The Newtown bee., 1898-12-16

God, has the qualities of the life eternal.
Right conduct is the evidence that
mans life grows out of fellowship with
the Soul of all that is good.
1.-THE works of the flesh" have no place
in the Kingdom of God, and "they which
practice such things shall not inherit the
Kingdom Of God" st Paul, writing to
the Church at Corintb, gives expression
to this same great thought, and using
other words, says: "nor thieves,
nor covetous, nor drunkards y " shall
inherit the Kingdom of God"
Now what Is it about q drunkard, In
particular, that disinherits him for the
Kingdom OF heaven? why" you will
say, at once, ''he is not fit for such life
as that of the spiritual kingdom" And
that is the truth. Drunkenness Is sin.
Sin ruins the soul. The soul that is over
come of evil cannot enter into the moral
life of she state of the righteous. 1t is
the same with drunkenness as with any
other sin,-it makes little difference what
the sin may be-
ALL AS GAM
and the soul that will not, or cannot over
come evil with &C cd by the help of God,
has not the spirit, or the power to enter
into the spiritual and eternal life.
Going to heaven, or entering into Par
adise, or to "lnherit the kingdom of God''
is not an arbitrary transaction. 1t does
not depend upon wealth, learning, social
standing, political influence, or any art
of diplomacy; it ID not accomplished by
the securing of any personal favor, or by
getting passport from any Church or
PoGentate, but it is a matter Of choice,
power, attainment, spirit and purpose.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit saith to the Churches. To him
that overcometh, to him will | give to
eat of the tree Of life, which is in the
Paradise of Cod
The man who is under the bondage Of
that strange appetite, or. habit, which
dominates his lite and makes him slave
to the craving for strong drink, is not q
free man. He is not Gods own man; he
is not his o vn man; and he ''may not
do the things that he would" The man
who cannot control his own appetite,
especially an acquired and unnatural
appetite Of the fash, cannot enter into
the kingdom OF perfect freedom and holy
affection. the kingdom of God is free
to all, the gates of the spiritual Jerusa-
| lem are open wide, day and night, the
beautiful gardens of Paradise belong to
all the children of men who can and will
enter in TO EMP them; but the bond
| servant of sin is not there except he has
repented, believed and by the help OF
God has been born into the spiritual life
that he may perceive and understand the
| things OF the Kingdom. A life of sir
blinds the eyes of the soul to all things
spiritual and divine. A
MAN THAT is sPIRITUALLY BLIND
man who ia deaf to the voice Of God can
not hear the sweet, delightful harmonies
OF the celestial choirs; the things of tn,
spiritual world must be perceived and up
derstood by the awakened and cultivated
spirit, inspired by the Holy Ghost.
The saddest fact about the life of sill
is that he who loves evil, finds his hlghes
z cd in it, and does not desire to know
the truth and be made free. t
Temperance is a great spiritual primer
pie which regulates the whole life. TIL.
essential, moral idea in it is self-control
The very first lesson in the spiritual lif
is self-denial. AS the Lord said: II
any man would come after me, let hir
deny himself, and take up his cross, an
follow me-" The man who has not learn
ed to deny himself, has not made tn
conquest of his appetites nor gained con
, troll of his passions, has not begun tina
moral, spiritual mastery of himsel
which is the chief thing in all the educs
tioual experiences of this life. A man
body is the instrument of his soul. an
his soul is the Instrumental his spiri
: and the Spirit in man is the instrumer
of God. The lower powers Of life shout
be kept in subsection to the higher natur
The true man Is the man of the. Spiri
who lives by the love of God, the FAITH
of the spirits Of all flesh. To be Coz
trolled by any power Of the flesh is
y reverse the divine order Of life. A ms
does not become the true man Of Il
'' Spirit in Christ Jesus until he can by I'll
grace of God command all the faculti
. and forces of his whole nature, and b
: thus attained the complete mastery
himself. ST Paul sets forth the gre
= principle of temperance when he say
ie sand every man that striveth for tl
y mastery is temperate in all things
81 Let us think for a moment just what
ie means to be q drunkard. 1t means
p the first place that q man has an apr
" title OF the flesh which he cannot, or do
y not, at least, control, but which has i
} control of him. Il controls bis DO,
ie which becomes weakened, depraved a
~ ruined, go far as the duties Of life q
a. concerned. 1t controls his wages,
long as he earns any. and wastes his gu
r. stance. It controls the life OF his tamil
il he has one, and destroys the happine
id OF his home. 1t conti OILS the powers q
Cd faculties OF his soul and bends them
to the degrading servitude Of this one
n sane idea. It controls the moral &
q spiritual nature and drags his manic
q In the mud OF his sensual life. And
IN the whole mana man made In the divi