Democratic messenger., 1893-11-11

tlclan, but he was "a tectUtalcr To the last.
Abraham was politician. but he was
always characterized rs the father Of
the faithful. Moses was politician,
the grandest of them. but he hon
ored God more than he did the pharaohs
And there are hundreds of Christian
men now in the political parties. main
tanning their integrity. even when they
are obliged to stand amid the blasted,
lecherous and loathsome crew that some
times surround the ballotbox; these
Christian men doing their political duty,
and then coming back To- the prayer
meetings and Christian circles as pure
as when they went ont. But that is not
the ordinary circumstance. that is the
exception.
How often you see men coming back
from the political conflict. and their eye
is glazed. and their cheek has an un-
natural flush. and they talk louder than
they usually do, and at the least provo
cation they will bet. and you say they
are convivial. or they are exceedingly
vivacious, or you apply some other sweet
name to them: bat God knows they are
drunki Some of you a month or six
weeks ago had no more religion than
you ought to have. and after the elections
are over, to calculate how much religion
Won have left will be sum i'm vulgar
fractions. oh. the pressure is tremen-
dous!
POLITICAL ABOMINATIoNS.
How many mighty intellects have gone
down under the dissipation of politicsl
/ think Of one who came from the west.
He was able to stand ont against the
whole American senate. God had given
him faculties enough to govern king
dom or to frame constitution. His
voice was terrible to his country's ene-
mics and a mighty inspiration in the day
of national peril. But 90 glasses of strong
drink day were his usual allowance,
and he went down into the habits of a
confirmed inebriate.
Alas for himl Though costly monu-
ment has been reared over his resting
place, the young men Of this country
shall not be denied the awful lesson that
the agency by which the world was
robbed Of one Of its mightiest intellects.
and our country Of one of its ablest con-
stitutional defenders. was the dissipa-
tion of political life. You want to know
whom mean2 Young man, ask your IA
ther when you get home. The adverse
tide il fearful. and warn you against il!
You need not go far off to find the
wornout politician. Here no is. STUN
bling along the highway his limbs hardly
able to hold him mp. Bent over and pale
with exhausting sickness. Surly to any
body who accosts him. His last decent
article Of apparel pawned for strong
drink. Glad if. when going by grocery,
some low acquaintance invites him in to
take sip of ale. and then wiping his
lip with his greasy sleeve. Kicked of
the steps by men who once were proud
to be his constituents. Manhood oblit-
Grated. Lip blistered with curse.
Sears Of brutal assault on cheek and
brow. Foul mouthed. a crouching.
staggering. wheeling wretch. No
friends. No God. No hope. No heaven.
That is your wornout politician. That
is what some Of You will become unless
by this mornings warning, and the
mercy If God. your steps nre arrested
Oh, there are no words enough potent,
enough portentous. enough consuming.
enough damning to describe the horrible
drunkenness that has rolled over this
land, and that has bent down the necks
of some Of the mightiest intellects. until
they have been compelled to drink out
of the trough Of bcstiality and abomina-
tion! l warn young men against politi-
cal life unless they are tcetotalcrs and
consecrated Christian men.
Again. counsel you that. when you
go to the ballot box mt the city, or the
state, or the national elections. you rec
ognize God and appeal to him for his
blessing. There is u power higher than
the ballot box, than the gubernatorial
chair. than the presidential White
House. II is high time that we put less
confidence in political platforms and
more confidence in God. See what q
weak thing is human foresight, How
little our wise men seem to know! See
how, every autumn. thousands Of men
who are clambering up for higher posi-
tions are turned under God upsets
them. Every man. every party, every
nation, has a mission to perform. Fail
ing to perform it. down he goes.
THE CAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
God said to the house of Bourbon.
''Remodel France and establish equity"
House of Bourbon would not do it.
Down it went. God said to the house
of Stuart. Make the English people
free. God fearing and happy" House
of Stuart would not do it. Down it
went. God says to the political parties
in this day. by the principles Of Chris
tianity remodel. govern. educate. save the
people," Failing to do that. down they
go, burying in their ruins their disciples
political intriguers Of this day. and can
raise up another generation who shall
do justice and love mercy.
If God could spare Luther before the
reformation was done. and if he could
spare Washington before free govern
ment had been fully tested. and if he could
spare Howard before more than one out
of thousand dungeons had been allie
waited, and If he could spare Robert Nc
Cheyne just as Scotland was gathering
TO his burning utterances. and if he could
spare Thomas Clarkson while yet mil
lions Of his fellow men had chains rust
ing to the bone then he can spare any
man. and he can spare any party. That
man who, through cowardice or blind
idolatry of party, forsakes the cause Of
righteousness. goes down. and the armed
battalions of God march over him.
o Christian men. take out your BIZ
BILE this afternoon. and in the light of
that word make up your mind as to
what is your duty as citizens. Remem-
Der that the highest kind Of n patriot is
a Christian patriot. Consecrate your
selves first to God. then you will know
how to consecrate yourselves to your
country. All these political excitements
will be gone. Ballot boxes and guber
material chairs and continents will
smoke i'm the final confiagration, but