16
"Who can estimate the hatred of God, of his word and worship, and of his people, which it oecasions? or number the oaths and blasphemies it causes to be uttered? or the violation of the Sabbath? the impurities and indecencies, violence and wrong-doing, which it originates? How many thousands does it detain every Sabbath-day from the house of God—eutting them off from the means of graee, and hardening them against their efficacy! How broad is the road whieh intemperanee alone opens to hell, and how thronged with travellers!"
Oh! were the sky over our heads one great whispering gallery, bringing down about us all the lamentation and woe which intemperance ereates, and the firm earth one sonorous medium of sound, bringing up around us, from beneath, the wailings of the damned, whom the eommeree in ardent spirits had sent thither;—these tremendous realities, assailing our sense, would invigorate our conseienee, and give decision to our purpose of reformation. But these evils are as real as if the stone did ery out of the wall, and the beam answered it; as real as if, day and night, wailings were heard in every part of the dwelling, and blood and skeletons were seen upon every wall; as real as if the ghostly forms of departed victims flitted about the ship, as she passed over the billows, and showed themselves nightly about stores and distilleries, and, with unearthly voiees, sereamed in our ears their loud lament. They are as real as if the sky over our heads eolleeted and brought down about us all the notes of sorrow in the land; and the firm earth should open a passage for the wailings of despair to come up from beneath."
Were intemperance universal, it would soon exterminate the human family from off the earth; there are instances of some Indian tribes, and- even whole families in this country being rooted out by it.— While temperate men eontinue their present practises, the evil can never be brought to an end. No man is born a drunkard; the whole misehief originates from it being counted reputable and social to taste spirits; and while one and then another become the victims in sueeession, intemperance is perpetuated in our country. He that would wish it brought to an end, must learn not to give it the smallest countenance, or, like Paul, not to taste that which maketh a weak brother to offend.
