The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-12-15
Christ only can do II.
BY THEODORE L. CtryIER. n IN

"lsheu could tell every drunkard
IN the land that Jesus alone can save
MN. Ills blood cleanseth from all
SIM" So wrote to me one OF the most
extraordinary reformed inebriates
whom have ever known. Two years
ago he had sunk TO the uttermost
depths OF proverty and degradation.
A kind Christian friend had picked
Nun mp In the open street on winter
night, after lie had been turner out by
me hearlless grog-sellcr to freeze and
perish. l had known him in his bet.
ter days and loved him as a friend, a
trrsiy man Iof business, and once
respected member of my church. But
The bottle had driven him from bust
ness, broken up his once happy home,
| and hurled him out as a wandering
waif from one dramshop to another.
May God have mercy on those Christ
ians who aid and abet those drinking
customs which produce such wretched
victims as my poor friend s.!
H"'"S scoihcu leli 10 MIN out the
prayers of godly wife whose heart
his debaucheries had broken, and whom
his career had sent to her grave. TO
my establishment this man WON had
given up as hopelc So, came in to our
prayer-mceting few months ago. So
Der, well dressed, and in "his right
mind" He arose and poured out his
heart in confession ofhis sins, and in a
melting prayer of Thanksgiving TO
Jesus for the miracle of his salvation.
He gave all the glory to the atoning
blood. The meeting became a "Bo-
chin" as the reformed man told his
touching story. Last week he was
with us again, and told us how Christs
arm had held him up for several months
and how the grace of God had even
conquered his old appetite for drink.
AS soon as he closed, another mem
Der of my church, whom had laid hold
of once in the street, when common
drunkard, rose and added his testimony
to the power of Jesus to save. His
speech clenclied the nail which my
friend s. had driven. Immedl-
ately / called upon the meeting to sing
Mrs. Wittenmeyer's hymn. "Jesus is
mighty to save" We felt that the old
miracle of casting out the evil spirits
had been repeated airesh, and to the
woodworking Saviour belongs the
glory.
This is keynote for the true tenn
perance reform. "Jesus can save the
drunkards, and He only" During my
late attendance upon the National
Temperance Convention at Chicago,
heard several converted inebriates
testify in public that "Christ's indwell-
ing grace had taI;en away even their
appetite for strong drinkr
This is a wonderful fact which The
psychologist and the moral reformer,
too, would do well to heed. Moral
suasion is good, total abstinence and
pledges are valuable, but poor weak
humanity, in its battles with the devil,
needs the Almighty arm. When
Christ saves, he saves to the uttermost
His grace can conquer even a physical
appetite, as well as a depraved afIec-
ton. In proportion as the victims of
the cup lay hold on Jesus, is there hope
of their permanent reformation. The
one "Inebriate Asylum" that | have
most faith in, is the Cross of the atom.
ing Redeemer. "Tell every drunkard
that Jesus only can save him."
But LEI MS not stop here. The vast
majority of tipplers and sots will new
er come TO Jesus. We must strive to
prevent the Young and sober from ever
becoming enslaved to the bottle.
What motive so strong as a conscience
enlightened and strengthened by
Christ? AS a Christian duty, let us
urge all to let the accused cup alone
Upon every Christian conscience let us |
press the Divine precept that sit is
good not 10 drink wine whereby |
brother is made weak. Christ and the |
temperance cause should be welded to-
gether, and what God joins, let no man
put asunder. Human laws can do much:
but the grace of God can do infinitely
more Il American Messenger.