The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-17

makes him all the weaker. There In
not single element of strength In the
man who has surrendered himself TO
drink. His courage Is gone: his man
nood Is gone; the pure conscience that
once made his strength as the strength
of ten is gone. Everything is gone
except the semblance of a man. And
gradually even the resemblance passes
away.
The Hsaal SIN of Drunkenness.
/ God put me here. He gave me this
! post OF duty. 1t Is my business TO
stay at this post and attend TO my
! duty until he calls me hence. am
a sentinel on guard. Ii a sentinel Is
man he will stay at his post until
relieved. The night may be dark and
cold, but he will stay. The enemys
bullets may whizz uncomfortably near
/ but he will stay. The cold rain may
turn to sleet, but he will stay. He
VIII stay, not only because has life
depends upon It, but his manhood de-
Ponds upon IL. He knows he cannot
forsake his post without leaving his
manhood behind him. He will not be
false to his duty. He VIII not be false
to himself. He VIII remain where he
is until he is relieved il the sleet
covers him until IL buries him. So.
IL am a man | am going to stay here
AT the post of duty until God relieves
me. When an unmanly sentinel finds
his job too hard he deserts-perbaps
permanently. Or perhaps he only de-
! serts temporarily. He slips away to
warm himself In yonder hut. lie
knows that If tho enemy should ad-
vance in his absence there would be
no one to give warning and all might
be lost. but he is ready to run the
risk--for his own comfort. Or. he
| may be so entirely lacking in man
hood as to desert permanently. He
slips over to the enemy. He forever
ceases to be "A man--instead he Is for
ever a traitor.
/ In either case he IL "A deserter. In
either case he leaves his manhood be-
| hind him. In either case he proves @
| traitor to his country and to himself.
! AS there are manly and unmanly
senttnels on the outposts in war SO
! there are manly and unmanly senti-
nels on ths outposts in life. Now and
! then q man decides that the Job Is too
hard for him, and he deserts He puts
a bullet through his brain and be-
comes a permanent deserter from life.
We call him a suicido--a moral cow
ard who has run away and left his
manhood forever behind him. That
man we despise because he has proven
false to his God and false to himself.
/ Then there Is tho man who decides
| that the lob Is too hard to stand
without getting little relief ocCs.-
| sionally and he becomes a temporary
| deserter. He has no idea of leaving
his post permanently. but he must
run off for little while where he can
make himself comfortable. And he
gets drunk. He commits temporary
suicide. He puts himself out of COM
. | Mission in other Wnrla he HIM
self in a condition In which 1t Is i'm
possible for him to stay at his post
and attend TO his duty. He knows
that he liz running risk, but fell
low must have n good time now and
then. He will run the risk He slips
! away from his post. thinking to warm
himself and return. His manhood
comes down from It's throne TO wallow
In the mire. He proves false to his
God and false to- himself.
Here after all, IL the awful sin Of
drunkenness. The drunkard is de-
serter from his post. A sentinel who
deserts his post is a deserter. whether
he slips away tenn porarily or intends
10 leave permanently. So is the man
who deserts the post of life; who puts
himself in a condition in which he
can no longer stay at his post; who
throws himself out of commission
wnetheT permA Hentty or temporarily.
He Is a deserter. When a man gets
drunk he deserts his work, his family,
his community. his manhood, his God.
Other Important Truths
| /. God has use for young men. Run
through your Bible and notice how
often God honors young manhood. The
man the cross Is a young man. And
how many young men does he call into
his service! II God had use for young
men In Bible times he has use for
lyoung men to-day. He has use for
you!
.. Drinking" says the Scottish Re-
former. makes thinking impossible.
Some day thinking will make drink
ing impossible"
| 3. Here is hight between a people
l In the right with the Lord on their
side and a people In the wrong held
down by the milestone of self-indul-
igence. The expected happens. Sooner
or later---we are saying--the right al
ways wins. why then should we grow
discouraged about the outcome OF our
fight against intemperance2 IL God
is on our side is not intemperance the
weak side? And, pray, what can make
a side weaker than intemperance can