The Irish standard., 1893-06-10

fol good comes from her purity and from
the love for purity which she has been
able to maintain In the world around her.
With the decay OF social purity woman's
reign diminishes, the christian home
yields the place to the harem or the
house Of Sin. and with the degradation of
woman civilization perishes.
. AS is the dignity, the Importance Of 80
cial purity, SO is the value Of work given
to preserve and defend it. There is
room for this work. / have told the
christian ideal; / could tell at length the
blessed fruits producted by it in our
own days and country, as whenever and
wherever the truths Of the christian reli-
gion are preached. But my purpose at
the present moment is to show the ob.
stacles social purity must contend with
in the widening out ofits reign, and in
extending itsSblspsdn sdness, upon souls.
And right here lstnae answer objections
which are made against work IN favor Of
social purity.
An objection comes from the moral
pessimist, who argues that evil is and
will be-, whatever We propose to do. I
will not in my reply show myself an opti-
mist and assert that We intend and hope
to obliterate all Gin from poor humanity.
But this I will say, that there is the ebb
or the flow in the food of evil in proper
tion as barriers are put up against or let
down before it's waters. lhe good book
says: Strive for justice for thy soul,
and even unto death fight for justice,
and God will overthrow thy enemies for
thee This is the law of action for all
who love virtue, and who love GOD and
the neighbor. The Savior game to roll
back the tide of evil; we are His follow
ers, His disciples Pessimism is the faith,
of towards. Its meaning is to give zip
the world to evil, which is never inac-
tive, and which is sure to profit by the
despair aud inactlon OF it's opponents.
No effort is ever made f6r gaod which
does not bear ftpit, and noshort is ever
made that does not bless him who makes
it,whose own virtue becomes the stronger
from the strength he iraparts. to others
and upon whose own soul pour down
heavenly blessings in reward OF bis noble
zeal.
An objection comes from professed
Christians, and strange as it may seem,
in the name Of religion. Social purity,
they say, is distinctively virtue Of the
skies, born Of religion and nurtnred by
the graces Of religion. They would have
us leave all batthngs for purity to prayer
and religious sministrations and they look
upon the worldly efforts which men and
women gathered in this congress have
been making and intend to make as SO
much profaae work, outside OF puriiy's
own lines, and necessarily unavailing. /
shall not surely deny the efficacy Of ai-
vine grace in the Transformation of the
soul. and + shall not cease invoking in
aid Of our holy work the aids and com
forts of religion. But, to cast'all respon-
sibility on religion and employ no human
meaus is TO belle Religions own teachings
which. demand that men do their full
share by the human meane at their dis
posal before God is willing to interpose
His divine action. It is the law Of ma
ture, and that of grace, that we do all we
ourselves can do. The agents of impur-
ity put forth energetioally and continu
ously their labols; and we should not
leave the world free to them and take
refuge III the secret recesses OF the sane
tuary! This is not the will Of the Lord,
who, while He put NJ ses, on the hill
praying put Aaron in the plain lighting.
Oyer-sensitive friends of purity inter-
pose an objection. Purity, they say,
delicate as the tender bloom on the Pc
tails OF the rose, rs the transparent soft
ness OF the mornings dewdrops, sh1inks
from exposure, and is harmed amid dis
cnssions and public movements. On the
other hand, impurity is pitch; the purest
tongues speaking of 1t are sullied and
the purest hanls reached ont toward it
are stained. The effect OF this obi bjection,
il allowed, would be to abandon the
world to impurity. God does not intend
that this be dene.s Nor is there reason
,toapprehend the dangers that are pointed
out when holy thoughts preside over la
bors in aid Of purity, and prudence di-
rects them. Wherever there issa fellow
being perishing, the hand extended to-
ward him will be sustained by God, and
the mind planning how 70 avert from
him danger and bring to him salvation
viii be- guarded By the Master and Re-
deemsf ss .ss .ssss:
Impurity, we are told, is widespread,
%, ruptiDg body dam ming soul. breaking
up homes, degrading women, tn ming By
hecatombs human beings iinto depraved5
aud ferocios ANNA 8, threat ten,ng society
with revefsion TO the public and
.pha y oloax II M moral iiif,a Of Dapaniem