The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-06-13
Tobacco.

Suffer me to write in all honesty, not as
fault finder, but as one who loves the
truth and has been for long years endeav-
oring to find the same and walk therein.
After what you have written and known,
it need not We said to you that Iowa is
passing through one Of the severest bat
Ties ever known, and although the gov
efnor and Judges do not suit the temper
ance people in their way Of settling this
great question, the battle nevertheless is
being fought, and faith in God gives us
to see great victory somewhere in the
future. l wish not now to speak 80 much
OF the evil of intemperance in drink as
one of its tributaries, My home has been
in Iowa for nearly fifty years, ard | am
now in my tbirty-second ia the itinerant
ministry. have had some opportunity
Of knowing of what | opeak. My theme
is tobacco not favorable one | admit,
and yet this is more in the way of our
success both in the church and state than
many are willing to concede. The physi-
clan who said Ibis patient could have
been saved had he not poisoned his sys-
TEN with tobacco" told great truth, aud
it may apply in more ways than one. At
Clear Lake, last year, a reformed inebri-
ate said eff he should indulge in the,use
of tobacco, nothing could save him from
drunkard's grave" What am writing
is not 30 much Tor the aged as the young
For the last few years my mind has been
deeply impressed by what l have wit
messed IN our revival meetings, and the
special effect of the workings of the Holy
Spirit upon the minds of young men un-
der the influence of this powerful mar
cotic. After years OF close observation,
l give it as ny deliberate opinion, that
man upon whose heart the Spirit
has deeply moved, has only to fill his
mouth with the weed, and soon he will
succeed in sitting the most pungent
conviction. He may pass though the
rival apparently as unmoved as a stone,
and even laugh and jeer at what at
first was serious matter with him. There
would be to me some relief, but for
the fact that ministers and members sane
ton by their own practice this evil. A
whole year was passed upon a charge
where faithful work was done at one point,
where the class leader and superintendent
Of the Sunday-school both INDUCED in the
almost constant use of tobacco, following
the practice of former pastor. This
may not have been the most potent him
drance, but such were the facts, that not q
soul was converted during the year. My
observation is this, without an exception,
that where the leading men indulge In the
use OF tobacco it is about useless 10 try to
have revival OF Gods work. If souls
are converted, they soon dwindle into com.
paratively nothing. believe that God not
only wants his people to have clean hearts,
but clean mouths as well. l have known
men to be converted Oh charges where
have been pastor, that before or soon after
gave up the tobacco, and were soon men OF
great power IN the church and in the world;
others have known equally clear in their
conversion, that commenced to trouble
about their tobacco, and finally held on
TO the same, and Ill little time were
either backsildden or of little use in the
church or community where they lived
Jesus says, If any man will come after
Inc, let him deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me-" Think of Paul, OF
Peter, or John, or Jesus using tobacco
or think Ut any OF them calling it "s
filthy habit, and they we're sorry for it :
and then adding they could not break OF
from the same, though 1t should poison
scores OF young men around them. Oul
great state boasts of her wealth. 1t has
always been so, but the evil ID this l,
has accumulated in the pockets of the
young men, and hey seek an Quite,
through their mouth, to the destruction Of
both soul and body. These inlets anc
outlets to destruction must in some way
be dried up. The Lord hasten the day.
-Rev. Il. Kicker, in Christian at Work.