The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-09-21

The following is an abstract Of an

trath The world docs move" Pro
ceeding with her theme she instanceC
tie advance IN scientific, intellectual
mental aud material interests which
the world has made within the past 81
years, and asked if the moral and re
ligious world had not experienced cor
responding advance
The speaker assumed that this wa.
the case, and adduced in evidence OF
this fact the sympathy and assistance
rendered during the Irish famine, tc
the sufferers by the Chicago fire, the
survivors of the yellow fever plague at
Memphis, and the work of Christian
commission, in field and hospital, during
the war of the rebellion. Half a cen.
fury since the face of our fair land was
marred by two great national sins, both
so deeply inwrought into the national
life that some were wise enough to see
how they might be removed One was
slavery, and this for the time seemed to
claim the greater attention of all who
loved the right. Strongly intrenched
and impregnable it seemed, bidding de.
fiance alike to prayers and tears. 1t
was needless to mention the list of hon
ored names who fought the battle Of
words which paved the way for its re.
moval; nor that noble army of martyrs,
from the president, who sealed the re
cord of years of faithful, answering
service with his blood, down through
the long line OF those Who counting
not their lives dear unto them fell
into nameless graves, giving ALL, even
life itself, that this foul blot might be
wiped out. The nation is not yet cleansed
from all ;he consequences growing out
Of 1t, but she is in the crucible. Ear.
nest souls are laboring and praying for
her, and she will one day come out puri.
fed as by fire.
The other national sin, intemperance,
yet remains Aud by the side of this,
even slavery dwindles into pigmy.
That, when it had destroyed the body,
could do nothing more, and the soul of
an Uncle Tom could rise out of its deg
radiation to life of glory. This has
power to cast both soul and body into
he'll, for no drunkard can see the king.
dom OF God.
The slavery of intemperance is not a
local sin, as was African slavery 1t
spreads its oathsome form all over our
land, into homes of luxury and of pow
er;y into homes of virtue and vice In
city and country it lays low the fairest,
the brightest, the best, and no words.
10 pen, can portray the anguish and sor-
row that follows ia its wake. Its dark
shadow has fallen like pail over other
lands than ours, and to-day the sunlight
scarcely falls upon spot where this
rum-hend holds not high carnival. This
monster, hydra-headed as it is, we are
called upon to tace,-the greatest work
ever laid upon a Christian people. 1t
never can, and never will be removed
till AL people who love the good and
true, men and women, are willing, if
need be, to give their all to this work
10 consecrate, according to our lexicons,
is to set apart, dedicate to sacred uses
and SO we, losing sight of personal com.
fort, of the opinions Of the thoughtless
throng, must set ourselves apart to this
holy work, esteeming 1t of greater mo.
ment than any or all purely worldly
considerations.
We to-day have more to encourage
US to make this conservation than any
who have gone before us; for we have
seen the direct result of it. From what
else can Dr. REYNOLDS wonderful sue.
cess come He is not eloquent or learn.
ed. He came not to us with excellency
of speech or OF wisdom, but in demon
stration eff the spirit and of power, and
by Gods blessing he is doing a glorious
work. We need spirit which will enable
us to keep right on in this work all our
lives, till Gods hand shall lift us out of
toll into rest. Never did We need more
than to-day to heed that divine injunc-
ton, " Be ye therefore steadfast, un.
movable, always Astounding in the work
of the Lord -" For as much as We
know your labor is not in vain in the
Lord" She wished TO say one word
from the book of books for her brothers
of the reform club "Stand first there.
fore in the liberty wherewth Christ has
made you free, and be not entaugled
again with this yoke of bondage"
To her sisters Of the great temperance
union the speaker remarked: at has
seemed to me that we need So much
conservation to this work that we shall
lose sight OF ourselves, of our strong
personal feelings and opinions, and see
ing only the work, seek to be guided
by Gods spirit in regard to it We
need this to make Us tolerant towards
others peculiarities, temperate in our
dress, in all our lives. We want to help
our brothers to forsake the vices of al,
cohol and tobacco, their besetting sins,
Jet us be careful that we also forsake
our besetting sins, vanity and extrava-
gancc and their kindred evils Let us
be all consecrated to this blessed ser.
vice.