THE DRINKING EVIL.

Mataura Ensign, 17 January 1910, Page 2

THE DRINKING EVIL.

A S'TRIKING SERMON. ADV ICE FROTTHE I'ULPIT. A somewhat unusual subject was taken I'j tiio Rev. J. A, Hosting, ot Balciul.ia (a;:.! formerly of Gore), for ftis senij'-.u at the Methodist Churc/i last tvci.iiig—"A Two-gallon Keg or beer a.'i.l w.int Followed." Tile ijVvxjiur said he was not referring to a;iy specific caso that had happened, nor was lie publicly denouncing any individuals in. the congregation or the district. From his pulpit he was proclaiming the everlasting Gospel of . Jesus Christ, and in so doing he upheld right principles that were based upon it and just as strongly denounced wrong principles that wore opposed to it, but never did ho degrade tho pulpit by attacking individual men or women who might happen to be in tho congregation. He would also like his hearers clearly to understand that ho did not seek to deprecate the beneficial effect of the No-license reform. Nearly six year# of his manhood had been spent in Noliecnne districts, and ten in places where strong drink was publicly exposed for sale. Unhesitatingly ho said that in spite of abuses the comparison was altogether in favor of No-liconso. He believed this district was infinitely bettor • now than it could possibly'have bee)* under the old rogime. . And speaking . generally the men of this district werti as sober" and as self-respecting as in anv other district that could bo mentioned. Sobrietv and self-respect were in greater evidence because the facilities with which liquor might be obtained hacl been considerably decreased within tho last 15 years. The preacher then proceeded to set forth an allegory. In compliance with an order legally made an'l legally carried out a two-gallon keg or beer arrived at Gore. It was a harmless and not very large parcel, but itf was going to affect tho charaoters of four different men who were to be associated with it. The question arises :1 Where shall it bo taken ? Three of our , four men do not want it at their home* or their lodgings. The wife of oil a would object and the children would get to know. It would never do. Tho employer of another must be kept in t' o dark as to his drinking propensities. Tiie third declines to have it as he is 1 mere novice at tho game; and as for the fourth, it wouldn't bo safo for iB, to go with him as he is such a confirmc! toper there would be none loft for th* other three at tho hour fixed' for tho spree. Where shall it go? Better tako it to some detached stable or soma 1 lonely hut or some thickly-wooded plan- > tatiosi. Move it secretly and quietly. < Bo sure and cover it up well; put it ;n a sack. Hide it under the straw, or ■ bettor still under the floor, so that no one will detect what is being done; aii'l then when darkuess comes down thev [ would meet and have a merry time. . ' Stay! Why this secrecyP Why thesa ■ surreptitious movements P Why thi9 I -lesiro to hide under the cover of niahfe I one's doings from one's fellows P Why did Adam and live liido themselves in • I,he Garden of Eden when God sought • them and they heard His voice? What , did Christ say? "Everyone that doetll > evil hatoth tho light, neither oometh to s tho light, lest his deeds should' hi i proved. But he that doeth truth comi eth to the light that his deeds may ha s made manifest that they are wrought) ' in God." Tho preacher thought it wafl > not always for mero privacy {hat men - did these things secretly. Was thera , not. an instinct that such actions wera . ri u cation a hie P If there wore no wrong . about it, then why was it a rule if anyone appeared on the scene to put out the liglit and glide away if possible under the cloak of darkness P He did not know whether his four supposititious men had. any qualms of conscience on I these matters, but human nature was I prone to do the forbidden thing— to . poneti ate tho realms of wrongdoing, to t incur a certain amount of risk and ad- . venture if only it could taste the sweets of questionable appetites. At any rata . ;ho four men assemble at the rendessp. vous at tho apjxiinted time. Tb» . preacher urged those present to have a , close look at them, because each v.'as re- , presentative of a distinct class. '

, No. 1 was a confirmed toper. He was one of those who got up , early that he might follow strong drink, and continued till niglio . thut , drink .might inflame him. tie hardly needed description. He boru in almost every feature the marks of the drink-sodden. His clothes, but thick speech, his manners, his whole bearing told the tale only too well. II he had a home, then his wife and hie children suffered immeasurably mom than one could estimate. Ruskin said: "A butterfly is much more free than a bee; but you honor the bee because it is subject to certain laws which fit it for orderly functions in bee society. ' And throughout the world of the two 1 abstract things—liberty and restraint—- ' restraint is always the more honorable. ' Restraint characterises the higher crea--1 lui'es, and from the ministering of an 1 archangel to tht> labor of an insect, l'rom tne posing' of a planet to the ' gravitation of a grain of dust, tha power and glory of all creatures and [ of all matter consists in their obedi- ' .'lice, not in their freedom." This first ■ man of the little company had long ago lost the power of self-control. H» | iiad under-ostimated his adversary when ! no first meddled with drink. His inlellect was dulled, liis physical powera " undormined, his moral sense dead or al- ; most so. 'i his was not an over-drawu picture. Tile proud Waikaro that car- [ ried a gay crew a fortnight ago waa | now a complete wrock. She struck an \ uncharted rook. This man was a> ! numaii wreck. Ho struck no uncharted rock. The light was burning bright- , iy to mark the dangerous locality; tht naming bell was wildly ringing. Bu< .ie got into u current that was toe strong for him, and imperceptibly at drst but no less surely was dashed 01 '.ho reef of destruction. Lying to-da; in tho very verge of time and eternit, were many such human disasters. No. 2 was in direct contrast with th ; iormer. He was a youth untainted ; rresh from a home where ho was sur ■ rounded by restraint from ev.il-doini 1 and constraint to virtuous living. Be ing a companion in work or plajr witli the othor tinea he had been invited tc 1 join. Tho preachor here condemned ivith unstinted force the man who seek* 1 bo lead another astray. He also emphasised tho fact that it was the first that mado the drunkardj,.the first ■ icw pence staked that made the confirmed gajnblcr; the. first impure ! thought cherished that made the 600sualif}^ No. 3 was like his companion young but, a .good few steps down in questionable living, Ho was an employee, but i would not for worlds like his employer ■ £0 know of his drinking propensities. ;It would mean instant dismissal. The I preacher held up as a useful test quea--1 tion regarding certain practices: Could my wife,, or my employer, or my sweeW iheart look upon this with approval? I Most men desired to retain their selfi respect and their employment, but th® j slyness a,nd tfoe cunning and the sham ! resorted to by such as No. 3 led to • j ioss of I Kith. : No.. 4 ifjftsi a married man with la viifft ij,nd family. The wiie was [the on® who with glowing pride he had ! sworn to honor, and tho children were the result of tho holy union thus made. 'ln many cases through Jove for thess .secret drinking bouts homes were ! wrecked, vi«»sonal faults were aggravated, and an, entail of misery was through heredity passed on to generationp yet to. be.. In closing tho preacher asked if in .order to grsti/r a sensnons apeptite it was worWi sinking a degraded man still i-lopper down, causing another man to fall, lowering one's self-respect and risking one's reputation and employment, dimming the happiness that should nil the home. . Their own common sense would decide. If what ho had said allegorically indicated any positive fact, he trusted that those present would behove that in bo speaking he had been actuated by nothing but a sincere desire for their wellbeing." Let them cultivate personal self-respect and also , maw tin a the honor of their town and j district*