The Republican journal., 1874-04-02
Sermon on the Temperance Crusade.


| excellent sermon on the temperance reform
that is now eXerting its influence in the land
The text was taken from the book of Eccesi-
astcs, Bird chapter, LIST verse. ''To every thing
there is a season, and a time to every purpose
under the heaven
The sermon began by an allusion to the heroes
of the past who have dared to stand alone in
defence of truth and right. Too much cannot
be said in their praise, and yet much is to be
said in favor of those who do right when there
is no opposition. 1t is noble to stem the current
to DO right; it is also noble to work with cur
rent that sets in the right direction. ''To every
thing there is season." says the preacher. and
the right season for any good work is when the
tide Of popular feeling sets that way. 1t is
worth while to strike while the iron is hot. to
do all things in season, to take advantage of all
those tides Of popular feeling that ebb and flow
in society for the accomplishment of all the
good we can do.
A great tidal wave of Temperance has been
for some time rolling eastward from Ohio, and
has at last reached us The current to-day sets i'll
the ri ght direction This tendency toward tenn
perance is good tendency. The movement is
= desperate effort against gigantic evil. and
we must each one very soon decide whether we
will help or hinder it. | believe it the duty Of
every one a. Us to worl, with this current. to
take advantage of this good tendency to do
what good in the temperance cause we may find
possible In speaking of this movement rs Il
tendency in the right direction, do not refer t."
methods but to the general aim. And here
there will be 10 debate. Even the ,lrunh:trl
does not argue in favor Of intemperanre; does
not Justify nj. own course, though h may cN-
cuse it. All then must admit that any general
awakening to the presence OF this great evil III
nllr midst. and any earnest effort to check IT.
are currents in the right direction.
And yet not Ill of MS will aid this moN cement
MANY of those whose influence would be worth
everything in a matter of reform, W Ill stand
back, viii not exert that Influence. These per-
sons who will oppose or at least not forward
this temperance movement may be dl}ided m
10 two classes. The first i the discouraged
class, and includes those who see the many diff
culties that lie in the way Of any permanent
success in the temperance cause. Those OF inns
class remember the many ''tida! waves OF tenn
perancc that have passed over u, i'll the past.
leaving us lust about rs they found us. They
remember the many laws that they have seen
tried and!seen fail 10 make our city strictly tenn
perate. They look deeper, also. and see those
laws of human nature and society that seem
likely TO make any real suppression of the evil
forever impossible. They see that the evil is i'll
human nature, not i'll the rumsetler, nor the
glass nor the liquor i'll it, but IN the appetite
for ntoNcaton and the weakness that cannot
Keep it controlled. They see that You can no
more abolish drunkenness than you can abo fish
poverty each is great evil, but each has It's
tvots too deep in human nature 10 be wiped out
in Il day or even in century. In all this they
NAV be right and think they are yet it is no
reason for giving up all effort. What the en-
hllsaSts aim at i no doubt hopeless; and yet
here i'll our midst in greatevil, and S0ntethin9
NAV he done against it, something 0nqht to he
lone against it and We ought to help do it. The
vii is in human nature. | grant YOU; 50 IS
HE 50 called social evils but for that reason is
Il any the less our duty to work against it: We
NAV not hope TO wipe the evil out, but We may
make it hide its head and not set SO many temp
tltlOnS III the way Oh tit young. MANY W Ho
drink too much may be reformed
The other class may be called the contrary
class, because they are always ready TO oppose
what is done, though themselves proposing
nothing better. 70 them we say, "lf YOU see
that our methods of fighting this evil are weak,
inadequate or wrong, that shows how much we
need your counsel; come and help US Good
temperance men are willing Ia work any way
that will do good, without at the same time d''-
ING :, greater harm. | am bold 10 say that
think singing and praying i'll the streets AMI
saloons of Belfast would do more harm than
good Too inclusive i pledge Is often worse
than none. For some persons amy pledge -
,yur>t. than none. No one method Will Ito toy
all persons and places. and onr means Nhnttii
BE- be adapted ana calculated tor thi, latitude
and lhr persons upon whom we work. wv
own opinion is thai the best method ever trhti
ana the best work ever don+ was that OF the OH
Neutrality-suspicious. That movement brought per-
sona influence and personal friendship TO bean
upon both sinner and sufferer, and thereby
saved them. | count this sort Of work the mann
chance, yet | am ready to work i'll amy way that
" i'll do good For everything there is 4 season
+ not this the season for is to do something
fn,' the advancement of Temperance