A Smoking Minister Emerges from Smoke.
DEAR SIR: I have left off smoking. I could give you, in my own experience, some items that I think must be a little troublesome to the conscience of any smoking minister. I indulged in it till I was thoroughly convinced that it was not only opposed to the refined socialities of life, but that it was detrimental to health, befogging to the intellect, and stultifying to the sensibilities.—I will, however, trouble you with only a few details on its moral bearings. They will do to use against the habit, just as well as they would were they your own personal experience. Take this text of the Apostle! "If meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth." A very practical text; but I was a smoker, and that habit was opposed to the best Christian sense of my brethren, and even by many who were not Christians, was regarded as a vice. I must waive that subject, lest my people say, "Physician, heal thyself." I wanted to preach upon the duty of self-denial—a duty that needs often to be urged. But the idea of a smoker preaching such a doctrine was simply ridiculous. That must be delayed then. The subject of Temperance came up. I felt called to preach upon it; but I could find no sound premise from which to reason, that was not destructive to my peace as a smoking Christian. I wished to preach a sermon on Benevolence, requiring to save the littles for Christ; but my cigar-bill faced me. I could not well preach in the face of that. It was my daily prayer that God would cleanse my heart from sin. Conscience would whisper smoking is a sin. I wished to visit my people; but both my clothes and my breath indicated that I had been smoking. I had a little rather they would not know it; beside, it might be offensive to them. I must stay at home. I needed two or three hours of vigorous bodily exercise; but I sat down and smoked after each meal, and an hour and a half or two hours of the day were gone. A good smoke requires an hour. I could not spare the time for exercise, and I soon got so that vigorous exercise was irksome; in fine, I grew lazy. But I forbear. I do not know how others get along with these daily experiences, but I could not endure them longer, and I am no longer a smoker. I relate these experiences to you because I know you have a disposition to trouble people's consciences about this sin so far as you can.—But a sinner knows best how a sinner feels, and the above items may help you. Beside, I owe you this confession, as evidence of approval of your efforts and arguments for reform in this matter.