questionable amusements and worthy substitutes-第3节

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　　　　　　Establish　right。



　　　　And　free　is　he；　and　only　he；

　　　　Who；　from　his　tyrant　passions　free；

　　　　　　By　fortune　undismayed；

　　　　Has　power　within　himself　to　be；

　　　　　　By　self　obeyed。



　　　　If　such　a　man　there　be；　where'er

　　　　Beneath　the　sun　and　moon　he　fare；

　　　　　　He　can　not　fare　amiss；

　　　　Great　nature　hath　him　in　her　care。

　　　　　　Her　cause　is　his。〃



Only　let　the　〃will；〃　the　〃powers；〃　the　〃freedom；〃　and　the　〃self〃

of　which　the　writer　speaks　become　the　〃Christ　will；〃　the　〃Christ

powers；〃　the　〃Christ　freedom；〃　and　the　〃Christ　self。〃　　Then　the

strongest　chains　of　bondage　must　fly　into　flinters。　　For　〃if　the

Son　make　you　free；　ye　are　free　indeed。〃　　（John　viii；　36。）









II。

DRUNKENNESS。



I。　A　TEMPERANCE　PLATFORM。





WE　bring　to　you　three　words　of　counsel　with　respect　to　this　subject。

First；　Beware　of　the　Social　Glass；　second；　Study　the　Drink　Evil；　third；

Openly　oppose　it。　　This　is　a　Temperance　Platform　upon　which　every

sober；　informed；　and　conscientious　person　may　stand。　　Would　it　be

narrow　or　uncharitable　to　assert　that　not　to　stand　upon　this　platform

argues　that　one　is　not　sober；　or　not　informed；　or　not　conscientious？

The　crying　need　of　to…day　is；　that　men　and　women　shall　be　urged　into

positions　of　conviction　and　activity　against　this　most　colossal　evil　of

our　time。　　In　our　country　the　responsibility　for　drunkenness　rests　not

with　the　illiterate；　blasphemous；　ex…prison　convicts　who　operate　the

250；000　saloons　of　our　Nation；　nor　yet　with　the　250；000　finished

products　of　the　saloon　who　go　down　into　drunkards'　graves　every

year；　but　with　the　sober；　respectable；　hard…working；　voting　citizens

of　our　country。　　Nor　does　this　exempt　women；　whose　opportunity　to

shape　the　moral　and　political　convictions　of　the　home　is　far　greater

than　that　of　the　men。　　When　the　women　of　America　say　to　the　saloon；

You　go！　the　saloon　will　have　to　go。　　The　moral　and　political　measures

of　any　people　are　easily　traceable　to　the　sisters　and　wives　and　mothers

of　that　people。　　You　and　I　and　every　ordinary　citizen　of　our　country　had

as　well　try　to　escape　our　own　shadow；　as　to　try　to　escape　the　responsibility

that　rests　upon　us　for　the　drunkenness　of　our　people。　　To　help　us　to　do　our

whole　duty　in　our　day　and　generation　in　this　matter　is　the　purpose　of　our

message。



II。　BEWARE　OF　THE　SOCIAL　GLASS。



The　first　and　least　thing　that　one　can　do　to　destroy　drunkenness；　is　to　be

a　total　abstainer。　　Beware　of　the　social　glass！　　But　quickly　one　replies；

〃Why　should　there　be　any　social　glass？〃　　〃Why　allow　sparkling；　attractive

springs　of　refreshing　poison　to　issue　forth　in　all　of　our　social　centers；　and

then　cry　to　our　sons　and　daughters；　to　our　brothers　and　sisters；　Beware？〃

My　friend；　we　must　deal　with　facts　as　they　are。　　There　should　not　be　a

social　glass；　but　what　has　that　to　do　with　the　fact　that　the　social　glass　is

here？　　You　answer；　〃Why　allow　these　fountains　of　death　to　exist？〃　while

we　cry　to　our　loved　ones；　〃Beware！〃　　We　do　not　advocate　the　presence

of　these　fountains；　but　while　we　seek　to　destroy　them　beseechingly　we

cry；　〃Beware！〃　　The　social　factor　in　the　liquor　traffic　is　its　Gibraltar　of

defense。　　Rare　is　the　young　man　who　has　the　intellectual　stamina　and

moral　courage　to　resist　the　invitations　to　take　a　social　drink。　　And　in　our

frontier　and　foreign　towns　many　of　our　bright　and　respected　girls　use　the

social　glass。　　But　in　its　use　is　the　beginning　of　a　fateful　end。　　The　subtlest

thing　in　this　world　is　sin。　　Listen！



　　　　〃Sin　is　a　monster　of　so　frightful　mien；

　　　　　　To　be　hated　needs　but　to　be　seen；

　　　　　　But　seen　too　oft；　familiar　with　the　face；

　　　　　　We　first　endure；　then　pity；　then　embrace。〃



The　subtle　thing　about　it　is；　that　the　first　embracing　of　any　sin　seems　to　be

but　a　trifling；　an　occasional　affair。　　For　one　who　lives　in　an　ordinary　city

of　a　thousand　inhabitants　or　upwards；　unless　he　is　an　〃out…and…out〃

Christian　and　selects　only　associates　like　himself；　it　becomes　a　real

Embarrassment　not　to　indulge　in　a　social　drink。　　It　seems　polite；　clever；

the　kindly　thing　to　do。　　And　the　sad　fact　is；　that　the　majority　of　unchristian

young　people　and　many　older　ones　do　not　decline。　　To　prove　this　we　have

but　to　look　at　the　human　wrecks　along　the　shore。　　Two　young　men　lived

near　our　home。　　Their　parents　were　well…to…do。　　The　family　grew　tired　of

the　farm　and　moved　to　town。　　The　boys　fell　in　with　bad　company。　　They

did　not　decline　the　social　glass。　　Soon　they　furnished　other　young　men　with

drink　from　their　own　pocket。　　This　was　fifteen　years　ago。　　To…day　one　of

them　is　a　hardened　sinner；　violent　in　his　passions　and　blasphemous　against

God。　　The　other　one；　having　spent　a　term　in　our　Illinois　State　University　at

Champaign；　married　a　beautiful　neighbor　girl　and　moved　to　Missouri。　　Here

he　lived　off　the　money　of　his　father's　estate；　practicing　his　early…learned

habits　of　drinking；　gambling；　and　loafing。　　He　moved　from　State　to　State

until；　finally　left　in　poverty；　he　tended　bar　in　a　saloon。　　While　visiting　with

relatives　in　his　old　neighborhood　a　few　years　ago　he　stole　a　watch　and　some

money　from　his　own　nephew；　and　was　tried　in　the　courts；　and　sentenced　to

the　penitentiary　for　one　year。　　His　wife；　having　carried　the　burden　of

disgrace　and　want　through　all　these　years；　with　the　seven　unfortunate

children　were　released　from　him　to　struggle　alone。　　All　this　we　have　seen

with　our　own　eyes　as　the　years　have　come　and　gone。　　The　downfall　and

ruin　of　this　young　man；　and　the　unsaved　fate　of　his　brother；　easily　may　be

traceable　to　the　〃social　glass〃　and　the　boon　companions　of　the　social

glasstobacco　and　playing…cards。　　Last　year　I　met　a　man　who　had　prided

himself　in　the　fact　that　he　could　drink　or　let　it　alone；　and　thought　that　it

was　all　right　to　take　a　〃social　glass〃　occasionally。　　Election　time　came

around；　he　fell　in　with　his　friends；　and；　as　one　always　will　do　sooner　or

later　who　tampers　with　it　at　all；　went　too　far。　　Before　he　knew　it　he　was　as

low　in　the　gutter　as　a　beast。　　It　was　three　days　before　he　was　a　sober　man

again。　　He　work　had　ceased；　he　had　disgusted　his　fellow…workmen；

disgraced　his　Christian　family；　and　had　humiliated　himself　so　that　he　was

ashamed　to　look　any　man　in　the　face　until　he　had　repented　of　his　sins

before　God；　and　had　promised　Him；　by　His　help；　that　he　would　never

drink　another　glass。　　What　a　pleasure　it　was　to　hear　that　old　man；　as　he

is　close　to　sixty　years　of　age；　to　hear　him　tell　in　a　spirited　religious

service　of　how　he　had　strayed　from　his　path　and　had　got　lost　in　the　woods；

but　thanked　God　that　he　was　out　of　the　woods；　and　by　His　help　would

remain　out。　　When　we　become　undone　in　Christ　He　lifts　us　up　and　starts

us　on　our　new　way　rejoicing　in　His　love。　　If　Christ　Himself　were　here　in

body；　do　you　know　what　He　would　advise　on　this　point？　　He　would　say：

〃As　it　is　written；〃　〃Look　not　thou　upon　the　wine　when　it　is　red；　when　it

giveth　its　color　in　the　cup；　when　it　goeth　down　smoothly：　　at　the　last　it

biteth　like　a　serpent　and　stingeth　like　an　adder。〃　　Beware　of　the　social

glass；　my　friend；　for　though　it　promises　pleasure；　it　gives　but　pain；　it

promises　joy；　it　gives　but　sorrow；　it　promises　deliverance；　it　gives　but

eternal　death！



III。　STUDY　THE　DRINK　EVIL。



We　hear　it　said；　〃No　use　to　picture　the　horrors　of　the　drink　evil；

every　one　knows　them　already。〃　　In　part；　this　is　true。　　All　of　us

know　more　than　we　wish　it　were　possible　to　be　true；　and　yet　no

one　can　ever　realize　its　horrors　until　caught；　and　torn；　and　mangled

in　its　pinching；　jagged；　griping　meshes。　　It　is　one　thing　to　know　by

a　distant　glance；　it　is　another　thing　to　know　by　the　pangs　of　a

broken　heart　and　of　a　wrecked　life。　　For　those　who　are　not　thus

caught　in　its　meshes　to　realize　its　horrors　so　as　to　seek　its　destruction

but　one　course　is　possible；　namely；　To　study　the　evil。　　Let　the

teacher　tell　of　its　ravages；　let　the　minister　proclaim　its　curses；　let

the　poet　sing　it；　the　painter　paint　it；　the　editor　report　it；　the　novelist

portray　it；　the　scientist　describe　it；　the　philosopher　decry　it；　the

sisters　and　wives　and　mothers　denounce　ituntil　all　shall　unite　in

smiting　it　to　its　death！



We　should　study　the　drink　evil　in　its　relation　to　disease。　　That　strong

drink　tends　to　produce　disease　is　no　longer　questioned。　　〃During　the

cholera　in　New　York　City　in　1832；　of　two　hundred　and　four　cases

in　the　Park　Hospital　only　six　were　temperate；　and　all　of　these

recovered；　while　one　hundred　and　twenty…two　of　the　others　died。

In　Great　Britain　in　the　same　year　five…sixths　of　all　who　perished

were　intemperate。　　In　one　or　two　villages　every　drunkard　died；　while

not　a　single　member　of　a　temperance　society　lost　his　life。〃　　〃In　Paisley；

England；　in　1848；　there　were　three　hundred　and　thirty…seven　cases　of

cholera；　and　every　case　except　one　was　a　dram…drinker。　　　The　cases

of　cholera　were　one　for　every　one　hundred　and　eighty…one　inhabitants；

but　among　the　temper