The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-11-27

strong Drink, Says sTalmagc. ls-Religion'
Greatest. Opponent.
! The. ighiiest obstacle to the progress
OF religion 10 this day 10. not infideIit,
lin any torn, nor organized crime. bu
strong drink, whether you call II Swar
gin. or Bourbon whisky, or brown stout
or pale ale, or Schiedam schnapps. OF
wine. or anything else that flutters tht
pulse and poisons the brain aud makeI
= man unnatural. Standing in our pul
pits on the Sabbath day, we. are aware
81 the fact that there are men who are
hiding behind barricadc OF wine flasks
and demijohns.
4 There are thousands Of men who do
not come into the kingdom OF God sim
ply because they tippe. While they are
discuesing the question as TO whether
they shall drink sl all. or how much
they shall drink. they let the question OF
their eternal salvation 60 by default
And how often IL is you find man anx
lious about his soul, and you1tAlk with
him, and pray with him, and wonder
why he does not yield his heart 10 God.
and come into the peace Of the Gospel /;
but after many weeks have passed, and
he has gone back again into the world.
you find that be is . victim .of strong
drink, aud. although be may not realize
IL, his love for the Utilization Of bic palate
has been theimeans OF bis spirit0al and
eternal overthrow.
How much better II would be for all
such men, instead Of stopping TO discuss
the question Is to how much they shall
drink, or whether they shall drink At ell,
to throw the wine flask out OF the win
dow, and Gil their dem John with kero-
sene oil and turpentine!
Secular temperance ,eocisties have .
grand work 10 do. and they are accom-
plisbing 1t. All the sympathies Of my
heart are with them. God bless the men
aud the women who are IN these secular
ways battling against the intemperance
ot the land. They are working through
the temperance pledge by giving health
ful employ ment 70 the fallen, by stirring
sDd rousing temperance lectures, and 10
a thousand ways.
But my great hope for the salvation
0f the land from stronk drink, aud for
the redemption OF the nations from this
evil habit. 10 In the converting power Of
|Christs Gospel. have presented the
pledge TO great many per-
sons. How many Of those who signed
the temperance pledge without conse-
Icrating themselves 10 God have kept
that pledge? Not one! But of al tho-e
10 whom have given the temperance
pledge who st the time OF signing Il be-
came Christians. how many ot ell that
have kept the pledge? All. sb-
Isuiu,rly ell Am | not then, speaking
out Of my own observation. right in say
Ing that there il nothing but the con-
lsertiug grace Of m ouinipoient God that
lean cure men of the habit of strong
drink? Now let us march in solid col
lumn on this subject. Let US from the
pulpit aud from the pew preach right
leousnesr, temperance and a judgment
ito come, and the one doctrine as en-
Iphatically as we do the other.
In order TO do this be teetoiallera. II
have tried other theories and other
modes. When fret entered the minis
|try drank wine At weddings. and there
were exceptional occasions when took
liz, and felt II was allowable. and ! Was
no sin against either my con-
science or my God; but felt always
trammeled when | came TO talk about
ntemperance, and l said 10 myself one
There must be something wrong
in doing anything which trammels my
tongue on this subject, "ssnd from that
time I have declined even wine At the
wedding. The only ground for Chris
tian men TO take IL the teetotai ground
Take II on account Of your influence !;
your children will do a. you do. only 81
little more 20.
Yon take wine, for instance, only on
New Years day, and your sons will take
Il on New Years and Christmas and
day aud the Fourth OIL,
July aud sometimes when they feel hot,
md sometimes when they feel cold, and
when they feel tired. You
AXE . quarter OF . glass, they will take
hree- quarters Of . glsss. You take ale,
hey will take brandy. You drink and
your sons will drink. II 10 IN awful re-
'ponsibility for : parent 10 assumc. that
II taking bis whole family on tho wrong
'oad. They think you are right. They
,sve more admiration for you than they J
rave for any other man. They try tot
walk like you. They try to wear their
,at like you. They would like 10 dress
ike you. In every respect you ere their
model. Now, look out In THE matter OF
troDg drink you do not become sn evil
Example and ruinous and blasting In
luenca. l..