The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-07-06
The Duty Of Christians to Fro
,,o.e .l,e Cause ofTen.Derance.
An Essay Read at the ualcn heeths q 'A7
Second Division, Greenville Assoclatloo'
held at Goweusville on the Es:h OF
Nay, and Published by Request OF
the Union Meeting.

me. suggests to the 1ulnd purity la
character, nobility Of purpose. 1t d
;ngs to our meutal view Him whose N
ture was self sacrificing, whose Ia s.
= was earnest, whose whole lite was C
otless. >
The Christian claims not only to +;
,aire, no rational being can do less t
M this, but also to initiate, aud t
ltiva.e as his own, the virtues OF
is noble being, whose very enewles
made to wonder, as they !
eheld ~ purify Of the character
'"wing itsc>s. in the life. BY his
ro'ess'on the CHRISTIAN claims to ad-
o.''e the cause Of truth, to embrace,
;nu DC willing to exert himself in
vi "afd'ng, whateecr is calculated to
oppose the progress of error, and ad.
vance the CAUSE Of holiness "
snort, any enterprise that will elor;ty
his Master and benefit his race, he Is
ready to sustain, so far as he is abln
Now, is it too much to assert thai
1t Is the duty of such person to use |
his efforts in promoting the cause Of
Temperance, in roofing out that evil
which has Impaired the usefulness of
50 many noble minds, which has been
a thief Of peace and happiness to
thousands of homes, ard which has
caused MISERY that even the pen of
the most gifted has failed to picture ?
Surely, the world has right to
expect that every Christian will take
a deep interest 10 the temperance
movement of the day, and will coD'
demu the use ofardeut spirits as bev,
erage. -- #1
Christians should abstain from even
the moderate use Of Intoxicating Ii
quors for various reasons: First, it
inpairs their owu individual integrity
and capability for usefulness it de-
tracts from their likeness to Christ. He
who has been born again must not
always be babe in Christ but as his
days increase so should his spiritual
growth. AS has Seen often said,
there is no standstil n religious life
there is either a daily growing
stronger or getting weaker. Does an
occasional dram make any Christian
love his Saviour more 4? If not, it
must. at least, hinder that loves in
crease. To the extent in which it is
INDUCED, it lessons the devotional
feeling, destroys the moral sense, aud
units for the service of God. The
Christian has no right to tamper with
anything that would hinder his
growth in grace. He has need to
pray: Lead me sot into temptation,'
but what mockery to utter this prayer
and arise from his knees to take his
accustomed dram 1t would be equally
sensible, to say nothing Of the sin
cerity, for person to deliberately
rush to the edge of a precipicc ex
pectlng another to keep him from fall
ing, or for a man to expose himself to
the dangers of a cataract and expect
no injury from it.
As regards simply his own safety,
then the use of ardent spirits is iu.
furious; but can the Christian think
of self only, or desire merely bis OVID
security? Nay, the bearer he ap-
proaches the image of Christ the more
will he be governed by bis uuselGsh
principles in seeking the good Of
others. If he could drink without an
Injury to himself he should remember
the claims that his weaker brethren
5ave upon him The moderate driDker
may exert an influence that the in
ebriate does not The life of the lat
Ter says plainly, In my case you see
the evil of it-beware while the
former, not in words, but by that
more potent influence example, says:
Young brother, I can take dram
and leave of: at that. ! can drink
without carrying it to excess aud
naturally it is suggested to the young
mans mind, Il can, too,' and he tries
it-wllefe does it end? Often in dis
grace and ruin though perhaps, the
one who encouraged his first drinking
never becomes a drunkard. If, by
only an occasional use, he prouounces
the cup good Why should he blame
Il weaker brother for ipdulging more
freely? Duty bids not only DO thy
self no HARM bu: to adopt the senti-
ment of Paul when he said, If meat
make MY brother to oheud. I ill eat
no flesh while the world stands
But the Christian influence is not
confined within the pales of the
church. 1t extends to the outside
world, and men judge religion by the
conduct Of its professors. IF a dram
drinking Christians influence over
weak brother is banefpl, how much
more SO must it be over the uncou-
'erted! The uugodly man secs the
orofessed Christian enjoying the social
cup, and he is led to doubt, if not the
power Of religion itself, at least, the
sincerity of that mans profession
md if he does not receive an actual
uritatioa he will regard the pro
essor's example as no less than an
Encouragement for him to partake of |
he poisonous chalice which will unfit
lis miud for receiving those truths
hat the private Christian must aid
lis pastor in holding forth to the i'm,
,enitent.
What fearful thing for Christian
o encourage drunkenness. As we re
peet our usefulness, as we hold dear
jbrist's cause. let US avoid even the