The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-05-01
DAILY REPUBLICAN, MONDAY NAY 1892

IRONY Dives wanted one drop Of water,
but could not get IT. Where will the Inc
briate get the draft he 90 much requires,
20 much delnandst No one to brew it. No
one to mix It, No one to pour 1t. No
one to fetch IT. Millions of worlds now
for the dregs that were thrown on the
sawdusted floor Of the restaurant. Nil.
lions of worlds now for the rind flung out
from the punch bowl Of an earthly ban
quet. Dives called for water. The Inc
briate calls for rum.
1t Bitch Like serpent.
ia fend from We lost world should
come up on a mission to grogshop and,
having finished the mission in the grog-
shop, should come back, taking on the tip
Of his wing one drop Of alcoholic beyer-
age, what excitement it would mako all
through the world Of tho lost, and, II that
one drop Of alcoholic beverage should drop
from tho wing Of the fiend upon the
tongue Of the inebriate, how he would
spring up and cry: "That's 1T! That's it!
Rum! Rum! That's itl'' And all the
cavsrns of the lost would echo with the
cry: "Give 1t to mel Rum! Ruin" Ain,
my friends the inebriate's sorrow In the
next world will not be tho absence Of God
or holiness or light. II will be the abb
sence of rum. "Look not upon the wine
/ when 1t is red, when it moyeth itself
Alright in the cup, for at the last It biteth
like serpent, and 1t stingeth like an
adder
When see this plague In the land and
when see this destroying angel sweeping
across our great cities I am sometimes
indignant and sometimes Inundated.
When man asks me, What are you in
favor Of for the subjugation Of this eyil9"
/ answer, II am ready for anything that
Is reasonable :" You ask me, "Are You in
favor Of Sons Of temperance" Yes. "Are
you In favor Of good SamaHitansf" Yes
"Are you in favor Of Good Teinplars2"
Yes. "Are you in favor Of prohihitory
lawa" Yes. "Are you in favor Of the
pledgcs" Yes. Combine all the influ-
ences, o Christian reformers and philan-
thropists! Combine them all for the ex-
tirpatton Of this evil.
Thirty women In one Of the western
states banded together, and with an espe-
eial ordination FROM Cpd they went forth
to the work and shut up all the grogshops
Of a large village. Thirty women, with
their song and with their prayer. And II
loco or 1000 Christian men and women
with an especial ordination from God
should go forth feeling the responsibility
Of their work and diseharging their mis-
sion they could in any city shut up all the
grogshops.
But must not dwell on generalities. I
must como to specifics. Are you astrayp
II there Is any sermon dislike, it is a
sermon OIL generalities. want PERSONAL
ties. Are you astraY? Have you gone so
far you think you cannot get baok2 Did
say few moments ago that q man might
gotoa point In inebriation where he could
not stopp Yes, said 1t, and I reiterate
it. But want you also to understand
that, while tho man himself Of his own
strength cannot stop, God can stop any
man. You have only to lay hold Of the
strong arm Of the Lord God Almighty.
He can stop you. Many summers ago I
went over to New York one Sabbath even
ing, our church not vet being open for
the autumnal services. Invent into room
in the Fourth ward, New York, where q
religious service was being held for re-
formed druhkards, and I heard a reycla-
ton that night that had never heard be-
fore-15 or 90 men standing up and CIV
ing testimony such as had never heard
given. They not only testified that their
hearts had been changed by the grace Of
God, but that the grace of God had extin-
guished their thirst They went on to say
that they had reformed at different times
before, but Immediately fallen because
they were doing the whole work In their
own strength. "But as soon as we gave
our hearts to God, they said, "and the
love Of the Lord Jesus Christ has come
into our soul the thirst has all gone. We
have no more disposition for strong drink"
1t was new revelation to me, and
hive proclaimed 1t again and again in the
hearing Of those who have far gone astray,
and stand here today to tell you that the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ cannot
only save your soul, but save your body.
look of today upon the desolation. Some
Of you arc SO far on in this habit, although
there may be no outward indications ofit
you n8Ter have staggered along the
street.-the vast majority Of people do not
know that you stimulate, but God knows,
and you know, and by human calculation
there Is not one chance out Of five thou
sand that you will ever be stopped. Be-
ware! There are some of you who arc my
warm personal friends to whom l must
say that, unless you quit this evil habit,
within ten years, as to your body, you
will lilo down in q drunkard's grave and,
rs to you immortal SOUL you will lie down
In drunkards hell! 1t is hard thing
to say, but it is true, and I utter'the warn
ing lest have your blood upon my soul.
Beware! As today you open the door OF
your wine closet let the decanter flash
that word upon your soul, "Beware!' As
you pour out the beverage let the foam at
the top spell out the word, Beware" In
the great day Of Gods Judgment, when a
hundred million drunkards shall come up
to get their doom, want you to testify
that this day, In love of your soul and in
fear of God, gave you warning In regard
to that influence which has already been
felt In your home, blowing out some of its
lights-premonition Of the blackness Of
darkness forever.
Oh, if you could only hear intomperance
with drunkards' bones drumming on the
top of the wine cask the dead March"
Of immortal souls, you would go home
and kneel down and pray God that rather
than your children should ever become
the victims of this evil habit you might
carry them out to the cemetery and put
them down in the last slumber, waiting
for the flowers Of spring to come over the
grave-sweet prophecies Of the resurrec.
tion. God hath balm for such wound,
but what flower of comfort ever grew on
the blasted heath of drunk ards sepul.