The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-08-03
PRESENT IS AGE OF LAXlTY
Every Man Is Inclined to Be Law
Unto Himself, and Thinks Most Of
Having Good Time"

Christians believe that Christ took
human form and lived a human life
In ord2r 10 rsLcue ncn Lom that
winch degraded them, and enable
them to develop their nobler selves
His work Of salvation was to a large
extent effected by putting before men
the idea Of life of self.control. He
desired bis disciples to recognize that
they also were sons Of God. and to
i've In obedience to the promptings Of
the divine element within them, and
thus to rescue themselves from the
lusts of the flesh and become tue
men living the life of fruitful sons OF
God The man who is unable to con.
troll his appetites and passions is a
slave and not a free man. A true
man must be master Of himself. One
great object for which the church ex.
lists Is for the discipline Of life. by
helping men to strive for the mastery
OF self. for temperance and self.con.
troll In all things, We live In an age
OF laXity, writes the dean Of Worces.
ter, Eng. In the Temperance. Every
man is inclined to be law unto him.
self, and thinks most OF doing as he
likes-"haylng a good time" as the
phrase goes. Drunkenness is ma.
tional vice. The obligation to worship
Is largely neglected, and the idea OF
Christianity as a disciplined life is
weakened.
Earnest'minded men in these days
have to face this condition of things.
and consider how men can be brought
TO realize the necessity of temperance
In the scriptural sense of self.control
of living n disciplined life. How
can 1t be done? Not by taking men
out of the world The ultimate fail.
ure OF many monastic attempts
teaches that. But IL men moved by
the spirit of God of self.denial and
self-sacrifice, to combat any life un.
worthy Of the sons of God, are to re-
main in the world, they need to be
banded together that they may have
the sustaining support and fellowship
and association of those who are like.
minded. That is why II Is in these
days societies are formed Instead of
monasteries. Looking at the nation
as 1t is, we cannot, II we are honest.
fail to see that of all the agencies de.
structive of self.denial the greatest
Is the habit of drinking alcohol. In
taking 1t men intensity the powers of
the beast In themselves. and lessen
their powers Of resistance by weaken.
Ing the will. OF all the physical
causes which produce moral defects
the consumption of alcohol In any form
Is the most widespread and disas.
trous. In all periods of history. and
among all races of men where alcohol
IN any form has been produced and
passed into consumption, II has had
the effect Of capturing and subduiny
mems wills, breaking down self.re.
Straint, and producing physical and
moral degradation. Temperance re.
'ofm lies at the bottom of all political
social and religious progress. Drink
S the curse Of the country; II do.
itroys the lives of one in twenty of
ne population. The temperance move
nent Is religious movement. and de.
ives It's power from a strong faith in
iod and the obligations of the sons
u GOD, and in the belief that auy
ming which leads to self.control and
ilscipline is furthering the purposos
u God. The Rechabites believed in
'ei'denial and discipline. They had
'Ver been foremost In the fighting
anks, and they had always combined |
enthusiasm with practical wisdom |
Let us thank God for what has been
accomplished, but let what has been
lone be only an incentive to further
IdVance. And II must never he for.
'otten that Christian disciplesbin
involves the discipline Of the whole
and self.denial with re.
ard to other evils, other vices, other
weaknesses and tendencies of human
Iature. Let us, therefore. associate
Win others who recognize the need NJ
elf-discipline In other directions than
hat of indulgence in drink.