The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-08-13
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Thc Curse of Intcnpcr.
ancc"

TEXT: ut is my sons coat; an erii
beast hath deroured him. m."-Gen. xxxvn.
Joseph's brethren dipped their brothers
coat in goats blood, and then brought the
dabbled garment to their father, cheating
him with the idea that ferocious animal
had slain him, and thus hiding their infa-
NOUS behavior But there is no deception
about that which we hold up to your OBJ
servation to-day. A monster such as
never ranged African thicket or Hindostan
Jungle hath tracked this land, and with
bloody NAV hath strewn the continent
with the mangled carcasses Of whole genera.
tions, and there are tens OF thousands OF
fathers and mothers who could hold up the
garment of their slain boy, truthfully ex
claiming, ut is my sons coat; an evil beast
hath devoured him" There has in all ages
and climes been tendency to the improper
use of stimulants. Noah, as if disguised with
the prevalence of water in his time, took TO
strong drink. By this vice Alexander the
Conqueror was conquered. The Romans at
their feasts fell off their seats with into1ica-
ton. Four hundred millions Of our race are
opium eaters. India, Turkey and China have
groaned with the desolation, and by it have
been quenched such lights as HALEY and
DeQuincey. One hundred millions are the
victims Of the betel nut, which has specially
blasted the Fast Indies. Three hundred
millions chew hashish, and Persia, Brazil
and Africa suffer the delirium. The Iartars
employ murowa, the Mexlcans the asave,
the people of Guarapo an intoxicating quail
ity taken from sugar cane, while great
multitude that no man can number are the
disciples Of alcohol. Toit they bow. Under
it they are trampled. In its trenches they
fall. On its ghastly holocaust they burn.
Could the muster roll OF this great army be
called, and they could come up from the
dead, what eye could endure the reeking,.
fostering putrefaction and beastllness?
What heart could endure the groan OF ag-
ony?
Drunkenness. Does it not jingle the bur-
glars key? Does it not whet the assassln's
knife? Does it not cock the highwayman.s
pistol? Does it not wave the lncendlarJs
torch? Has it not sent the physician reeling
into the sick room, and the minister with MS
tongue thick into the pulpitf Did notan ex-
ouisite poet from the very top OF his fame
fall gibbering sot into the gutter on his way
to be married to one Of the fairest daughters
Of New England, and at the very hour the
bride as decking herself for the altar and
did be not die Of delirium tremens almost I'M
attended in hospitals Tamerlane asked for
16O 900 skulls with which to build pyramid
to his own honor. He got the skulls and
built the pyramid. But if the bones OF oil
those who have fallen as prey to dlsslpa-
ton could be piled up it would make vaster
Who will grid himself for the journey and
try with me to scale this mountain OF tne
dead, going up miles high on human car
casses to find still other peaks far above
mountain above mountain white Wlth tne
bleached bones of drunkards?
The Sabbath has been sacrificed to the
rum traffic. To many of our people the best
day of the week Is the worst. Bakers must
keen their shops closed on the Sabbath. Il
is dangerous to have loaves Of bread going
out en- Sunday. The shoe store Is closed;
severe penalty will attack the man who
sells boots on the Sabbath. But down
with the window shutters OF the
proe shops! Our laws shall confer par
ticular honor upon the rum traftickers. All
other trades must stand asile for these. Let
our citizens who have disgraced themselves
by trading in clothing and hosiery and hard
ware and lumber and coal take or their haH
to the rumseller, elected to particular honor.
1t is unsafe for any other class Oh men 70 pe
allowed license for Sunday work. But swing
out your signs, oh ye trattickers IN the peace
of families and in the souls Of immortal meni
Let the corks fly, and the beer foam, and the
rum 90 tearing down tho half consumed
throat OF the inebriate. God does not see:
Does Hes Judgment will never come
Will it?
I do not know but that God is determined
TO let drunkenness triumph, and the hus
bands and sons of thousands Of our best fam.
lilies be DESTROYED by this vice, in order that
our people, amazed and indignant, may rise
up and demand the determination OF this
municipal crIme There is way of driving
down the hoops OF barrel so tight that they
break. We have in this country at various
times triel to regulate this evil by tax on
whisky. You might as well try to regulate
the Asiatic cholera or the smallpox by taxa
ton. The men who distil liquors are for tht
most part unscrupulous and the higher the
tax the more inducement to illicit distilla-
tion. .,
Oh! the folly of trying to restrain an evil
by Government tariff. II every gallon OF
whisky made, if every flask Of wine pro.
duced, should be taxed a thousand dollars, it
would not be enough to pay for the tears 1t
has wrung from the eyes Of widows and Or
phans, nor for the blood it has dashed on the
Christian Church, nor for the catastrophe OF
the millions it has destroyed forever.
I sketch two houses in this street. The
hrst Is bright as home can be. The father
comes at nightfall, and the children run out
10 meet him. Luxuriant evening meal. Grat-
ulation and sympathy and laughter. Music
in the parlor. Fine pictures on the wall;
Costly books on the stand: A wen olao
household. Plenty Of everything to make
home hanpy.
House the second. Piano sole yesterday
by the sheriff. Wife's furs at pa1nbroker's
shop. Clock gone. Daughters jewelry sold
to get -four. Carpets gone off the floor
Daughters in faded and patched dresses
Wife sewing for the stores. Little child with
an ugly wound on her face, STRUCK in an an.
cry blow. Deep shadow of wretchedness
falling in every room. Door bell rings. Lit.
lie children hide. Daughters turn pale.
Wife holds her breath. laundering step in
the hall. Door opens. Fiend, brandishing
his fist, cries, "Out! out! What are you do.
ing here?'
Did I call this house the second9 No: it is
the same house. Rum transformed it. Rum
embruted the man.. Rum sold tho shawl.
Rum tore up the carpets. Rum shook his
est. Rum deSolated the hearth. Rum
changed that paradise into hell.
I sketch two men that you know very well.
Tho first graduated from one Of our literary
institutions. His father, mother, brothers
and sisters were present to SEQ him graduate.
They heard the applauding thunders that
greeted his speech. They saw the bouquets
tossed to his feet. They saw the degree con-
ferred and tho diploma given. De never
looked so WELL Everybody said: what a
noble brow. What fine eye! What grace.
full manners! What brilliant prospects, All
the world opens before him end cries, "Hur-
rah l.! hurrahr'
Man the second lies in tho station-house.
The doctor has just been sent for to bind up
the gashes received in a fight. His hair is
matted, and makes him look like wild beast.
His lip is bloody and cut: Who is this bat,
up BY the police and carried in drunk and
foul and bleeding? Did call him man the
second? He is man the first! Rum trans
formed him. Rum destroyed his prospects.
Rum disappointed parental expectation.
Rrn, ,ritherei those rarandS Of commence