The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-05-24

Will! You, madam, and you, sir, who
have covenanted together in the fcl-
lowship and discipleship of the purcst
institution of God on earth. who have
sat here in front of this pulpit and par
taken of the emblems which remind
you Of your Redccmer, where are your
sons, your brothers, your lovers, your
friends? They are not here this morn
ing. The church does not have any
hold on them. They are growing up To
disregard the duties OF good citizen
ship. They are walking down the
broad avenue Of destruction, and wha,
is this town doing to prevent 1t? |
have seen young men from what are
called the best homes in this town reel
in and out of gilded temples of evil,
Oaths on their lips and passion in their
looks, and the cry of my soul has gone
up to Almighty God that the churcl.
and the home might combine their
mighty force to drive the whisky de-
mon out of our municipal life so t,.at
we might feel the curse of it agG.C
never more.
II speak to YOU today in the name of
my Lord and Master. 1t is impossible
for me to believe that if that Christ o.
God We're standing here this morning
he woud advise the licensing of this
corruption as the most feasible or eX-
pedicnt method of dealing with II. |
cannot imagine him using the argu.
ment that the saloon must he lccuSrd
for the revenue that may be gained
from II to support the school SYSTEM.
ii cannot imagine Christ taking any
other position before the whisky power
than that of uncompromising condcm-
nation. un would say II WAS evil and
only evil and therefore to be opposed
by every legal and moral restriction
that society could rear against it. In
his name, speaking aS | believe he
would speak If he were here this mo-
ment, l solemnly declare the necessity
on the part of every disciple of Christ in
every church in Milton of placing him
self decidedly and pcrsistently and ut
once in open battle against the saloon
until 1t Is destroyed, until its power in
business, politics and society is thing
Of the past, until we have rid ourselves
Of the foul viper which has SO many
years trailed its slimy folds through
our homes and our schools.
"CitiZens. Christians. church mem-
bers, l call on you today to take up
arms against the common foe of that
we hold dear in church, home and
| htt.,
ness men who have long writhed in Sc
cret at the ignominy of the halter
about their necks by which they have
been led. There are citizens who have
the best interests Of the community at
heart who have hung their heads In
shame Of American politics, seeing this
brutal whisky element debating the
government Of the towns and parcel
Ing out their patronage and managing
their funds and enormous stealings Of
the peoples money. know there are
church members who have felt In their
hearts the deep shame Of bowling the
knee to this rum god In order to make
advancement in political life. And l
call on all these today to rise with me
and begin a fight against the entire
saloon business and whisky rule in
Milton until by the help of the Lord
Of Hosts we have got us the victory.
Men, women, brothers, sisters in the
great family Of God on earth, will you
sit tamely down and worship the great
beast Of this country? VIII you not
rather grid your swords upon your
thighs and go out to battle against this
blasphemOus Philistine who has defied
the armies of the living God? have
spoken my message. Let us ask the
wisdom and power of the Divine to
help u.s."
Philips prayer was almost painful In
its intensity Of feeling and expression.
The audience sat in deathly silence.
and when he pronounced the amen of
the bencdiction 1t was several mo-
ments before any one stirred to leave
the church.
Philip went home completely ey-
hausted. He had put into his sermon
all OF himself and had caned up all his
reserve pOwer-a thing he was not Of
ten guilty Of doing and for which he
condemned himself on this occasion.
But it was past, and he could not re-
call 1t. He was not concerned as to
the results Of his sermon. He had
long believed that If he spoke the mes
sage God gave him he was not to
grow anxious over the outcome Of It.
But the people Of Milton were deeply
stirred by the address. They were not
in the habit of hearing that kind of
preaching. And what was more, the
whisky element was reused. 1t was
not in the habit Of having its authority
attacked in that bold, almost savage
manner. For years It's sway had been
undisturbed. 1t had insolently estab-
lished itself IN power until even those
citizens who knew its thoroughly evil
character were deceived into the belief
that nothing better than licensing it
was possible. The idea that the saloon
could be banished, removed, driven out
altogether, had never before been ad-
vOcated in Milton. The conviction that