Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-06-14

Rev. j. p. Wardlaw Says some |
Things About the Great Evil.

Rev. J. p. Wardiaw Says SOME
Things About the Great Evil.
Att the New Houston Street Methodist
! Church yesterday morning Rev. j. T..
Wardlaw preached from Acts of Apos-
ties, XIV, %: And as he reasoned OF
righteousness, temperance and Judgment
to come. Felix trembled and answered,
Go thy way for mis- times when ! nave
I convenient season | will call for thee"
righteousness, temperance and the
! Judgment to come" the pastor said.
/ formed the foundation OF the Gospel.
/ desire especially 10 dwell upon that par
/ ticularNIrtue -temperance- mentioned IN
the text as applied to the use OF alcoholic
/ drinks That there are many churcn
members who have their beer and wine
and whisky regularly, there is no doubt,
and | venture TO say If their supply
ran short on Saturday night they would
not hesitate to send to barroOm on sun
day morning for more.
In the homes OF high life, where so little
regard is paid to the ultimate results OF
the social drink habit, and indeed where
so much Indifference is manifest to the
result, drink, mixed drinks, are furnished
to husbands and sons, and to the sons
and husbands of others.
The time has come, and il should have
come long ago, for the people to put their
feet FIRMLY upon the social system OF
drinking. 1t is degrading and brings US
nearer To the brute. One says, l use In
moderation, do not drink to excess,
am temperate; but | say there is no tent
perate use OF intoxicating liquors accord
ing TO the Bible: 'LOOk not upon the wine
when it is red, when 1t glveth its color in
the cup, for at last it biteth like a serpent
and stingeth like an adder" caste not,
touch not, handle not the unclean
thing"
everywhere in the Bible God
has put his curse and disapprOba-
ton upon il. From beginning to ending
there is nothing but evil, shame and dis
grace growing out Of 1t. mo druukard
shall enter the kingdom Of heaven" A
man who drinks is TO certain extent
drunkard, because, il glass Of wine Will
make man drunk, a half glass Will
make him partly so. There is just so
much drunk in so much drink.
There is nothing that liquor is good for
that has not remedy in something bet
ter, and medical science is beginning to
discern these remedies and is dispensing
with alcohol by their substitution.
SO it is either total abstinence or drunk
enness. There is no man in the church
who drinks that is not a disgrace to So
ciety, to himself, to his church. and to
God, and as no drunkard can enter this
kingdom, there is but one place for him.
Delirium tremens is the picture of he'll to
which all drunkaTds will be consigned.
Therefore, beseech you to reform or take
the consequences. Turn away now, or be
turned into hell.
Paul talked to Felix about these things,
that he should lead life OF chastity and
sObriety, and Felix trembled.
slow many drunkards," the preacher
asked, ''are going TO judgment with this
evil recorded against them, and how many
church members will meet them there
with their brothers. blood on their hands,
which they could have saved il they
would p Ii the church OF Christ would do
its duty, If we, as members Of the church,
would do but half our duty, the traffic in
liquors would cease and drunkenness
would become thingOf the past. Church
members do not measure their RESPONSE
bility; they have not discharged half their
duty; the great burden OF this reform
rests on the church.
The judgment will not only reveal
drunkaTds, but those who have sat in their
pews every Sunday who might have saved
| them. The man or woman who offers
drink TO others will tremble in the Judg-
ment day. The man who will quit to-
morrow or the day after, or when W hat he
has on hand is out, will never quit. and
sooner or later he is led on to a drunkard's
disgrace and grave. ! caution the young
ladies in the church and out of it never to
offer liquor TO any one. and especially to
young men who are susceptible to temp
tatiOn. Let us all unite and reason with
| the people of righteousness, temperance
and Judgment to come.