Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-12-29
TEMPERANCE.

fore the Epworth League, Sunday
afternoon, Dec. Is, by Miss Belle
Patterson, and is published by re.
quest of the League.
swine is a mocker, strong drink
is raging and whosoever is deceiv-
ed thereby is not WISE"
Amongall the wise and true say
ings contained in the book of Prov
cribs, perhaps there is none truer
than this. Oh, what a great array
of witnesses there would be if all
who knew the truth of this could
testify to it.
The lesson for today is ono which
we of the 10th century need espec-
tally to study. Temperance is one
of the leading questions of our day
and never perhaps has it been
more discussed by the pulpit, the
press, the politician and the peo-
pie in general. But it is not a new
question by any means. The les
son which we have today was writ.
ten about 1000 B. @. and no doubt
intemperance was a widespread
evil even then. How many woes
we find pronounced against it in
Gods word.
lisa. V. II, IL. lisa. XVIII, 1.
swine is a mocker;" it moe k
with promises of happiness and
comfort. 1t mocks by surely leads
ing it's victims on toward the
drunkard's grave, while holding
out the most alluring promises.
whatsoever is deceived thereby
is not WISE" How many who are
deceived in the very beginning,
who think they can drink moder-
ately without being in any danger!
100000 who have been deceived
in this way, fall, every year into
drunkards' graves. Even if it be
granted that some few can drink
moderately, and never allow them
selves to be carried to excess, yet,
for the sake of those who have
not this self.control, should they
not deny themselves rather than
cause their brother to offend.
Rom. XIV. 81. / Cor. VIII. 10.
We find further warning against
intemperance in the 18th chap. of
Proverbs, also part of our lesson.
"Who hath woe9 Who hath s0r-
rowW The marginal reading trans
lates thus: "Who hath oh! and who
hath alasm The woes and sorrows
of a drunkard are too many to be
mentioned separately. There are
woes of body and Of mind, woes in
himself, woes in his family, pain,
disease, poverty.
Prov. XIII. 20, 81.
With all these the bitter reflec-
ton that he brought them upon
himself. "Who hath contentionsF
There are inward contentious be-
tween desire and conscience, and
outward contentious with others.
"When wine is in, wit is out" is
an old saying often quoted. Then
come the evil words which stir up
uuarrels and contentious with 9TH
ers, and fghtings and even MUIR
ders constantly result. "Who hath
babblingW- translated in the new
version complaining" Nothing
goes right with the drinker; he
complains of society, of his family,
of his surroundings, of everything
Nothing can be right to one who
is so wrong. "Who hath wounds
without cause,n-wounds receiv,
ed in quarrels upon some slight
pretext. Then too, drunken men
are often exposed to accidents and
diseases which temperance would
have prevented. "Who hath red
ness of eyesW The word transla
ted redness really means dimness
These are only a few of the many
evils which result from tarrying al
the wine,-wOe, sorrow, cOnten
: tons, complainings, wounds, red
ness of eyes. 1t Injuries the body
brings poverty, leads into bad
company, Injuries family and friends
it tempts others, it leads to crime
! it fills poor,houses and prisons, i
disables the mind and ruins the
soul. No drunkard can hope tC
gain Heaven. Eph. ", 10, 20, q.
A whole volume might be writ
: ten on each one of these evils
Take for instance the fact that il
: Injuries family and friends. If il
} harmed no one save the drunkart
. himself, it might be endured, bur
l to think of the wall of Borrowing
mothers and wives and the cries
( of starving children which are as
r cending to heaven. 1t is estimat
!. ed that the orphans produced by
: intemperance, if standing hand il
' hand would reach around thil
earth three times,-a distance o
10000 miles.
!. "Look not upon the wine whel
- III 80 Dn,Io,oo