The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-06-23

hesitate to make unsparing comment:
on the most sanity sinners? Not Sc
do we read it,
In recent and most eloquent tenn.
perance address, Mrs. Ellen Foster, o1
Iowa, remarked that she hadn't time
then to go into the tobacco ques.
ton, but that a crusade against il
would be the next thing in order, ad-
ding: Gentlemen, your time is short
Heaven grant that she may be q
true prophet. A woman's crusade
would be more hopeful movement
than anything else that could posi-.
bly, be devised. By every considera.
tion-fnancial, hygienic, aesthetic
mental, moral, and spiritual, all which
are ignored and to greater or less
extent fagrantly violated by the hab-
it-women, who on account Of it suf,
fer more than tongue can tell, are
called upon to give the whole weight
of their influence, singly and collect
lively, against it. lie they raise then
banner and in the name of God un-
dertake the war, they cannot fail to
batter down this grim Molock past all
resurrection.
In connection with the resolutions
and various other favorable indications
given, it may not be out of place to
quote the substance Of a letter from a
clergyman who has now passed into
the other life, simply explaining that
the subject had often been urged upon
him while he was a theological stu
dent:
II have left off smoking. indulg-
ed in it till was thoroughly convinc-
ed that it was not only opposed to the
refined socialities Of life, but that it
was detrimental to health, befogging
to the intellect, and stultifying to the
sensibilities. I will give you, a few
details Of it's moral bearings:
IF meat make my brother to Of
fend, [ will eat no flesh while the
world standeth. A very practical
text; but | was a smoker, and that
habit was opposed to the best Chris
tian sense of my brethren, and even
by many who were not Christians was
regarded as vice. | must waive that
subject, lest my people say physician,
heal thyself'
Il wanted to preach upon the duty
Of self-denial-a duty that needs often
to be urged; but the idea of a smoker
preaching such sermon was simply
ridiculous. That must be delayed,
then
''The subject of temperance came
up. / felt that | ought to preach up
on it; but [ could find no sound pre-
mise from which to reason that was
not destructive to my peace as a
smoker.
II wished to preach on benevolence
saving the Titles for Christ; but my
cigar-bill faced me.
1T was my daily prayer that God
would cleanse my heart from sin.
Conscience would whisper: Smoking
IS sin.
Il wanted to visit my people. Both
my clothes and my breath indicated
that / had been smoking I had a
little rather they would not know it;
besides, it might be offensive to them.
| must stay at home.
II needed two or three hours of Wig
orous exercise; but [ smoked after
each meal, and an hour and a half or
two hours were gone. A good smoke
requires an hour. | had no time for
exercise, and | soon got so that it was
irksome; in fine, | grew lazy.
But | forbear. | don't know how
others get along with these daily ex-
periences; but [ could not endure
them longer and | am no longer a
smoker. | relate these experiences to
you because [ know you have dispo-
sition to trouble peoples consciences
about this sin; but sinner knows
best how a sinner feels and the above
items may help you. Besides, owe
you this confession as an evidence of
approval of your efforts and arguments
for my reform in this matter
The Levites We're required to be
thoroughly clean and pure Shall the
Christian priesthood be behind the
Levitical? Shall that be allowed in
our churches which would not for one
moment have been tolerated in the
old Jewish temple? Tobacco-chew-
ers in the Lords house! Spittoons in
pews and in pulpit-a dreadful need
be, or else what is far worse! Oh! for
some Divine hand that with its scourge
Of small cords shall drive from the
sanctuary all these incongruous, un-
cleanly sights and smells! Oh! for a
breath from the heavenly nights that
shall lead every Christian, whether
minister or laymen, to renounce noac
and foreUer this impure thing and to
cleanse himself from all filthiness of
the flesh and spirit"
1t were blasphemous to imagine the
Master and his disciples chewing or
smoking, as they sat together on the
mountains side, or sailed over Lake
Gennesaret, or passed from the Sup
per to the Garden. Who does not
shudder at the mere thought, inveter-
ate chewer or smoker though he be?
Is it, then, an insult, is it an imper-
Thence even, for me to make a re-
spectful but most earnest, prayerful
appeal to all Christians, especially to
those who stand at Gods altar as min
listers or as deacons, to wash their
hands and cleanse their garments in in
nocency of this thing?
A PROHIBITION which is likely to be
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