DECISION-RELIGIOUS DETERMINATION IS OFTEN REQUIRED

AND BENEFICIAL.

EXAMPLES.

Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him-Exodus xxxii. 26.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.—Joshua xxiv. 15.

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.-Ruth i. 16.

And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.—1 Kings xviii. 21.

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.-Matthew vi. 24.

And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.—Luke ix. 51.

I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father.—Luke xv. 18-20.

Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.—Acts xxi. 13.

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.-Galatians i. 15, 16.

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the, people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Hebrews xi. 24, 25.

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.-Revelation iii. 15, 16.

DECREES, COUNCILS, PURPOSES OF GOD, ARE ETERNAL, UNCHANGEABLE AND RIGHTEOUS, ALL FOR HIS OWN GLORY.

Because I will publish the name of the Lord; ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth, and without iniquity; just and right is he-Deuteronomy xxxii. 3, 4.

The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.-Psalm xxxiii. II.

There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.-Proverbs xix, 21,

This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.—Isaiah xxviii. 29.

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Isaiah xlvi. 9, 10.

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?-Daniel iv. 35.

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.-Acts ii. 23.

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.-Acts xiii. 48.

And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.-Acts xvii. 26.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! for who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? for of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.-Romans

xi. 33-36.

According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.—Ephesians iii. 11, 12.

DRUNKENNESS. ITS SINFULNESS AND DISGRACE INDICATED.

IT LEADS NOT TO HEAVEN, BUT to Hell.

And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: the Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.-Deuteronomy xxix. 19, 20.

Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him. And Abigail came to Nabal: and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, and he died.—ı Samuel xxv. 17, 36-38.

Be not among wine-bibbers; among riotous eaters of the flesh : for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.-Proverbs xxiii. 20, 21.

Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! and the harp and the viol, the tabret and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.—Isaiah v. 11, 12.

Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.-Isaiah lvi. 12.

Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!-Habakkuk ii. 15.

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.Galatians v. 21.

DRUNKENNESS.

BIBLE REMEDY IS TRUST IN CHRIST.
SELF-DENIAL, TEMPERANCE.

DEDICATION TO GOD.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?-Matthew xvi. 24-26.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.-Romans vi. 13.

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.-1 Corinthians vi. 9-12.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts.—Galatians v. 22-24.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.-Ephesians v. 18, 19.

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken, are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation. --1 Thessalonians v. 6-8.

For bodily exercise profiteth little; but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.-1 Timothy iv. 8.

DEATH, SPIRITUAL, THE IMMEDIATE RESULT OR WAGES OF SIN IS THE LOT OF ALL MANKIND.

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. -Genesis ii. 17.

And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.— Genesis iii. 9, 10, 12, 13.

And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth.— Genesis v. 3.

God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back; they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.-Psalm liii. 2, 3.

And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones, Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live.— Ezekiel xxxvii. 3-5.

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it.-John viii. 44.

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.—Romans viii. 6.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. -I Corinthians xv. 22.

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.-Ephesians ii. 1, 12.

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.—Ephesians iv. 18.