Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1852-04-03

to that which is good" "Iave no
fellowship with the unfruiilul works
: of darkness butrathcr reprove them.'
"Let your light so slime before men
that they may sec your good works
and glorify your father which is in
heaven" Now, l ask, is the moder-
ate use of intoxicating drinks good
to the world at large, or an evil and a
snarcl Has it a tendency promote
the great objects for which our Re-
dcemer came, or to defeat their ac-
complishmcnt! Vicwingthe immense
evil resulting from the use of such
drinks, can it be good work, md
will men who see it he likely thereby
to glorify God as our Father, when
the drunkand takes but little more
than wo do? Nay verify. The mod
crate use of such drinks,
l. Encourages their manufacture
and sale more than MI the drunken
ness in the land The drunkard does
but little comparatcly toward furnish
ing a market for the article, does hit
little in its consumption. 1t is owing
to the patronage thrown ovcrthis pro-
life evil by the moderate drinkcr,that
it moves on with such unabating Wig
or in its works of darkness. 1t is pat
ronized and not reprovcd. The ma
kcr, the vcndcr, the consumer will for
ever be able to TO quiet his conscience
and fortify himselfa against the convic-
tons of his mind while men of morals
and piety practically declare by taking
their drains, that there is no harm in
the matter. 1t is this sanction from
the moderate tlrinkcr that imparts to
this master vice its vitality and power
tohurtmcn. Shall those whose hearts
are pcrvaded by the love of Jesus
the lovc Of souls-an ardent desire
that the will of G cd should be done on
earth as i is in heaven, be found in the
ranks Of those whose works, more
than the drunkard himself, impede the
great work of tho worlds conversion
TO God! And,
2. The moderate use Of sacA drinks
is drunkenness in its incipieacy, and
therefore. forbidden.
1t has been fundamental principle
adopted by infinite wisdom i'll giving
his laws to man to forbid crime in it,
incipicncy by forbidding its maturity,
and on the other hand to enjoin all the
incipicnt steps to any duty or virtue
by commanding the duty of virtue it
self. When he says, "Thou shalt not
,kill," He forbids that hatred or NAL
ice which lead to this crime. When
He says, Thou shalt not commit adul-
terry" Hc forbids the lustful look
And so of all other crimes, in forbid
ding the crime itself, all the steps arc
forbidden leading to its commission.
Now, apply this principle which no
ono can confutc, to the subject in
hand. and what is the inevitable con-
cIusion. Drunkenness is denounced
,as the works efthe flesh, classed with
murder and adultery, and the disci-
pies commanded to putt away, and
of course all the steps leading TO
drunkenness are forbidden. Whatarc
tho steps leading to this crime! One
dram is one step. No one can reach
drunkenness without taking it, and no
one who multiplies these steps but
few times can deliver himself from tho
crime in its maturity.
Vain will he all the efforts Of the
few staunch friends Of the temperance
cause until this principle be rccogni-
zcdyin our churches, and enforced with
all the motives furnished in the gospel
for its observance. The world will
not be temperate while tho chnrch
continues drunk. Great and merciIul
God, hast thou in goodness, through
toll ands and blood established
Il kingdom grace in our siniulworld,
committed its interests to those who
enter that kingdom, and shall their
light be darkncss-thcir saltness be
lost, and the great mass ofhuman be-
ings left without tho restraining inllu-
ence ofpious and holy example.
Formorc than twenty years have
acted out the principle above submit
ted, and MY convictions strengthen