Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-06-25

amid poverty and disgrace, to his lowlJ
place among the clods of the valley,-his
bloated frame, 1 mean, for his hapless SOU
does not rest there. His immortal part is il
the hands of that God who hath declared
that drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom
of Heaven, and its dark destiny the hearers
imagination may trace.
But we have only made beginning. Dc
you desire, my brethren, to have correct
conception of the evils of intemperauce ?
Think of the pale-faced, broken-hearted
wives who are sitting around their fre-sides
these long nights, listening for the heavy
tread of drunken husband al the door, and
expecting the usual amount Of personal abuse
on his arrival Heaven protect the lionel y
watchers, for in my very soul I pity them
Think of the many groups Of little ones who
are begging for bread, and pulling the last
crust from between mothers fingers ; OF
are huddling in the corners like affrighted
birds, and counting the cruel strokes which
dear Hmamma" receives. Walk the aims.
houses, hospitals, and charitable establish
ments of the land in Imagination, and inquire
what occasioned the scenes which your eyes
behold. Visit the criminal courts and pris.
ons of the country, and trace what you see
to its origin Watch the whipping g-post, the
stocks, and the gallows, and learn of them.
Calculate the amount of pauperism and
crime, and rags and misery, which this woe,
dispensing vice hath begotten over the earth.
Calculate, also, the expenses to which civil
government is thus subjected. Remember
that thirty thousand American citizens,
probably more, die annually from intemper.
ance. Remember, that according to Mr..
Everett's estimate, "the use of alcoholic
beverages has cost the United States, direct
ly, in ten years, 81, 200, 100000, has burned,
and otherwise destroyed, S5,000,O00 more
of property, has sent 100000 persons to our
prisons, has sent 100000 children to our
poor-houses, has caused 1,5OO murders, and
1000 suicides, and has bequeathed to the
country 100000 of orphan children. -
Think Of the heavy tax, the trouble and vexa-
ton, the lawsuits and neighborhood conten-
tions, the jealousy and hatred, the babblings
and backbitings, which intemperance gene
rates. And oh; think how. seriously it i'm
pedes the progress of the gospel, how much
perplexity and trouble it gives the church,
and how it affords occasion to the sharp
scorner to mock at religion. Think how
many immortal souls are ruined .eternally by
the fiery draught. Think Of the unhappy
influence which is thus brought to bear upon
the rising generation. They are corrupted
by filthy conversation and by wicked ex-
amples, and unless brought into more
wholesome atmosphere than that of the
drunkard's home, they will be poorly prepar-
ed, when they arrive at the years of maturi-
ty, to be the guardians either of the church
or of our civil liberties. Mediate seriously
upon all these things, and I am much decei-
we'd if you will not agree with the wise man,
that wine cat the last biteth like serpent
and stingeth like an adder"
And now, what shall we do If, my hear.
ers, you have any philanthropy, if you have
any regard for the liberties and safety of
your beloved country, if you have any desire
to see families and neighborhoods peaceful
and happy, if you have any compassion for
sorrowing wives and desolate little children,
if you would relieve the government of a
heavy expense, and reduce the demand for
hospitals, prisons, and alms-houses, if you
would bless the rising generations, and pre-
pare them for the civil and religious duties
oflife, if you wish to build up the church
and advance the kingdom of Christ, if, in
short, you have any concern for your own
welfare, temporal and spiritual, and that of
your fellow-men, you will join me in raising
the cry, strong and earnest, What shall we
do? AS your spiritual watchman, and your
humble adviserin all such questions of duty,
let me commend a few words of counsel to
your prayerful consideration.
"Look not thou upon the wine when it is
red, when it giveth his colour in the cup,
when it moveth itself Alright" Do not ex-
pose yourselves to temptation. Keep away
from intoxicating drinks, and make no use
of them as a beverage. Except when they
are needed for medicinal or mechanical pur-
poses, never let them come within your dwell
lings. And if this be your weak place, and
you think it probable that the presence Of
such liquors might tempt you too strongly,
do not even make use of them for such pur-
poses as we have mentioned, if there is any
thing else that will meet your wants. We
must not trust much in our own moral cour.
age. If we look upon "the wine when ii
is red," we may be tempted to put it to
our lips; and the more we drink, the more
we shall crave, until at last, powerful
thirst will be created, which may ruin our
character, beggar our children, and lead us
down to drunkard's grave. Therefore,
look not upon the sparkling wine; keep at a
distance,-do not approach it, for it may be
dangerous to let your eyes rest upon it. Dc
not use it all, on any occasion, as beverage
if you desire to be perfectly secure. If you
are easily overcome, shun the places where il
is kept, if you can do it prudently, and the
company of those who may urge you to drink
There are few men, very few, who can tam
per with the intoxicating glass, and not be-
come ensnared to their ruin. We only ad
vocate the total abstinence principle because
of the urgency of the case. There is nothing
morally wrong in drinking small quantity