Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1879-04-12
Intemperance.
BY REV. Dr. W. E. MuNssY.

drunken also that thou mayest look on their na
kedness r'-HAsAErK, 2:i5.
II by proclamation was to reassomble the
famous council Of PandemOnium, whore all the
thrones. priucipaliiies and powers of hell met
in commission, and dispatch a demon 10 earth,
best qualified to arrest the progress Of civiliza-
tion. TO palsy the arm of philanthropy, to re-
tard the wheels of the chariot Of the Gospel oi
the Son Of God, TO blight the fearful hopes OF
the fond mothers heart, to blast with the NIL
dew of death the aspirations Of youth. TO tnrn
widows and orphans homeless and irlendieSs
out to die. and to swell the population Of their
own dreadful domain, they could not have
sent n more potent hend to carry on and con-
summate every item in this black inventory
than the hideous monster lntemperance. his
successes have met hell's most sanguine hope.
This moment he has millions of our fellow
creatures chained to his burning car, with
wheels rolling in blood and tears, circumvolv-
ing upon their ayles like lightning down the
slippery highway Of death. he is dragging them
TO the drunkarl's dreadful home.
10 the begiurng it So quietly weaves about
lis victims web whose fbres are 50 irail and
Welding it excitcs no alarm. become
lruukatd? prepos,erous. | never take dram
because love il, no, not |. Yet here the ca
r. er of every dfunkard opens. The difficulty
is to make men feel they are as liable To fall as
other men.
oh, for some power the gin 10 give us
TO see ourselves as others see us."
But the net strengthens. With every re-
peated dram tie iibres lcngthen and link ont,
lin b,f re the man is aware Of il he is bound
r =. -. . l..l tffas altl
as links Of adamaut. The habit once formed
the mind becomes so besotted as actually TO
tax its energies with the invention of areu-
ments aud apologies for the indulgence OF the
appetite: Ny health is so fscble-ny cons,i-
tuition needs a stinulus-my occupation eS.
poses me TO the uclemency Of the weather.
necessarily lose so much sleep am SO liable
to take cold-ihe atmosphere is so damp and
the rayemeu,s AMI ground so wet As
remedy when sick, as a preventive Wien well,
wet or dry, coldor hot sad or ioyinl, IN every
condition aud circumstance in life. however
inconsistent or contradictory, be finds reason
for the intoxicating draueht.
The Indicative steps of drunkenness are
found. in the illustrations before adduced, IL
drarndriukins. The Grst dram is inceptive
drunkenness. From the nature Of the bever-
age. and the nature Of the men who take II, Is
the crisis Of the drurkard's life. The first lit
te dram is the FIRST little tre ze Which whiiii's
over the plain, the lorerunrer playing on the
outpos's of the simeon which Is followed with
the roar Of a thousand winged demons, lifting
in It's poisonous ctils the burning sands Of
Deaths Sahara.
The first dram is the Easy pathway meandeI-
ing awhile Il roigh fowery meadows aud mos
~ lanes, then siauously ascending the bleak
mountain Of lntemperance, that limhns land
lying on lie confines Of hell, oyerhaneing eler-
nal horrors, pitch darkness and Gery gcrges
.oto which poor drunkards stumble 10 rise no
more. Yet thousands are travelling tbs road
Look at the vast host of merry tipplcrs bni
commencing their jauruey. Now look away
to those dim mountain spurs aud dismal peaks,
winding amid the black and desolato rocks
TN descending on the other side they descend
rapidly to the burning lake.
True. hundreds are rceling over prrcipitous
briu,s. and are hurled down awful 'opes and
vertical cliffs into gaping abyses through which
fiery rivers run and empty into the ulphu-
rous lake beyond But the others regard I
not, but stupidly stagger along to similar
fate Iu this dread land the ravens Of fell build
their nest and hatch their hideous progeny.
aud shave the murky gloom with their somtre
wings. ard ill the dowsy air with their lugu-
brious croakings Ia this dread land burning
serpents. sired by The serpent Of TIC still, crawl
and hiss and spurt their venom. 10 this dread
lend phantoms ride Oh every breeze, ard COB
ins crouch on every rock, and spectres dance
on every hill, and wan aud dusky ghosts pur-
sued by demons armed with blis'erir 9 scourges
and satyrs welding thongs Of frkod flames,
H. and scream till every black plume in bor-
ror's crest stands erect and quiverins IN the
4rrng air frightened is every breath with
their shrieking woe.
Oh, this dread land is The land Of lutemper-
ance. Of which BscchUs is the vice-gerent-aov-
eruor. and Satan is the king-and the frs,
dram is the wicket-gate, aud dram-iriDkine
the road to H. Enter noe the gate at the head
Il the way-shun the first dram-make that
the rule Of your life and you are safe forever
The regular dram-druker sooner or later be-
comes a druukard. This IL the rule-if be doe
not, it is the exception. Touch Il not, taste II
not, handle it not, fy from il. Young mao,
The glass You hold 10 your hand is the cbalice
Of death. 10 the name Of God, 10 the name
If heaven. 10 The name of your gray haired
mother and aged sire, FOR the sake Of yourself.
body. soul aud mind, lift it not to your lip
nor driuk its accurscd contents. The glass 10
your hand is the chalce Of death-demons
laugh N every sparkling bead. and dance IN
every drop. Oh, dash Il dorn i-DAsH IT
DOWN
This is the only ground Of safety. There il
a platform npon which the enemy never ven
tured a citadel he never attacked an atmos-
phere whose healthy breeze never waite! the
sickeuing fumes Of inebnation a community
never disgraced by drunkard's swagger, Or
iquor-vender's curse. \. ould ycu know Il
is the beautiful land Of Temperance, where The
beautiful balm tree waves is living '0ii8ce,
where the tree Of life drops full AMI npe tie
luscious fruit Of immortality 10 the happy
aud fountains limpid and pure as heaven are
bursting up from every sequesiered gen and
mountain foot. Bright rivers rushing Ike il
quid diamonds, embarked 10 emerald, sweep
throughout its extended landscapes, and on
both sides Of the river, from The source 10 the
mouth, from the patent spring TIL they pour
their pellucid water into the unruilied sea Of
heaven. stands the sons and daughters Of Tenn
perance, who quaif their most delicious bever-
age, tie sweet and cooling draugb', then look
iug up to Gcd work out destiny little less
then Divine.
Let us examine the evils Of lniemperance.
It destroys nan. lntemperance destroys bis
body Mas body Is the most complete chem
ical compound in existence. ltisthe magniii-
cent and symmetrical aggregation Of material
elements. enbJdied IN the most intricate and
cnnnlicaie Of all orgauisrns. In is parts. is