to do what was then and still is, injurious? Was it not then a moral duty to abstain from the evil practice of using ardent spirits? No reflecting person can hesitate in giving an affirmative answer to these questions.

The scriptures in many general prohibitions forbid all evil practices, and therefore that of using ardent spirits. "Do thyself no harm," and "abstain from all appearance of evil," are commands of omniscience, that condemn not only the ordinary use of spirituous liquors, but also every other evil practice. All therefore are, by divine authority, bound to entire abstinence; for none can maintain that to drink ardent spirits while in health, is not the appearance of evil.

From this

therefore, God commands us to abstain. we, or shall we not obey?

Shall

The prophets, the apostles, the primitive christians, our Saviour, drank none of this poison.'None of it existed in their day, nor till long after. We have the example therefore of all these in favor of entire abstinence from all use of spiritu ous liquors. Entire abstinence must have been a moral duty, or these would not all have practised it during the whole of their lives. From all this weight of evidence, it is undeniably certain that to use ardent spirits in any quantity, except as a medicine, is a moral evil, and that to abstain entirely from the poison as a drink, is a moral duty, Which shall we practise in our lives?

V. The duty of forming and joining Temperance Societies.

It is a duty at the present day, to form temperance societies and unite with them. This, like the duty of entire abstinence from alcoholic liquors, is not a duty which is binding on the men of every age and of every country. It is a duty of a different kind. It is built on a different, though not less immovable foundation. For those who lived centuries before distilled liquors of any kind existed, to have united themselves into temperance associations, would, to say the least of it, have been useless. Had the formation of temperance societies been a duty binding upon the men of every age and every country, under all ordinary circumstances, then our Saviour who fulfilled "all righteousness," would have formed such associations and would himself have become a member. The prophets, the apostles and the primitive christians would also without doubt, have formed or joined such institutions, had it been a duty to do so in their day. But we have no evidence that any such societies existed in their age of the world. Nor would they then have blessed the community. They would have been useless; for ardent spirits did not then exist. All, as a matter of course, practised entire abstinence from them. In ages therefore in

which this poison did not exist, and in those countries, if there are any such, where none of it is used, it could not be a moral duty for the inhabitants to unite themselves into temperance societies. Had this been a duty binding on the people of all ages and of all countries, the prophets, the apostles, the early christians, and above all, our blessed Saviour, would not have neglected to perform it. Since to form temperance associations in their day, would have been useless, and since none of these holy men nor yet our Saviour formed any of them, we must conclude that to do so was not then a duty.

But they have proved to us, that by divine inspiration, they knew that distilled liquor would be one of the many evil "inventions" of wicked men. They have given us many prohibitions which embrace the interdiction of its ordinary use. Indeed every passage in the word of God, which forbids us to injure ourselves or others, requires entire abstinence from this article as a beverage. The inspired penmen forbid us the use of what is evil, and therefore of this article.They caution us against the appearance of evil, and certainly therefore against this soul-killing poison. But they did not form temperance societies, and therefore to form these is not a duty binding on the men of every age and country.

But have we no duties which are not thus universally binding? Most assuredly we have. Not a few of these duties are binding on us. And we are under as strong obligations to perform them as if these obligations extended to every moral creature in the universe. Our obligation to do our duty can neither be increased nor diminished by the number of the individuals to whom it extends.

We see that the use of spirituous liquors is a most alarming moral evil. We know that in an age and country in which there is none of it, the evil of using it cannot exist. The fact that this evil does exist in our day and in our own country to an alarming extent, calls upon us most imperatively, to do all in our power to banish it from this and every other land. "As we have opportunity" we are commanded to "do good unto all men." In this passage of scripture, God requires us to embrace opportunities of doing good. When, therefore, we have an opportunity of joining a temperance society and of thereby doing good, at least by our example, if we neglect or refuse to do so, we neglect or refuse to obey the command of God. This is evident from the fact that we do not embrace the opportunity of doing good, thus afforded us in his providence.

Wherever intoxicating liquor is drank by persons in health, there it is the positive, the divinely authorized duty of all to em

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brace the opportunity of preventing evil and of doing good by forming themselves into, or joining temperance societies. Now this poison is thus used in our country, and in relation to it, America expects "every man to do his duty," expects every person to become a cold-water-man.

IV. The importance of United Effort.

Perhaps one is ready to say, "I know the use of spirituous liquors, in any quantity, is injurious to a person in health: I drink none myself: I, on every proper occasion, show to others that I disapprove its ordinary use by any person. And what could I do more were I a member of a

temperance society?" We would say to such a person, as an individual you can do nothing more. But you know that union makes strength. A number of individuals united, always advance with more force and carry with them greater influence, than the same persons would do if they all engaged singly in the same cause. If ten thousand of the bravest among the brave should enter the field of contest without being united in one band, or led on in battle array, they would scarcely put to flight a hundred poltroons who were united in opposing them.

In this country we have, long since, learned the importance of united effort. We all feel an enthusiastic glow rising in our bosoms when we