The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-08-14
SLAIN BY STRONG DRINK.
A Sermon on Drunkenness by Rev.
7. Dewitt Talmage, d. D.
Drunkard--How Reputation, self-Rc-
spect and Health ars Lost Through
Intsmpernnce-- Only Can
Save the Drunkard.

gently TO large congregation at Helena,
Mont, taking for his text, "Who Slew All
rhesel" II. Kings, K, 10. He preached q
powerful discourse on drunkenness the
Nations Curse" He said;
I see long row Of baskets coming up to-
ward the palace Of King Jehu. am some
what inquisitive TO find out what is in the
baskets. look'in and / find the CORY heads
Of seventy slain princes AS the baskets ar
rive at the gate Of the palace, the heads are
thrown into twoheaps, one on either side the
gate In the morning the King comes out,
and he looks upon the bleeding, ghastly
heads Of the massacred princes. Looking on
bither side the gate, he cries out, with ring
ing emphasis; "Who slew all thesel"
We have, my friends, lived TO see q more
fearful massacre There is no use Of my
taking your time in trying to give statistics
about the devastation, and ruin, and death
which strong drink has wrought in this
country. Statistics do not seem to mean
any thing. We are so hardened under these
statistics that the fact that fifty thousand
more men are slain, or fifty thousand less
men are slain, seems TO make no positive
impression on the public mind Suffice II To
say, that intemperance has slain aninnumer-
able company of princes-the children Of
Gods royal family; and at the gate Of
svery neighborhood there are two heaps Of
the slain; and at the door Of the household
there are two heaps Of the slain; and at the
door Of the legislative hall there are two
heaps Of the slain; and at the door Of the
university there are two heaps Of the slain;
and at the gate Of this nation there are two
heaps Of the slain. When l look upon the
1esolation / am almost frantic with the
scene, while l cry out: "Who slew all
thesew can answer that question In half
. minute. The ministers Of Christ who
have given no warning, the courts Of law
that have offered the licensure, the women
who give strong drink on New Years day,
the fathers and mothers who have rum on
the sideboard, the hundreds Of thousands Of
Christian men and women In the land who
are stolid In their indiffere nee on this sub
lect--they slew all thesel
I propose in this discourse to tell you
what think are the sorrows and the doom
Of the drunkard, so that you to whom /
speak may not come TO the torment.
Some one says: "You had better etthose
subjects alone" Why, my brethren, we
would be glad to let them alone II they
would let us alone; but when have in my
pocket now four requests saying: "Pray
Tor my husband, pray for my son, pray for
my brother, pray for m y friend, who isthe
captive Of strong drink" l reply, we are.
ready to let that question alone when II is
ready TO let us alone; but when it stands
blocking up the way TO Heaven, and keep
Ing multitudes away from Christ and
Heaven, dare not be silent, lest the Lord
require their blood at my hands.
think the subject has been kept back
very much by the merriment people make
over those slain by strong drink. used TO
be very merry over these things, having
keen sense Of the ludicrous. There was
something very grotesque in the gait Of
drunkard. Il is not so now; for saw in one
Of the streets Of Philadelphia sight that
changed the whole subject TO me. There
was ayonng man being led home. He was
very much intoxicated-he was iraving with
lntoxication. Twoyoung men were leading
him along. The boys hooted in the street,
men laughed, women sneered; but hap
pened 10 be very near the door where he
went init was the door Of his fathers
house saw him go up stairs. heard him
shouting, hootlng and blaspheming. He had
lost his hat, and the merriment increased
with tne MOP until ne came up 70 the door,
and as the door was opened his mother came
out Wnen hearu her cry that took all
the comedy away from the scene. Since
that time, when see man walking through
the street reeling, the comedy is all gone,
and II Is q tragedy Of tears and groans and
heartbreal<s Never make anv fun around
me about the grotesqueness OF adrunkard.
Alas Tor MS nomel
Inc nrst suner1ng OF tne dru nkard Is In
the loss OF ms good name. God has so ar
ranged IL that no man ever loses his good
name except through his own act All the
hatred OF men and allthe assaults OF devils
can not des troy mans good name, II he
really maintains his integrity. naman Is In
dustrious and pure apd Christian, God looks
after him. Although he may be bombarded
for twenty or thirty years, his integrity Is
never lost and his good name Is never sacri-
need. No force on earth or In hell can cap
ture such Gibraltar. But when II Is said
OF man, HE drinks" and II can be proved,
then what employer wants him for work.
mani What store wants him for clerkl
What church wants him for q memberi
VINO viii trust himi Whatdying man would
appoint him his executors He may have
been forty years In building up his reputa-
tion-yit goes down. Letters Of recommenda-
ton, the backing up Of business firms, q
brilliant ancestry can not save him. The
world shies on. Whyl IL Is whispered all
through the community, "He drinks; he
drinks" That blasts him. When q man
loses his reputation for sobriety he might as
well be at the bottom Of the sea. There are
men here who have their good name as their
only capital You are now achieving your
own livelihood, under God, by your own
right arm. Now look out that there is no
doubt Of your sobriety. Do not create any