Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-01-13

husband or parent who has long since gomez
to try the ereaIities Of eternity, while these
his works do follow him. The fruits Of his
transgressiou are reaped by posterity. He
does not perish alone; but ike Adam,
brings death upon himself, his sons and
daughters, and all his household.
In order, therefore, to understand the
true import Of the term. & BE Sober" let
Us take general view Of drunkenness in
its hideous and fninous consequences. That
It is disgracefal it is forbidden in the
word of God--that it leads to poverty,
wretchedness ard death in this world and
that it viii deprive many souls If heaven.
i, That it is diSgracefnl 10 think1ng
mud Gap as iIte,sq sqnsstiea
,z.sis 1S,aiIl1s can see The ragged, bag-
gardly looking rabble gathered around a
liquor shop, hear the vile -blasphemy, and
see the workings of satanic rage depicted
in every ghastly countenance, without hav-
ing his soul stirred within him. This herd
of abandoned topers is burden to the
State, pest to society and dishonor to
the church; and it exerts an influence like
the plague that walketh in darkness, and
wasteth at noon-day. And long after the
present actors are numbered in the dust,
this influence will roll on with increasing
momentum beauty must fall before II, |
manly genius be conquered by it. The
youth of hopeful promise and the scholar
of brilliant. attainments fall into ruin and
disgrace by intemperance. 1t fills the
prison and penitentiary with criminals
the asylum and mad-house with maniacs
and demons. 1t causes quarrels and fights
in our streets, and at public gatherings
and blocks upthe highway with those, who,
being overcome by intoxication and drow
siness, lie down in the mud, the rain or
snow, as the case may be. And if these
and such like acts are not disgraceful, there
is nothing this side of Sodom that is.
BY the sacred writers the drunkard is
classed among the vilest of the vile. And
in order that we may shun every appear
ance of evil, we are commanded to sepa-
rate ourselves from him, and to leave him
alone in his disgrace, even when his claims
are upon us for protection. Hear what
Paul says: Now have written unto you
not to keep company with any man, though
he be called brother, if he be a fornica-
tor, or coyetous, or an idolator, or a railer,
or a drunkard, or an extortioner," In this
passage the drunkard is classed among
those detestable characters with whom we
are forbidden even to keep company, much
! less call brother This alone should be a
sufficient admonition to all evangelical de-
nominations of christians, to guard against
Eretaiping unworthy aud drunken members
within the sacred pale of the church
The drunkard bears the marks of his
disgrace and folly so manifest, that all who
see him can distinguish the class to which
he belongs. "Who hath Woe? who hath
sorrow? who hath contention i? who hath
babblings who hath wounds without
cause who hath redness of eyes? They
that tarry long at the wine; they that 90
to seek mixed wine" Prov. %: %, 30
These are the distinguishing signs Of in
toxication among all people, in every age.
And it would seem that Solomon was look
ing directly at drunken man boasting
himself to be some great thing, when
he said Wine is a mocker, stroLg drink
is raging and whosoever is deceived there
by is not wise"
2. 1t is forbidden in the word of God
r and that too in language so plain that nc
one ca, be mistaken: " Look not thou up
n on the wine when it is red, when it givetf
K its color in the cup, when it moveth itsel
. Alright" This is certainly plain declara
e ton from the Book of inspired Truth
e But the wayward son and erring paren
r saw: what harm in taking a little? Lik
q Lot Zoar is a little city. Is it not litti
|, one They turn aside-the scene move
: on: and that which was so small and in
n nocent in the beginning, "at the last b
= teth like a serpent and stingeth like an ad
d der."7Prov. %: 81, 80. The prophe
Isaiah pronounced curse upon the drunk
ards of his day saying: Wo unto then
that rise up early in the morning, thatthe
may follow strong dring; that continu
until night, till wine infiame them" An
- then again: " "Wo to the crown of prid
- - tothe drunkards of Ephraim, whose gloriol
~ beauty is fading flower, which are on tt
y head of the fat valleys of them that al
\ overcome with wine" Is. %: l. Ar
- Paul saws "Be not drunk with vii
! = wherein is excess Eph. 8: 18. The
of are only few Of the many passages whi'
might be brought forward to show tn
tor drunkenness in every form and degree,
clearly and forcibly forbidden in the wo
of God. And if any are ignorant, it is
cause they will not come. to the light K
their deeds be manifest : these are destrc
ed for lack of knowledge.
dly 3. 1t leads to poverty, wretchedness a
death in the present state Of existence.
by Poverty follows intempeEaace as a nee
sary consequence. The man who drir
!" may never spend dime in that way, a
yet become poor. BY "excess of wine, I
mind is debased and the physical strens
d in destroyed. The man thus afflicted, be
dead to all the-pure delights Of HOME. wa
:" abroad, seeking rest and finding nene
l. spends his time at the tavern, the card
bic, DC, while his children are growing
in ignorance and vice, his servants idle;
e. disobedient, his house scene Of confus
and disorder, and his fields covered v
barrenness and desolation. In this wa
-, large fortune soon wastes away OF pa
a., into other hands while the former poss
b;rd sor is leftto provide for a helpless, degra
ha+o family, without money, friends, or crt
,h,'; li" This is no fancy sketch or work of imag
'nL aU ton, but solemn reality, the circums
% go, &c ces of which are daily transpiring in
otoL midst. And these unfortunate victim
80 60 intemperance, groaning under poverty
-, disgrace, are certainly the most wrett
0oO'J l>o;n.,e ~, aor4h Tbav ara avan daad N