New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-05
TEMPERANCE SERMON.
Preached in Ames Chapel, sunday, jan
nary %, 1871, by Rev. William Roll



1t is good neither TO eat flesh to drink wine
nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth. IS
offended, or is made Nc Ak. Romans xiv. p.
Men sometimes; so misunderstood Chris
tianty as to deem it selfish. believing that
the great aim of religion, and OF the profess
sOrs oi religion. is to secure the blessings OF
Heaven and to avert the penalties OF sin.
Yet, upon the face of the Gospel, bright as
the sun i'll the skies, stands the declaration.
None of us liveth to himself Christ.
whose footprints mark the path each fol
lower should tread, lived only FOR others,
and the peculiar glory of Christianity
consists IN the tirelessness of its aim TO benc
tit the world; to raise the fallen, to reclaim the
crring, to bring hope to the hopeless and life
to the dead. In accomplishing this. each
Christian is to be IA co Notwithstanding, 50
far us he may himself. and foregoing hi, own
qualification if thus he may bring help and
blessing to his fellow men. Upon the cross
each bears, and which must be borne before
there comes his crown. Christ has craven
the words .'Deny myself" The chapter
from which the text is taken torcibly Illus
trates this fact. The use OF certain meats
and drinks which had been offered to the
idols of Rome, but which were afterward
publicly sold in the markets. seemed to
some to count"nancc idolatry. Yet Paul
declared that he could eat of them and
give pou iHdllkS. caring IotIllll9 IoT Tue
idol to whom they might have been offered.
They were good, and. as creatures of God,
were to be received with thanksgiyin.
Yet there were others who could not thus
regard the act who. in eating, would be
injured, feeling that they We're eating Il: an
idols table and in some sort recognizing the
false gods of the heather: their con,cicnccs
would be wounded us they saw Christians
partahing of the table of idols. while others
mi, Il h,.
stitions they had barely escaped. pleading
an apostles example for their worship OF
Jupiter or Diana, for. they would say. he
;,lsoatc of meats sacrificed to them But,
said Paul. this should not be: with me il
shall not be. They that are strong ought
t" bear She ntirmities of the weak. and not
to please Themselves at i, good neither
to eat flesh nor drink wine whereby Thy
brother >tumbleth or il offended" 1t de
clarcs the duty of denyin. ones self an
indulgence. harmless 10 him. but which
l. Injurious to "a fellow man. And the
principle Is one which is widt y applicable,
but nowhere more than 70 the subject OF
indulgence i'll OF abstinence from intoxicat-
ing beverages. All might be conceded
which the temperate ,lrinkcr claims, with
out affecting this grand and Chri-t-lll.
principle OF action. Though one could
prove tnat vine grew read v-madt by Ma
lures hand. instead OF being the product
OF death III fermentation. Us ii is; still. we're
II shown that its list caused the stumbling
OF many into sin. ruin. death. and even
into the hlackncs> of the second DEATH il
would remain true that 1t Is good neither
I" drink wine nor anything whereby ones
brother stuInblcth: nav, not though ii
shoald be offered by an angels hand This
Is what hope to do this evening: and my
argument shall he simply that which the
spirit of God here pTeScnt>-that the caUrc
OF this terrible >tlt,nblin. ni men into SIN
ruin. death. and hell. is one that should re-
c"iV~ II" countcntiice from any man " no
honor> God OF loves his fellow man BY
those who have lived in the world with
open eyes. no proof "lil be needed that
L. h" Use OF Intoxicating drinks - "A
cause of s,umblin. /" multituslc>; oi all
falls from rI"hltN ana honor, Of all de-
scents from comfort and virtue :" 'cnurv
ami wee. this has been. and is. tn, most
prolific cau,r. Men. true men noble men.
men OF generous hearts and the abilities.
nave stumbled over the bott. 70 int,my
and rain. Have. did sly, ar" stumbling
to-day. Mike every other We. which
even IN their beginnings. sho" something
OF their innate tetormity. this come, /. men
crowned with flower. and dressed II,
beauty. The most subtle and .ucccssfs!
vi all the wll's of Satan, il j. tE. one
which awak,l!> the least alarm. Saws :.
modern writer: The power OF Satan to
hold his victims i nctlIIn. to thar mastery
OF AIT 10y which he iIr-t gains them. When
he approaches 10 charm U.s. II is nor with
the aspect OF u t"nd. but ~ an angel OF
light. rad an' with innocence" And no
wA"i" = that more true than in tn,
SO luctlNr a!ts-the gentle. finwcrcrowu.G
slopes aIon. whlc!. the feet ar. ruti,,,i troli
s"brirfN I" int"mpelancc. HI: glass OF
>parhln. wine. taken by the lair hand o,
some pure minded girl and borne IL ler F,
lip" hat can be More innocent than that |
IL l. lett but hall .lr,,iucd AZ her >iic-can
th"r" I've danger there! And tina; "nl,lct al ,
stronger drink y nrh the youn. mas hand |
Is hitting I" the light. he toa~,s hi, friend
and "c'a'ilr> his wish for h"altl, aud happ- |
mess /" on" he !ot.>-!- not " innocent, |
ii- rlca- -. i, but I'll. brighter for the !
dr:.Ugh'. and his H.:i,lly form feels ONLY |,
stronger glow Of joyous lii, from IT, In |
there BE- sian-P" there. L. |
ho' II rather the crown ami perfume "t lite: |
cNatinG the sen>ibllitirs. ru.kcninc the ,
brain and warmin. the heart 50 the !
temple! SAYS. Bat IN this world how often
danger makes lis approach under the -arD |
of beauty. HE snare set for tho. hare Is
covered ny The 'n>ltln. grain which tc,np:-
!: t" it. iat. And the eye of til. serpent.
/, not It beautiful. even when it charm. the
Dird in!ld>; the 0."edon of the summer
'''.-!i' - Ahfi" tanStF. ,fit II S!iOUiG !
look iVom the safety OF is far III. tree 10
where. amid the grass, those cliftryiur
orb> -. llgh: are fixed upon il, Or I'll"
breath OF troplc airs. heavy witt, the per
tune OF Magnolia blooms. and swcr. Wit, !
the "dor- OF a thousand lovely tlowrrs-i,
not 1t delicious. even though in swrcpino |
across the un'iraincd mar>!. it has gathered
the ini,.alia deadly dampS upon It's WINS
an iiiere be danger III inl,alinE airs which
seem waited from Eden Bu, nudge by
their effects The snare i,nprsons tlln hare;
the s.:ptnt- eye is followed by his ,c;.iv
folds ami deadly ian.>: and Tn. pcrt,lnd
air icvcr> the bloc! till its victim i, Stretched
PERHAPS. IN death: while tn" .oilrt's Lit
term. charm too often leads !" the :;.lIvnt'
honor. manhood and health, Was the inst
glass oi til" on" who's" home to-day j. made
wresc!ltd .: .nttnirrrnnc", less innocent less
beautiful. less harmless to the -" than |.
hat which you o" | to-day might lift TO .ur
lips l"t from such Nou tuln away witha
Poor wretch" And what has made him
or her the poor wretch you pity. or. it may
be-. sc"in. What but that first glass YOU
say Is so innocent. 80 harmless. Ave. has
Tie crown ana the perfume of life" come
TO tins. that now you loathc its sediment.
You will not stumble thus" prrllap.
|'od may keep Won from it: but they have
stumbled; others are stumbling even thus
today. and II voice from the God of cl,r
lives declares. at is good neither to drink
VINE nor anything whereby thy brother
Intemperancc is II vice so appalling in its
Elects that scarcely any sacrifice could he
90 great which would lessen its ravageS,
md save men from it's influence. Most
'lces affect but one portion of the nature:
his reaches to every part. and at the SAM.