The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1891-11-13
Gieantns,s rom LIES Pathway.

did lncOfEupI IOf OOu.
Taking for authority this beautiful text
Of St. Augustine who lived in the Fourth
and Fifth century, or over fourteen hun
dred years ago, and applying it to the
nature Of things at the present time, such
application being the true light with which
Temperance should always be surrounded
as those who are studying the subject from
a Christian, a bygienic or an economic
standpoint will testify, it follows that it
means more to belong to a temperance
society than to simply promise to abstain
from all intoxicating beverages. including
wine, beer and cider. 1t means more than
simply signing our names to the constitu-
ton OF any temperance organization with
which we wish to identify ourselves. 1t
means more than simply working to up
lift those he have fallen low in the scale
of human degradation. Indeed, if ITEM
perance is love, keeping itself entire and
incorrupt for Goo, and who ctn doubt
it?-it means more than all of these COM
bined.
1t means:-Thou shalt love thy neIghbor
as thyself. 1t means: Thou shalt keepthy
heart with all diligence, fer out Of it are
the issues of life. 1t means; The pure in
heart shall see God.
1t means, that our bodies are the temples
of the Holy Ghost, and when in any way
we defle these bodies we defle the temples
of the living God also.
How repeatedly have we heard the plea,
that to feed young hearts. young minds on
temperance alone would be to sicken them
and that it were better not 10 mix in that
ingredient too freely in arranging for an
evening meeting.
Why friends, as we understand it, tenn
pe!ance has as wide a foundation upon
which to build as Christianity itself. Its
fields of work are boundiess, and like
Christianity, already ripe unto the harvest,
and again like it, because its reapers are
too few.
Putting aside that first clause. temper
auce is love" which in our mind covers
the whole decalogue, for as temperance is
love, SO also is Christianity love, every
thing being built upon this one foundation
stone,-we will take up the second part,
and what have we here?
keeping itself entire and ineorrupt for
God.''
This does not say that we shall be tenn
perate "a very much miscoDstrued word)
in all things does il? 1t does not give out
the impression that We may indulge in
everything good or bad, SO long as we are
temperate in that indulgence as though
the line of Temperance and intemperance
can be drawn at will. But it says: keeping
itself entire and incorrupt." For whom?
For God. Is not this the identical basis
upon which christianity itself is built?
How then, we would ask, can a chris
tian be a christian and not be a temper
ance worker? Or, how can a temperance
worker be a temperance worker aud not
Consciously or unconsciously) be a chris
tan? How ignorantly, how wilfully has
this subject of temperance been totally
ignored by those who profess TO be ID sym
patty with the higher powers. How they
have moved from it as though they were
moving from something which would i'm
mediately class them with an army of
fanatics. How they have feared to touch
it lest they, too, would be drawn into tie
vortex of that touch-stone which makes
all earnest temperance workers needless to
any amount of ridicule-a twin brother to
hate. opposite of love, of Christianity
" hich may be hurled at them.
Truly, it seems to US a christian is only
half a christian who cannot see or is
afraid to take hold and help this divine
cause of temperance. This old ~hackneyed
saying Of being temperate in all things
has brought more souls to ruin than the
average christian can conceive of. AS if
for a moment God meaHt that those who
professed to love Him should be temper
ate in the indulgence of bad things. Evil
IDENTIFY He trusted His people sufficiently
not to think of having to mention that it
was of good things alone of which He
would have them indulge in temporarily,
fer even too much of a good thing, we all
know, is intemperance. Therefore to have
entertained this Illusion of indulgiDg in
the bad, and at the same time be obeying
the laws of God, does seem, truly, 10 be
a piece of barbarism.
keeping itself entire and incorrupt Tor
God" Herein lies tho beauty, the founda-
tion of that divine thing, a perfectly
healthful body. Entire and iucorrupt:'
Full and perfect, pure and faithful, are
some of Nebster's explanations of these
words. Explanations that tell US so plain
ly that if we wish to enjoy perfect health
of mind and body, we must be perfect in
our treatment toward every function of
these bodies of ours, thus keeping them
entire AMI incorrupt for God.
How often does it happen to the busy
life, that when there is a certain amount
of work to be accomplished by a certain
time, we fail to see the harm of keeping
right along, night and day almost, that it
may be finished in that time, forgetting
tlat We are not keeping OURSELVES Snt4to
for the coming days work, forgetting that
we are using energy and strength which
justly belongs to to-morrow's portion.
Or IN other words using Unexpectedly
those faculties which have been entrusted
into our keeping.
Finally, as the days, the weeks, the
months aDd years pass by, may we come
to realize more and more fully that the
beautiful connecting links that always
have and always will bind truth, purity,
love, charity and temperance are but the
silver cords of christianity fastening a TO
gether in a complete, a perfect life.
fNoTE:-The above isloVingly dedicated
to the members of Harrisonville Woman S
Christian Temperance Union, in remem-
brance of the beautiful text card presented
by them over five years ago, upon which
appears this week. subject of"Gleanings.
Talk not of sad November, when a day
OF warm glad sunshine fills the hour ofnoon
And a wind borrowed from some morn o
Jure,
Stirs the brown grasses and The leailessspray
flushed the bird voices ana the hum of bees,
In this grass the erickets pipe no more;
But still the squirrel hides his winter store
Aud drons his nur-sheIIs from the shag-barl