ds strongly to hinder the
moral and spiritual illumination and purification of men; and thus to
prevent their salvation, and bring upon them the horrors of the second
death.

A disease more dreadful than the cholera, or any other that kills the
body merely, is raging, and is universal, threatening the endless death
of the soul. A remedy is provided all-sufficient, and infinitely
efficacious; but the use of ardent spirit aggravates the disease, and
with millions and millions prevents the application of the remedy and
its effect.

It appears from the fifth report of the American Temperance Society,
that more than four times as many, in proportion to the number, over
wide regions of country, during the preceding year, have apparently
embraced the gospel, and experienced its saving power, from among those
who had renounced the use of ardent spirit, as from those who continued
to use it.

The committee of the New York State Temperance Society, in view of the
peculiar and unprecedented attention to religion which followed the
adoption of the plan of abstinence from the use of strong drink, remark,
that when this course is taken, the greatest enemy to the work of the
Holy Spirit on the minds and hearts of men, appears to be more than half
conquered.

In three hundred towns, six-tenths of those who two years ago belonged
to Temperance societies, but were not hopefully pious, have since become
so; and eight-tenths of those who have within that time become hopefully
pious, who did not belong to Temperance societies, have since joined
them. In numerous places, where only a minority of the people abstained
from the use of ardent spirit, nine-tenths of those who have of late
professed the religion of Christ, have been from that minority. This is
occasioned in various ways. The use of ardent spirit keeps many away
from the house of God, and thus prevents them from coming under the
sound of the gospel. And many who do come, it causes to continue stupid,
worldly-minded, and unholy. A single glass a day is enough to keep
multitudes of men, under the full blaze of the gospel, from ever
experiencing its illuminating and purifying power. Even if they come to
the light, and it shines upon them, it shines upon darkness, and the
darkness does not comprehend it; while multitudes who thus do evil will
not come to the light, lest their deeds should be reproved. There is a
total contrariety between the effect produced by the Holy Spirit, and