Temperance by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · May 18, 1882

Temperance.

By Editor

A Solemn Warning.

THE Methodist papers have been lamenting—as well they may—the sad fall of one of their ministers, Rev. T. H. McGrath. We pity any church which has to bear the reproach of an apostate preacher. And now comes a brother in Petaluma and communicates to the California Christian Advocate the cause of the minister's downfall. It is a lesson to which every tobacco slave, who professes to follow Christ in the gospel, should read with serious care. The gospel is a system of self-denial, of overcoming, of purity of flesh and spirit. He who is a slave to filthy habits and appetites is not the servant of Christ. While we regret the occasion, we are glad to put on record the warning contained in the following words:—

T. H. McGrath in early life became a slave to the filthy use of tobacco, and after his conversion he still used it against the goadings of his enlightened conscience. At a revival meeting, seeing a decent looking young negro man on his knees asking God to help him give up his sins, he (McGrath) bent over him to whisper some words of direction and help. But his tobacco breath being so exceeding foul and offensive to the decent negro youth, he turned, and, looking at him calmly said, "If you would put that filthy tobacco of yours away, and have a better breath, you would help me more." Now McGrath told me this himself; and really, for a time gave up his tobacco, and told me he was going to do it sure, though it was pretty hard to have to do it. Some time after this I met McGrath in San Francisco, and he was again all polluted with tobacco; and when I named it to him he said he was not going to try any more to give up his tobacco. So after a little, to vary his preaching, he could readily drink whisky, etc. then came the end.

Now, what I wish to say is, that all those dear brethren who cannot give up this most filthy, degrading habit, and yet go on offering to preach deliverance to other poor captives, probably not even quite so foul, anyway in breath, as themselves, should just stop and think what may be the report made directly in their cases, when sin, as in poor McGrath's case, has brought death.

A case in point came under my notice when East, this year. A daughter of a good Christian woman lay at the point of death; the mother had her preacher called in, but he had at once to leave the dying girl's room, as the foulness of his tobacco breath could not be endured; so the intended closing prayer for the dying one had to be postponed.—L. Waugh, Petaluma, April 18, 1882.