cherish sin, they cannot have faith. Indeed, how odious the spectacle of
a company looking towards heaven, but in the posture of devotion
breathing forth the foul, fiery element--literally "offering strange
fire before the Lord!"

We are not, then, to expect divine influence to come down "like showers
that water the earth," till we put away that which we know tends only to
wither and consume all the "fruits of the Spirit."

The _waste of property_ in the use of alcoholic drink _is inconsistent
with faithful stewardship for Christ_. Religious "contributions" are
among the appointed means for saving the world. But allow each of the
tens of thousands of professing Christians in this land only three cents
worth of such liquor daily, and the annual cost is some MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS; which would be sufficient to support THOUSANDS OF MISSIONARIES.
Let "stewards" of the Lord's bounty, then, who would consume their
portion of this "_little_" on appetite, ponder and blush for such
inconsistency; and let them hasten to clear off the heavy charge, "_Ye
have robbed me, even this whole nation_."

Again, to indulge in intoxicating liquor _is inconsistent with attempts
to recommend the Gospel to the heathen_. Nothing has done more, in
former years, to prejudice our Indian neighbors, and hinder among them
the influence of the Gospel, than those liquors we have encouraged them
to use. Several tribes have set the noble example of excluding them by
the strong arm of law; and it is only by convincing such that really
consistent Christians do not encourage these evils, that our
missionaries have been able to gain their confidence.

The same feeling prevails in some distant heathen nations. They cannot
but distrust those who use and sell a polluting drink, which _they_, to
a great extent, regard with abhorrence.

Suppose our missionaries should meet the heathen with the Bible in one
hand, and the intoxicating cup in the other; what impression would they
make? Nature herself would revolt at the alliance. And nothing but
custom and fashion have reconciled any to similar inconsistencies at
home.

But not only must our missionaries be unspotted, they must be able to
testify, that _no real Christians_ encourage this or any unclean thing.
With _such_ testimony they might secure the conviction, that our
religion is indeed elevating, and that our God is _the true God_. For
saith Jehovah, "Then shall the _heathen_ know that I am the Lord, when I