The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-11-17
THE EVIL BEAST.
Extract from a Sermon by
Rev. r. Dewitt Talmage.

IL u my FOH Noht al wa 'N"'' ''''' ~
v0urcd him.--GEN. XXXyIl ~.
Joseph's brethren dipped their broth
er's coat in goats blood, and then
brought the dappled garment to their
father, cheating him the idea that fe-
rocious animal had slain him, and thus
hiding their infamous behavior.
But there is no deception about that
which we hold up to your observation.
A monster such as never ranged Afrl-
can thtchet or Hndoostan jungle hath
tracked this land, hath strewed this con-
tinent with the mangled bodies of whole
generations, and there are tens Of thous-
ands of fathers and mothers who could
hold up the garment of their slain boy,
truthfully eXclaiming, cit is my sons
coat; an evil beast hath devoured him."
The question is, who will hunt down
this evil beast, and who shall destroy
him. | answer first, by getting our
children right on this subject. Let them
grow up with an utter aversion to strong
drink. Take care how you administer
it as amedicine. Teach them as faith
fully as you do the catechism that rum
is hend. Take them to the aims
houses, and show them the wreck and
ruin it works. Walk with them into
homes that have been scourged by it.
AS you 60 by the grog-shop, let them
know that is the place where men are
Siain, and their wives made paupers
and their children slaves. Hold out to
your children all warning, all rewards,
all counsel, lest in after days they break
your heart and curse your gray hairs.
We war upon this evil by organized
societies. The friends of the traffic
have banded together they issue circu-
lars, raise fabulous sums of money to
advance their interests, and by grips,
passwords and signs, set at defiance
public morals. Let us confront them
with organizations, and, if need be,
with grips, passwords, and signs, main
tain our positions.
Again, we will try the power Of the
pledge. Thousands Of men have been
saved by putting their names to such a
document | know it is laughed at,
but there are some men who, having
once promised Il thing, do it.
We expect great things from inc
briatc asylum work. They have al
ready done Il glorious work. | think
We are coming at last to treat inebria-
ton as an awful disease selt.ini1icted.
Once fastened upon man, sermons
won't cure him; temperance lectures
will not eradicate it; religious tracts
will not arrest it.
Again, we will contend against these
evils by trying to persuade the respect
able classes OF society to the Punishment
Of alcoholic beverages. You who move
in elegant and refined associations you
who drink the best Of liquors; you who
never lose your balance let you look
each other in the face and on this sub
ject. You have, under God, in your
power the redemption Of this land from
drunkenness. Empty your cellars and
winc-closets Of the beverage, and then
come out and give us your hand, your
vote, your prayers, your sympathies.
DO that and / will promise you three
things: First, that you will find I'M
spcakabIe happiness in having done
your duty. Secondly, you will proba-
bly, save somebody; perhaps, your own
children. Thirdly, you will not in the
last hours regret that you made the sac
rifce, if sacrifice it be. As long as you
make drinking respectable, drinking
customs will prevail, and plowshare of.
death, drawn by terrible disasters, will
go on turning up this whole continent
from end to end, with the long, deep,
awful furrow Of drunkards' graves.
We publish the above by request Of
the Good Tcmplars in Winchester.