Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-03-14
Can God Destroy the Appetite 7

The Son OF God was manifested to de-
stroy the works of the devil. II this terrible
curse Of intemperance is not the work of the
DEVIL do not know what il is. When we
had our civil war on hand, great many
were driven 10 God in prayer, and we thought
that the war was the greatest curse that
ever visited this nation. But it strikes me
that this curse of intemperapce is worse.
That cut off great many-ten, twenty,
thirty, perhaps forty years earlier than their
time but think of the men that are being
ruined, body and soul, by this curse; and
my only hope is that the nation will get
their eyes open TO the fact that it is curse,
and that there will be cry going up TO
God that he may wipe out this terrible in
iquity. What are we going to do TO stem
this terrible torrent of iniquity2 We have
tried great many methods, and / don't
know but am getting discouraged with all
these things. am coming to the conclu-
sion that the only hope is that the Son of
God is to come and destroy mans appetite.
l am thoroughly convinced that if drunk
ards will only get done leaning upon their
own strength, and call upon God to destroy
the appetite, he will do it, for he was man.
ifested to destroy the works Of the devil.
Don't condemn the drunkards. They don't
need that, for they condemn themselves
more than any one else could they are to
be pitied and not condemned. What we
want is to go to them full of love and tell
them that there is power in the Gospel Of
the Saviour. | used to get discouraged in
working in the temperance cause, for
have been worker in it ever since l have
known Christ but in the last year have
been more encouraged than ever before, be-
cause have been working on a new line.
My only hope now is that men will Join
Christ and lean upon the arm of God-lean
upon his almighty arm, and then there is
victory for them. But some of you may
say, Don't these men that profess TO be
Christians fall, too 2" Yes, but it is be
cause they trust in their own strength. If
they trust in God, they do not fall. Why,
Just read Isaiah, xii. l3 " For the Lord
unto thee, Fear not. will keep thee. In
II God has hold of the drunkard's right
hand he will not lead him into the rum sa-
loon he will not lead him into temptation,
but away from it, and not only that, if
Satan trips him up he shall not fall, for
God has hold of his right hand. If the Lord
God, who created heaven and earth, has
hold of the drunkard's right hand, cannot he
hold it and keep it So let us tell them
that there is hope, that the Son of Man
was made manifest to destroy their ap-
petites, and he can do it, and take them
| away he can turn their tastes against it,
and If that is done it will soon close up the
saloons. In one Of our temperance meetings
| in Chicago, business man got M and told
| the most remarkable story / had heard for
several years. He said that eight years be.
| fore he was a confirmed drunkard. His
father used TO give him liquor when he was
| little boy four or five years old in England,
and died vagrant and drunkard. The
sons friends had all left him in Chicago,
and he had been taken into court and pro.
nounced vagrant and sent to Jail. And
now his only fear was the policeman, and his
only ambition was TO Just keep out Of the
hands of the law, and to drink liquor all day
and sleep at night wherever he could. One
night he went down to the lake shore, and
| there was terrible storm, and for the first
time in his life he cried to God to help him
That was eight years ago, and he said: My
friends, although a vagrant and outcast
God met me there on the lake shore; he
took hold of my right hand, and | have
never had any taste for liquor since /; he has
kept me for eight years." Now l believe
that. | believe the statement he made that
God destroyed it, root and branch. And
that is what we want. Shall not that be ouI
prayer? Shall not that be our cry? And
don't care where the drunkard is, if he will
only send up the cry from his heart to GOO
in heaven, "Oh, my God, save mel He
will save him, and then he will get done
trusting himself and trusting in his OWL
resolution. How many times have mer
told me that they have gone and taken
blood out of their veins and sigued the
pledge, gone before a magistrate and taker
an oath, gone and bowed down upon theiI
mothers grave and sworn by the love they
had for their mother they would never
touch it, and inside of thirty days they
were down in the gutter again Some peo
pie tell US there is something very NOBLE
in all men, and appeal to that noble thing il
a man and he will rise above it. But an
done appealing to that; | appeal to God il
heaven-that is where to appeal. Men hav'
not the power. If they had, the Son o.
Man would never have come into this worlC
to save men. l have done telling men t
reform themselves-they cannot do it; anC
when they have got to the end of reforming
themselves and will come 10 God, he will
help them.-D. l.. Moody