Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-03-06

ard and debauchee! Whether they are
ready to break the hearts of doating
parents, and bring down their gray
hairs with sorrow to the grave?
whether they are willing to crush the
hearts of sisters, and trample under
their feet every tie of natural affee-
ton whether they are willing to dis
appoint the hopes of all their friends,
and blast their prospects both for time
and eternity?
Ifthey are ready for all this, then
our subject says they may yield to
temptation, they may form habits OF
dissipation, and place themselves un-
der the power of sin, and they will
spec dily realize it all.
But il they are not prepared for all
this, then should they be entreated to
shun ali vice, and all those semi-vi-
eious practices, which, although they
are common, and too often sanctioned
even among the better, and more
virtuous portion of society, do never
theless, in ten thousand cases, pre-
pare the way and open the door and
then Introduce young men TO other
practices wholly vicious.
Or if any have already entered the
broad road of vice, our subject bids
them stop, and resolve forthwith,
that the STAIN they have already
placed upon their good name shall
suffice; that the signs and tears, and
sorrows, they have already inflicted
upon the hearts that love them best,
shall suffice; that the risks they have
already run of losing reputation, pro-
fession. health, friends, business, hap
piness and heaven, shall sufhee. III
they would descend the way OF dis
honor. ruin and death no further II
they would wipe out the dishonor
done themselves and their frie nds, and
regain what they have already lost,
they should abandon at once and for
ever, sabbath breaking, profanity,
tippling, gambling, and whatever else
is so rapidly chaining them to the car
of destination. Never more should
they let friend or foe see them enter
hotel, saloon, grocery or any other
place, in quest OF strong drink, OF the
card table, or for any other purpose un-
worthy the purest virtue Inc onIy
salvation for such is in total aostlh-
enee. For if the habit is already be-
coming fixed, and the appet 2 grow
ing strong, continued indulgence Will
but increase the power of these, and
hasten the ruin of body and soul.
They may repel this statement with
the customary boast, that they are IN
no danger; that they have self-com-
mand enough to prevent their becom-
ing slaves to vice. But this whole
subject tells them it is no such thing.
And this testimony is confirmed oy
the thousands and tens of thousands,
who annually die and go down to
graves Of vice and shame For these
all once thought themselves in no
danger of becoming slaves to any
form of dissipation. Once they couId
hurl back the parental or frlenuIy
warning, with great indignation, ana
in the language of the proud Haz@i,
exclaim with piOus horror, But
what! is thy servant 8 dog, that ne
should do this great thing ?" But ike
him, they knew not their own weak
ness. or the fearful power OF vicious
appetites and passions, when grauuaI- gl
ly aroused by occasional ana even par
tial indulgence. No young man OS,
comes a drunkard OF q de0auchee al
at once. The steps which lead 10 these
final results are for the most part quite
gradual. They commence too often
in fashionable society, and with what
I have designated semi-viclOus prac-
tiees. Whence come the sixty thou-
sand drunkards who annually die In
these United States They come from
the ranks Of those who are moderate
drinkers and the ranks Of these mo-
derate drinkers are filed up again Dy
| taking sixty thousand from those who
are occasional drinkers and the
ranks of these occasional drinkers are
| filled mn again. not from those noble
and independent young men, who are
firmly pledged never to use as 6ev
erage any form Of intoxicating hq-
uors, but from among those young
men. tpho haze not the moral courage
thus TO pLedge Themselves. These young
men, thus unpledged, are yearly Inr-
tpishing sixty thousand new recruits,
who Immediately take up their line
of march towards the low doggery and
the druukardsi grave which they
reach in about ten years on an aver
age. And so Of every 0ther FORM Oi
vice and dissipation. The yearly sup
ply comes from among those VINO re-
I fuse to abstain altogether from those
4 habits and indplgenees, Whlchso sure
iy conduct TO these fearful issues.
Am not correct therefore insaylngr
that the only safety for young men Is
! in total abstinence from all those
habits which do, year by year, lead mol
less than one hundred and fifty thou
sand persons in these United states,
down TO some form of vice, which
ends in their death! And are not
lvounp men greatly mistaken, when
! they disregard friendly warning and
eptreaty. in the belief, that they can
with inIpunity, enter, the broad, bu'
I short. road taken by these one hun
dred and fifty thousand : Is not the
l'naked fact that they enter this way o.
death, almost certain proof that they
WiIIeoutinue therein, until they come
to the bitter end. The power which
sin has over such Is already dragging
tthem down with constantly aeeelera'
! .ed motion, and they must cut tnt
cord at once or become victims Tor ills
and for the grave, Would that sucf
/ seIf-eonfident ones would think, how
many Young men ofthe most brilliani
talents. Of the finest social quantles
and of the brightest prospects, nave
felt and said as they do now, but Wht
long since, went down to dishonoreC
or a drunkard's grave, aud to the
drunkard's hell. Such cases stapd VI
as solemn beapons 10 Yarn All young
men not to take the first step tpwardi
any form Of vice or immortality.
And In these facts we have nov
been considering, as illustrative OF tut
power Of sin, all persons may see tn
fearful danger they are in Of making
ship-wreck Of all that is most valuable
in time and eternity, il they ALLOW
themselves to enter the path Of Viei
IN any fnrm.
We have seen that SIN IS powe
that cannot be trifiied with. Henc'
ali should resolve to free themseiye
at once from its grasp. And Tor I'M
I purpose, they should not be eonteh
with merely avoiding the dangeTou
practices now referred 70, ont fne!
should go farther, and resolve to 9s 3,
cure the salvation OF their souls o.
. repentance towards God, and faith II
, the Savior of sinners. They shou!'
, do this, and seek his aid IN thelr aall;i
, struggles with sin and then tne,
will come off more than conqueFors
in every conflict with sin and tsmPla
! ton. If they commit the Keeping Q
, their souls to Him, their final victory ]
certain, But even, then they must no
. boast of their own firmness, or aolli
ty to resist temptation they , mps