The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-05-11

also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness.-
H.b 2; 10.
We saw, in recent discourse, that the spos-
tie Paul's estimate of departure from "sound
doctrine" had primary reference to specific
practical sins, such as murder, idolatry, hcen-
tieusness, drunkenness and the ike, rather
than to speculative or theoretic errors, theo-
| logical or otherwise.
It is plain, from his letters to Timothy and
Titus that. in his Judgment, the chief feature
{" sound doctrine was faithful grapl Ing with
vice, fighting it at the point of the sword of the
Spirit He led the way in this. He made the
guilty Felix tremble as he thundered forth his
eloquence on the topics of righteousness, tenn
perance and judgment 10 come, for none of
wh,eh we car suppose Felix had any relish
To deal with the present sin, is essential
feature, then, of sound doctrine, or teaching,
rebuking with all longsufering and doctrine
To do this, one cannot well fail of preaching
to the point. And this is duty, matter what
may be the result, whether ike Nathan's ''thou
art the man," to adultcrous but repentant Da-
vid, or John Baptst's rehuke of the same
crime in Herod, which cost him his head. But
no apology is needed, surely, for denouncing the
Rum Curse from the pulpit, when the Bible is
SO full upon it, and the heart of all good men SO
stirred to battle against it.
1t is the duty of communities, as we'll as of
individuals, to shun the easily and specially
besetting sin. Our own community has re-
Gently become very much awakened to sense
of the growing evil of intemperance in our
midst. And the erection of new supply
| of machinery among us for promoting this
great work of the adversary, seems to demand
a special calling of attention to the subject,
that all who hear may be impressed, if possible,
with a sense of the danger our community is
in from the Intoxicating cup; and, more espe-
cially, that we as professed christians may treat
the matter as becomes our name and calling
Indeed, any present utterance on this issue, can
hardly now assume to lead public opinion. Cit
izens of the place, without reference to name
| or party, have called for agitation of the mat
tes, in way not to be refused.
Of course cannot think of taking time and
strength to deI let the sin and misery of drunk
enness itself This would be presuming on
your ignorance rather too far. Everybody de-
spises drunkenness, not even excepting the un-
fortunate victim of it himself. Tie heart aches
AYE, and heart-6reaks, it has caused, tho
starvation, the worse than orphanage and wild
owhood, the blasphemy, insanity, suicide and
murder filling the high way of the Gin Tiend,
are written in fire, unquenchable by tears or
blood, on too many hearts, all over the land, to
need comment here and now.
The evil, the sin, all admit but the next
question is-where les the responsibility p
Some win say-with him who is weak or wick
ed enought to drink to his hurt and shame
That Part of the responsibility rests there,
none will deny. But how often is it that the
tippler becomes such through weakness as
much as through wickedness; and then when
confirmed is as much the victim of diseased
physical condition driving him to drink on, as
anything else.
In this view of the case, he who is the stron-
ger headed tiTpl,r, leading on his weaker brother
by example and persuation, must surely bear
much of the blame Of that weaker victim s
ruin. But he who is so strong of head and
will as to abstain totally or measurably himself,
and yet by his ways or business encourages
drinking in others, must he not by all parity of
reasoning, bear yet greater blame? 1t VIII not
do to say guard my own appetite and that
is enough If the first great question to man
was-"Whcrc art thou, very soon followed
"Where is thy brod.er?" And Cain has rany
children still crying out, cam my brothers
keeper 2" But it will not do. Fast as human
ity advances, to say nothing of christianity,
public sentiment frowns not only upon drunk
,,,ora ,,,,o,, IL,
And God is in all this. 1t is easy to cry fanat-
icism-it is easy to make the argument plausi-
BILE for Stree whisky" where appetite is thrown
in as make-wcight in the scale to help your
sophistry, but the great heart and conscience
of enlightened humanity is against you to-day.
And there, to-day, stands the recorded curse of
God as penned 1000 years ago. denouncfng
wo upon the head of him who puts the bottle
to his neighbor's lips.
ON WHOM DOES THIS wo FALL?
I shall answer neither by the law of Maine
nor of Ohio, but by the law of Heaven, and of
Heavens monitor-'sthe spirit of man which
is the candle of the Lord, searching all the in
ward parts
We dare not, as christians, content ourselves
merely with tolerable observance of human
statute in this matter. The word of God, in
terpreted in the light of the highest morality,
intelligence and piety we meet with, is our on
ly safe criterion. The State can never license
man to do wrong, whether that wrong lie in
rolygamy, oppression, or drunkard- making
He who leads his negnbor into temptation by
his businessp does not "proyide things honest
in the sight of all men," as commanded in the !
18th of Romans No matter, though under.
a fimsy statute, several doses OF the poison |
be sold at once, that does not make the busi-
ness honest or honorable. In the name of hu-
manity, how should it? Not only is no ade-
quate value given for the money in either case