The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-08-07

thing unclean or accursed in that
place where anything that deileth"
or "worketh abominatlon." "shall in
no wise enter?" In the law given to
Moses God commanded that the pa
rents of stubborn and rebellious son,
who would not obey their voice, but
was a glutton and drunkard, bring
him out to the elders of his city, testi-
~ against him and have him put to
/. death. and said $50 shalt thou put
evil away from among you, and all
Israel shall hear and fear The
wicked man who should secretly bless
himself saying. IL shall have peace
though 1 walk In the imaginations of
mine heart to add drunkenness to
thirst" Is denounced and condemned
to the most dreadful punishment, BY
this we see that God ascribes drunk
enncss TO stubbOrnuCss, Tebellious-
ness. disobedience and wicked imagi-
nations Of the heart. The Prophet
Isaiah says. "Woe unto them that
rise up early In the morning that they
may follow stong drink; that con-
tinue until night. till wine inhame
them!" st. Paul forbids us to keep
company with one who is called
brother II he is a drunkard, and I'm
his epistle to the Galatians he says
drunkenness Is a lust. work OF the
flesh. and declares those guilty of 1t
shall not inherit the Kingdom Of God.
Would a wise and just God thus de-
nounce and condemn his creatures II
they were innocent victims of drink.
st. James says that, every man is
tempted, when he Is drawn away of
his own lust. and enticed." It is GER
tain that II men did not like the taste
and effect of liquor the most subtle
dealer could make but few drunk
ards. They do not spend their money
so freely for what they do not want,
and the poor drunkard' knows that
he never felt the impulse Of an "ac-
cursed craving" until after he had
many times broken Gods command
by over-indulging "a natural appetite.
Those who accuse others Of making
them drunk confess that they have
broken three of Gods commands, by
being drunk, keeping bad company
and yielding to the enticement of sin
ners. Those who claim that in some
cases drunkards are the victims Of
physicians prescriptions should re-
member that the Scripture says,
Wine is mocker, strong drink is
raging: and whoseover is deceived
thereby Is not wise." They are de-
ceived not because Of the power Of
the wine or strong drink. but because
of their own foolishness. and Christ
| mentioned foolishness, as one of the
things that come out of the
heart and defle the man. At
the same time he said. '"There is
nothing from without a man, that
entering into him can defile him."
The doctor knows well enough how
to prescribe liquor without harming
his patients, II his instructions are
carefully obeyed, and he is imme-
diately informed If any symptoms of
intoxication appear, but those who
think that all that is necessary Is to
take enough. take 1t often enough and
that they may keep on taking it un-
I'll they feel like quitting, are very
apt to find themselves obeying the
impulse Of the drunkards craving.
Instead Of teaching total abstinence
We should teach temperance, obedi-
ence, self-control and that manhood
or womanhood which dares at all
times to do right Even If the pro-
hibition law coum be effectually en-
forced 1t would benefit the morals of
the drunkard no more than locks and
keys benefit the morals of thieves
1t is the demand of the drunkartls
for liquor that keeps Christian men
out of the business. and 1t Is left al
most entirely in the hands Of a class
OF men who do not care for the evils
of excessive drinking, and among
them must be some Of the most sci.
fish. greedy and unscrupulous men
that ever lived. DR.. James Atkins
told in The Children's Visitor several
years ago Of one liquor dealer who,
in an address to his association, de-
clared that the business depended
largely on creating appetite for drink,
and that the open field for creating
this appetite was among the boys. Is
Ii any wonder II the curse Of God
| should follow and overtake men who
will for the saka Of nopav rooko