Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-02-19

~ Oh an inheritance III the kluSQOul
of God. Such have 80 right to a
position in the church or kingdom
of God on earth, and il is certain
that they will fail of an entrance
into the kingdom above. Is it pos
sible that men of sense, men of ed
u':ation and refinment, men of good
judgement on every other subject,
will thus barter their souls away for
so little, and pave for themselves
the road down to eternal WOeo
And what is the pleasure of a few
days Of drunkenness compared with
the loss Of the SOul-to be cast into
outer darkness, where shall be
weeping and crashing of teeth. But
hear the word of the Lord again
"Know We not that the tnrighteouS
shall not inherit the kingdom of
God? Be not deceived, neither
fornicators, nor idolators, nor adult
erers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of
themselves with mankind nor
thieves, nor cOVetOus, nor drunk
ards. nor revilers, nor eXtoTtiOners
shall inherit the kingdom of God"
| Cor. vi $40. There is NJ way
to evade these passages. The man
who drinks till he becOmesa drunk
ard, and so continues, is as certain
of perdition as that these passages
are true. And the man who drinks
at all is liable to become a drunk
ard. 1t is exceedingly perilOus to
drink dram regularly for a single
week, and thirty days OF regular
dram-drinking would bring the
habit of drunkenness upon very
large number of the people of this
world. 1t will not do to taper with
it. Ruin unutterable follows in its
train. Touch not, taste not, handle
not, is the only safety in the matter.
Brethren, if any one who reads
this has formed or is forming the
habit of drinking, do stop, before
you further go. Every step you
take in that direction is bringing
you nearer and still nearer the hOr-
rible precipice of ruin over which
you will inevitable plunge if you
continue that road, for In that habit
you are not only jeOpardizing your
own soul, but you are wringing and
breaking the heart of that wife,
whom you are pledged before heav-
en- and earth to cherish, protect and
support. Not only are you wiring
ing her heart with sorrow and dark
fOrebodings, but you will bring her
to poverty and want.
Oh how it harrOws the heart of
the delicate woman who never
knew want or hardship, to see pow
erty and restitution in all their hag-
gard forms at the very door, and
staring her and her children, yea,
his children in the face. Man,
brother, will you thus violate your
solemn pledge, your highest earthly
obligation, and bring such crushing
ruin upon the dearest ones GOD gave
YOU? Crush out that tender heart
that would give her life for your
sake, and bring those prattling
babes to degradation and orphans
doom? D think, before you further
go We have seen pale faces, sunk
en- eyes, weeping eOuntenances, the
evidences of crushed hearts and pow
erty-stricken woe, that we would
not have had on our shoulders for
the gold of thousand such worlds
as this. And again, let such re-
member, too, that they are enemies
to the cross of Christ-that they are
making incurable wounds upon the
body of Christ, and by their person.
al influence, dragging Others down
to woe, by causing them to offend,
to do wrong, and also end in ruin.
All! what terrible train of ruin
follows in the habit of strong drink.
Are YOU therefore willing to go
down to such ruin, and drag others
with you just for the qualification
of an unlawful and unnatural appe-
tite? We here insert piece from
clear-headed, sound and intelli-
gent brother on this subject, that
our readers may see what Others
think of this terrible evil, so often
found in the church
There is no sin with which the
church has to deal that gives more
trouble than this. All are willing
to admit that it is great sin, de-
strIetive of the peace and well-be-
ing of society, aud clearly and
strongly condemned by the Bible.
But we often find members of the
church going on to the point OF ha-
bitual drunkenness without SEEM
ing to realize that they are drunk
ards, or to admit that they get
drunk. They will go into saloons
and drink, and go into company
and falkland act in such manner as
TO excite remark and ridicule, and
thus bring Teproach upon the church
and when demonstrated with, will
protest their innocence of drunken
ness.
A man may be drunk without los
ING his DoWer of walking, or requir-
ING the attention of the police.
When he becomes so intoxicated
that those about him can observe it
i'm his change of speech and man
ners, he at once is a by-wOrd of re-
prOach for the church. The finger
of scorn is at once pointed at the
noisy representative of the church,
and he is a hindranee and a stumb-
ling-block to the cause that he pro-
fessess, If he is allowed to remain
i'm the church, others who are lower
down in. the scale of drunkenness
will take refuge behind and insist
that they should not be withdrawn
from as long as he is retained, and
thus the church is filled with cor
ruptiOn and debauchery. 1t seems
strange that man who keeps one
of those dens of vice called a drink
ing saloon, should have any desire
to hold membership with church.
Such is sometimes the case, but
with what consistency can the
church deal with him when he
claims that some of his best custom
ers are members Of the church? Is
it a greater sin to keep one than to
patrOnize It? And yet in almost
every church we find numbers who |
expect to occupy respectable places |
in the church, while at the same |
time they drink at such places.
NNrho.. .....u. Iii, L. rnlcr,r,r -.