Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-08-17

than war, pestilence or famine, nay, than all
cbmbined. They are slow IN their march,
but sure and secure in their grasps. They
consign the body toethe tomb, and the soul to
hell. All my countrymen, the evils which
result from the production and consumption
of brandy and whiskey are innumerable.-
They are beyond the arithmetic of earth.-
The records of this Prime Minister of iniQni-
ty are written in blood, and the united groans,
and agonies of the untold distressed, are q
lone sufficient to speak out its enorraity. No
wonder, that. in view Of the Unreasonable
magnitude of this evil, the Almighty should
utter his voice, and declare, WOE unto him
that givetht his neighbor drink, that puttest
thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken"
Do we not see, then, in these evils, sufficient
reason to abandon forever the use of such a
promoter of woe ? Have we not the very
best possible reason for totalabstinence from
that, which God himself declares, :" biteth
like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder 2"
Our third reason for total abstinence isl
3. Tat at as safe.
A great man has well remarked, that,
A." Nothing is so great a friend to the mind of
man, as abstinence it strengthens the mem
DRY, clears the apprehension, and sharpens
the Judgment and in a word, gives reason
its fell scope of acting" Here is the grand
hope of our cause. Total abstinence defes
all danger, and mocks at consequences
With it, and it alone, we are safe. A man
cannot take fire into his bosom, and not be
burned." A man cannot drink "fre-water,"
h~abitually, even in small quantities, and not
be in danger. 1t is the moderate use of ar
dent spirits which produces the excess. It is
this which paves the way for downright and
brutal int0xication. Whence arose the pres
ent ignoble army Of ~drunkards ? Although
the elements of ruin are transmitted from
drunken parents to their children, still no
man was ever born a drunkard. In all her
fantastic freaks, nature never missed q man
so far as to produce a drunkard. From whose
ranks, then, | ask, have been raised these
Keeling hosts in their rapid march to destruc-
ton ? From among the moderate drinkers !
Every drunkard in the land was once d tip
Ter, q temperate drinker, an occasional %visiter
of one of those INNS, whose appropriate sign
would be, I" The aCGy to hell, qoinq doDn to
the chambers Of DEATH" Taking a little"
for heat and for cold, high spirits and low,
the temperate us of this " mighty good" for
every thing, is the prime cause of making so
many comparatively good for nothing. It is
here that the taste is acquired, and the hab-
it contracted, which is the foundation of ruin.
But " touch not, taste not, handle not" and
you are safe forever from this perfdious des-
troyer> Purge and purify yourselves and
houses from this poison and plague o fdeath,
" turn from il and pass away" and the work
is done, done at once, lone securely, done
forever. Total abstinence is safe and sue
%cessful. Let this sound principle be univer
sally adopted, and the death-knell Of intern
perance will. he sounded, streams of misery
: and death will be dried up, and the angel O
!! JOY and peace will clap it's golden wings anC
9 shout, " the glorious work is done, and SO
I briefly reigns on earth"
The last reason we offer in support Of tota
abstinence, is
e 4. That 1t Is sustained by the Bible. TIL
whole tenor Of Scripture is opposed to ever,
species Of intemperance. The most pointe,
warnings are given against the causes of thi
vice, and the inducements which lead to il
Severe woes are denounced against those VIII
y indulge in wine and Strong drink, and &
gainst those who promote incompetence i
es others. "The use of Intoxicating liquors,
" saws Prof. Stewart, /" is as evidently forbiC
RS den by God in his arrangement of our n;
ty turos, as in the volume of his revelation.
= The general principle of total abstinence
On not only inculcated, but particular example
= are given in illustration of it. The prizes
st were forbidden to drink in their ministration
" Levitt. 10.-8 II. Kings and princes we
at forbidden the use of wine and strong drin.
re as incompatible with moral discriminate
h, and the proper administration of Justice
Sc Prov. 3I.-4, s. The Nazarites, as a class
e. people specially devoted to the service ofGo
ir- were prohibited the use of wine and strol
CT drink. during the continuance of their vow
10 which might be either for q specified time,
we during life. Numb. 6,--3 4. Samuel, Sam
", son, John the Baptist, and others are exal
ID pies of the same kind. In the history of t
nd Rechabites we are presented with an exal
gs. pie Of a total abstinence association. VIII
lev the wise and pious Jonadab saw that the
ne F~raelites "erredthro' wine, and through stro
ing drink were out of the way" he introduc
ver the principle of total abstinence into his O
hat family, to shield them from intempera1
is and idolatry. After continuing faithful
on their obligations for 800 years, their prin
an pies were tested by the command ofthe Lo
who not only approved of their course, |
gave them his blessing, saying, "they sho1
not want a man to stand before him foreve
nm Lev. 35. And it is q remarkable fact t
this wonderful people still live, acting
of their original principles, and are prosper
| to and happy. But We are told that "Itis g
,ut, neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine,
ever any thing whereby thy brother stumble
allS or is OHenQGd or is maze weak. IS0ff.
the 81. Again, IF meat make my brother to
to fend, l will catno flesh while the world st
the deth,o' The great principle here asserted
iety that Paul was willing to deny himself of
d. qualification which was likely to operate
,rty, the injury of others. Upon the same pri
item pie every man should act, " abstaining fl
grief feshly l~usts," and &" abstaining from all
oil is pearance of evil" Apply this to drink
line liquor. Is there no 50 appearance of e
nths here? Is your influence and example
rare, drinking ardent spirits not likely to lead
nsus, astray? If there is danger here, you
uous scripturally bound to touch not, taste
,ited handle not" What, then, is the sum of
this whole matter. Is the use of strong d
yhis- needless and pernicious ? Does it entail
ten Vulnerable evils ola mental, moral, temp
olas- and eternal character ? Is total abstint
shells from it entirely safe, and clearly susta
YOU by the word of God? Then | appeal to
etail- as individuals to say, what is your duty,
mil the duty ofall. Let conscience solemnl
hum view this whole argument, and examinc
the law of love, in the light of reason,
), the by the torch of revelation, As dweller
pro- the " land of the free" as patriots, ph
t far thropists and christians, | call upon yor
,cS of tI,a mama of humanity Iihnrtv op1 Erb