17 



that would otherwise be of the greatest possible blessing to them, 

 and at the same time they are responsible for these advantages. 

 Some will no doubt say that the drink is God's good creature, and 

 on that ground justify the existing temptations ; but suppose a 

 shepherd, entrusted with his master's flock, was to allow a num- 

 ber of wolves to establish themselves among the sheep, and when 

 the master, who, seeing that his flock was being destroyed, called 

 him to account for his conduct, the man was to say, "0, Sir, don't 

 speak in that way of the wolves, I felt I ought to allow them to 

 remain in the fold, because yon know. Sir, they are God's good 

 creatures." I think the injured master would say, " Yes they 

 may be God's good creatures, but they are out of their place in 

 my sheep fold." What he would do with the shepherd I will leave 

 the reader to judge ; but one thing I am certain of, that he would 

 say it was hopeless to attempt to rear a flock under such condi- 

 tions. Others will say, "Preach the Gospel." Yes, very good, 

 but has not that been done, and what are the results as far as the 

 masses are concerned, and why is it so 1 Is it that the Gospel 

 has lost its power. Certainly not. The real reason is that there 

 is a mighty man-placed hindrance in the way. The masses are 

 buried beneath the demoralizing influence of the liquor traffic, 

 fast bound by the chains of their sins. There is the stone to be 

 taken away, and the grave clothes to be loosed, and for ages the 

 Lord God Almighty has been calling upon His church to " take 

 away the stone," that He may give newness of life to the dead in 

 sin ; but the church has turned a deaf ear to the heavenly voice, 

 and has not until lately rebuked the national sin, but has been, to 

 some extent, an apology for its existence, and allowed it to find 

 a refuge under her shadow. 



I believe that myriads of the working classes would be 

 thankful to be delivered from the heavy burdens caused by the 

 drink, if they had the opportunity and needful assistance given 

 them. 1 am justified in saying this, by the tens of thousands that 

 have lately joined the Salvation Army in various parts of the 

 country — which is the stones crying out because the Church has 

 held her peace, and passed by on the other side. — It is reported 

 that in Leeds alone 25,000 joined ; and none are accepted unless 

 they are prepared to give np the use of strong drink and tobacco. 

 The same desire was manifested on a large scale in Ireland during 

 the days of Father Mathew. Numbers of earnest working men 

 and others have been struggling for the last 50 years to deliver 

 themselves and their fellows from this curse, worse than Egyptian 

 bondage or American slavery, but they have had to contend 

 against long odds. The upper classes and employers generally 

 gave the movement the cold shoulder. The press, to its shame, 

 till lately opposed their efl'orts. The Doctors, as a rule, were 

 opposed, and did much harm by ordering their patients drink 

 right and left ; and, above all, the Church of God gave a deaf ear 

 to the cry for help ; — but, thank God, a brighter day appears to 

 be breaking upon us at last. Some of the Bishops are waking 



