News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-09-29

| ftiu why IL 10 oO !.
For reasons of personal character.
A Personal Testimony.
l. / believe alcohol would injure
me physically. have tried to make
| myself intelligent on the subject, and
have read good authorities on both
sides of the case. While there is a
| difference of opinion among wise men
| as to whether alcohol may not some
times be given incidentally with bene-
fetal results, there seems to be unan-
| unity that it's use in any other way is
| only harmful. AS a man l may be in
! different to my physical condition in
| some respects, and be willing to pay
| the cost of certain indulgenees; but as
| Christian | am not at liberty to do
f! this, for if am to glorify God in my
body, that body must be at its best al
ways.
2. But what Injuries me physically,
will sooner or later injure me morally
as well. Indeed the effects of alcohol
in this sphere are seen and admitted
more readily than in the other, and
yet they are only the outgrowth of
the other. When mans physical and
mental powers are weakened his
moral strength is easily assailed, and
hence blasphemy, ingratitude, anger,
murder, licentiouaness, dishonesty.
and the whole brood of vileness and
iniquity that makes the civilized earth
continual groan. My self-respect.
to name no higher motive for the mo-
ment, will not permit me to deliberate
ly contribute to this misery and woe
8. 1t is the injury to me spiritually
though, that has the strongest power
in Withholding the cup from my lips.
/ know that / am an immortal being,
and that l must give account to him
who shall judge the quick and the
dead. And l know that there is for
me future of eternal blessedness or
sorrow, and sorrow not only for what
l have lost, but for what I must ex-
perience in retribution for my sins.
am afraid of hell, and l am not afraid
to say that l am afraid of hell. The
drunkard shall not inherit the king
dom of heaven, and l want to inherit
it, and l will not be such fool, God
helping me, as to sell that birthright
for a drink Of beer or glass of toddy.
My Duty to My Neighbor.
But all this is merely personal, it
is my duty to myself; but my obliga-
tion is broader, and l have a duty to
my neighbor too.
1. There is the duty of my exam
pie. The apostle Paul by inspiration
of the Holy Spirit brings this out very
clearly in Chapter of First Corin-
thians. l may feel that personally l
am at liberty to do as / please in a
matter of this kind, 1 may drink 1t
or let it alone" but not if somebody
else will be caused to stumble because
do not let it alone. l may thus cause
him to perish for whom Christ died,
and it will be difficult under such cir
cumstances to give an account of my
stewardship with joy.
2. There is the duty of my vote.
What right have / as a Christian citi-
zen to cast my ballot for traffic that
damns mems souls? There was a
time in my experience when l was
not so keen upon this point. I felt l
had done my whole duty when l
preached the Gospel and showed men
how they might be saved from sin
through faith in Jesus Christ. l still
believe this paramount, and nothing
must be permitted to stand in its way,
but have not done all when l have
done that. There is the dram shop on
the corner, a snare set by the devil for
my neighbours feet AS Christian cit
izen, l have the privilege and respon-
sibility of saying whether l would |
have it there or not, and / can preach |
the Gospel with more consistency |
and power when by my ballot an !
swer no.
This brings me to the text. Who |
is giving his neighbor drink? Who is
putting the bottle to his lips? Who |
is making him drunk? Is 1t straining |!
the situation to say that the state
does this when it legalizes the sale of
drink and profits by it?
But what is the state in a democracy,
except the aggregation of the individu-
ais who compose 1t? And who are
these individuals in great proportion,
save those who profess to know God
and Jesus Christ his Son, and obey his
o church members;
let us throw off our lethargy and in
and in the light of the sec
Dnd great' table of the law, clear our
skirts of our brothers. bloodi