [rum-ruinedl flesh
dweleth no good thing; for to Will [to!a
abstinancel is present with me; but how
to perform find not; for the good that
would, [viz sober livingl that do | not
but the evil that | would not, [viz. tavern
haunting,l that do. Now if do that
would not, it is no more that Go it, bu
+ 1.-THE love of liquorl that dweleth in me-
[ find then a law that when | would
r keep sober, the rum bottl5l is presen
with me. For | delight in the [loctrine:
of temperance after the inward man; bu
see another law in my stomach war
ring against the law of my mind an,
Uilu SluS HlO lItO SuPLltAT W IuC lSAS4dhL
$ ments of ALCOHOL 0 wretched man tba
n | am, who shall deliver me from [thi
: brutal appetite!"l The commentators tel
!. the poor wretch that Paul talked in thl
dwelling way all his days; his mirisle
> tells him SO all his Christian neigbof
tell him so. He learns that this is th
e common language of :" the saints of III
: present dav-t'from the least Of taet
IL even unto the greatest" How NATURAL,
Z. he may say 10 himself. " 1t Paul, the bes
: example of Christian energy, was thu
morally impotent; if all Chrstendos
thus unbushingly avows its slavery to sill
I why should | think of overcoming tn
b lusts of the flesh 2-why should | be asl
j. AIMED of the beastiy bondage IN which
D. groan % Under the influence of sue
!, teachings and reasonings, resolutions an
! pledges will be but chat 70 the winds
:, We venture to predict that the temperan'
= reformation will be nothing but series
10 splendid failures, I'LL. either the cnurc
changes its doctrine on Rome. vii. II
Of or the world leaves the church In the rea
O. adopts new standard of moral energ
Sc and goes up to the battle against lust,
IN the strength of God and OF common sens
From the Independent Magazine & Health Journ
=. TEN Up E 3 AND oil It.