The Arvada enterprise., 1911-08-03
PRESENT IS AGE OF LAXiTY
Every Man Is Inclined to Be Law
Unto Himself, and Thinks Most Of
Having Good Time" r''


Christians believe that Christ took
human form and lived Il human life
in order to rescue men from that
which degraded them. and enable
them to develop their .npbler, selves.
His work OF salvation Was to large
extent effected by putting before mon
[ the idea of IA lifn bf self-control,l He
desired his disciples to recognize that
they also were sons Of God, and to
live In obedience to the promptlpgs OF
the divine element within them and
thus to rescue themselves from the
lusts of the flesh and become true
men living the life OF Fruitful sons Of
God, The man who is unable to con.
troll his appetites and passions IL
slave and not n free man A true
man must be master of hiuiselfI One
great object for which the church eN.
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 laMty, write" the deah 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-'having 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 n disciplined life ia
weakened. nuN' rN"".'
Earnest minded mon in these days
hau To, 90. ~ l,t,
and consider how men can be brought
to realize the necessity of temperance
in the scriptural sense of sef-control
of living n disciplined life. How
can It be done? Not by taking men
out of tho world. The ultimate fall
ure of many monastic attempts
teaches that Hut IT. men moved by
the spirit OF God. of self fdcnial and
selfsacritice. TO combat any life un-
worthy of the sons OF God, are to re-
main In the world. they need to bo
banded together that they may have
the sustaining support and fellowship
and association of. those who are like
minded. That liz why II Is In these
days societies are formed instead Of
AZ II Ia, we cannot, If we are honest
fall to see that Of all the agencies de
structive Of self.denial tho greatest
is tho 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. or all the physical
causes which produce moral defects,
the consumption OF alcohol In any form
is the most widespread and dlsas.
trous. In all periods of history, and
among all races OF men where alcohol
In any form has beep produced and
passed into consumption, It has had
tho effect OF capturing and subduing
mems Wills. breaking down seli.re.
straint. and producing physical and
moral degradation. Temperance re
form lies at the bottom OF all political
social, and religious progress. Drink
is the curse of the country; It de.
stroys the lives OF one in twenty OF
the population. The temperance move
ment is religious movement, and de
rives Its power from IA strong faith IN
God and the obligations of the SOM
or God. and in the belief that any
thing which leads to self-control and
discipline Is furtbering the purposes
OF God. The Rechabites believed In
self-denial and discipline They had
ever been foremost In the iightinp
ranks, and they had always combined
enthusiasm with practical wisdom
Let us thank God for what has been
accomplished. but let what has beer
done be only an incentive to further
advance. And It must never be for
gotten that Christian dlsciploshII
involves tho discipline of the Who'll,
life-disclpline and self,denial with re
gard to other evils. other vices, Other
weaknesses and tendencies of human
nature. Let US. therefore, associat,
with others who recognize the need OF
self-discipline In other directions than
that of Indulgence in drink