The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-04-02
SIN OF INTEMPERANCE.
Hideousness of 1t In the Sight of God and
His Judgment Against the Drunkard.

saying less of the evil, we should say
more OF the guilt. AS an evil it is sc
overshadowing, is so terrible in all its
bearings, is so destructive of all that is
good in society, that the philanthropist
and the statesman, the Christian and
the citizen, may well bend all their en-.
ergies to overcome and eradicate it
1t has so fortified itself in custom and
law, has so entrenched itself in the
passions of men, that no more difficult
problem than it's destruction presents
itself to us. But as a sin it is even more
terrible, and calls for the deepest COM
passion for those bound by it and for
their unhappy victims, and the most
earnest effort for their salvation.
There is much said of heredity in in
temperance, and of the diseased condi-
ton of the brain and whole system.
And much Is truly said, but unhappily
the effort is often to turn the mind away
from the personal guilt. The drunkard
himself feels that he is the victim of
circumstances; that he lives in condi-
tons which he did not directly bring
about, and which he cannot control.
and, therefore, while suffering, he fails
to see himself as he appears in the sight
OF God, as one to be cast out forever If
he continues in his sinful course. We
90 inherit conditions and tendencies
from our parents. The features of the
parents appear in the children; the
peculiar cast of mind appears, often
greatly exaggerated. The child of n
drunken father lives under unfavor-
able conditions, and this must be taken
INTO account in dealing with him. But
this is true of other things as well as of
lntemperance, and yet we see that in
them heredity can be largely overcome.
The law of heredity applies to the
daughters as well as to the sons. but il
IS the sons who become the drunkards.
and with all the cases which appear to
establish this law, we have examples on
every hand of the children of drunken
fathers growing up to temperance and
every virtue. The home life, the as
soclations and society of the wears fol-
lowing childhood are potent factors.
1here is arrangement of the nervous
system and disease of the whole bodv
partly inherited, it may be, and partly
developed, but withal there is the free
act OF the person, in which he follows
Ills evil way because be chooses to do
so, and loves to do it. All this NAV be
sad OF the whole life of sin in men. We
are by nature the children of wrath
dead in trespasses and sins, walking ar
cordlng to the course of this world be-
cause we love to have it so. Rut the
grace of God is revealed as able to save
mat grace attacks all evil as sin. and
oVercomes it by the regeneration of the
heart. No remedial agency is disre-
garded, but over all is grace, for at the
root of the evil is guilt.
This guilt should be preached until
the conscience is awakened; until the
conscience. of the drunkard is awaly-
ened; until the conscience of everyone
whose feet are taking he, Att I-.-...-.-.-.
in the way of death is awakened, until
all the people are startled into life and
activity by the fact that the very gates
ot hell are open near by their feet, and
that they also are guilty if they do
not hasten to save those who are press
ing into them, and build guards to save
others from being drawn into the Same
death-going multitude.
God has barred His kingdom against
the drunkard. Nor thieves, nor drunk
ards shall inherit the kingdom of God.
is one of the fruits of the
earthly and sensual nature, and cannot
find place where only the Spirit
dwells. There is pardon for the peni-
tent drunkard; but so long as he con-
tinues in his intemperance, the woe
Of God rests upon him. 1t is a woe that
begins to be poured out in this life
and continues unchecked forever.
Does Gods denunciation of woe seem
too terrible? What can be too terrible
for sin that not only transgresses the
law of God, as all sin does, but in its
nature and in its workings is revolving
to God and destructive as few other
sins are? In the Bible the murderer,
the adulterer and the drunkard are
classed together, for they destroy
the image of God in man. Intern
perance is the fruitful seed of
all sins. 1t so blinds the mind,
so debases all manhood, so in
flames passion, so destroys the moral
sense, so breaks down the power OF
and of the will, that there
is not any sin or vice that does not fol-
low as its legitimate product. Its touch
is the hand of Satan, its breath is death.
Can a woe be too terrible for sin that
is so destructive of all good, that so
makes the soul the dwelling place OF
evil spirits?
Therefore, with all other effort
against intemperance, this guilt of the
person should be preached
with all the power of deep conviction
of Divine truth. We should preach it
to those who are already enSnared,
that they may lay hold on mercy and
he saved. We should preach it to those
in danger, that they may be kept from
the way of death. We should preach
it with added woe fer themselves, to
those who tempt others to drink. And
we should preach it to all that they
may see their completely, in social life
and in legislation, with the destruction
of the vast multitude that goes down
this road TO death. n multitude in