The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-05-17
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
MAY 81.
Lesson Text: "Against Intemper.
ance," Prov. kill, 29-35--Gold-
On Text: Prov. XXX,
documentary.

%. stWho hath woe! Who hath sorrow?
Who hath contentious? Who hath babling?
Who hath wounds without cause? Who hst:.
redness Of eyes:" The Golden Text tells US
that "wine is mocker strong drink is rag
ing, and whosoever is deceived thereby isnot
wise" Yet there are fools without number
who seem to It,efer the woe and sorrow and
contention. AT least they prefer the vino
and strong drink, even though it bring these
things. Tns woes nt Scripture against those
who have 70 do with wine arc not few. "Woe
to them that risr up carly in the morning
that they may follow strong drink: that con-
tinue until night till wine infame them.
"Woc unit, them that are mighty to drink
wine and men % strength TO lnlnSle strong
drink Woe unto him that giveth his
neighbor drink, that puttess thy tottle to him
and maketh him drunken also" (Isu ", II,
%; Hab. H.. 15). Thel 1t is plainly written
that drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom
of God Il Cor. vi. 10Y, 50 for this life and the
life to como it is nauglt but woe for those
who arc slaves of strong drink. But thank
God for deliyerance. even for thos9 who are
bound with such chains, for the drunkard5
and vile people uf Corinth lad, many ofthem,
experienced the power ri the Gracs OF God
and become washed. salctiiled and justified
in the name Ut tho Lord Jesus and by the
Spirit Of our God l Cor. VI. IL
80. ':They that tarry long atthe wine ;tnay
that 60 to seek mixed vino" This IS the
answer to the previous verge. Drunkenness
is invariably associated with Trouble. In
verse 81 it is said that ''th. drunkard snall
come TO poverty" The stoy OF drunGen
Nabal, and OF Elah. who was slain while be
was drunken, arc aTCnS tho sad RECORDS ~
the Bible Il Sam. N!;v.. sc. 38 l Kings XVI.
s-10) But perhaps Ecr" sad is the stoT. of
righteous Noah. VINO forge: himself ana DIS
high calling and became druxen, thus bring
ing great humiliaticI 70 himself and ono o.
his sons and giving great occasion to the
enemy to blaspheme Gen. ix.. 2o-22. worse
still is the srcry uf David making Uriah
drunk I'll Sam. XII. l3). Surely every man
at his best estate Is altogether vanity. but
what can be said Of I. drunken man except
that he has descended lower than the brutes!
81. "Look not thou upon the wine when 1t
is red, when it giveth his color in the cup.
when it moreth itself Alright" The r. V.
has for the last clause when it goetn down
smoothly" Wine has its attractions and its
pleasures. but they are wholly on the side OF
self and sensuality when carried to excess.
There is no manner OF use in making joke
of Paul's advice to Timothy tn use little
wine for his stomach's sake q Tim. =, 23),
nor in saving that the wine Of the New Testa-
ment was wholly unfermented, for how could
unfermented wine burst wineskins! But there
is use in letting thc word OF God stand, and
In all humility and teachableness take it to
mean what it says In its plain: literal sense.
unless it Is clearly Il figure or Il symbol.
Happy are those whose stomachs need No.
wine happy those who prefer to let even meat
alone, II need be, rather than be stumbling
block happy the church that prefers to use
an unfermented wine at the communion
rather than put temptation before any weak
one. Happiest Of all those who can truly
say, Not /, but Christ, who liveth in me-"
So. sat the last 1t biteth like serpent and
stingeth like an adder" It Is on the prin-
utpIs OF she that soweth to the flesh shall OF
the flesh reap corruption" (Gol VI. 81. For
the mind OF the flesh Is death" (Rom. Will,
R. w. The flesh will manifest itself n
greater or less degree in some or all OF tho
works named In Gal. y: 1921, and the record
is ''that they which do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom Of God" II man is
simply a natural man, q man after the ncsn.
never born from above, he cannot see the
kingdom OF God, but must In due. time e.-
perience the second death, which Is the lake
Of fire Grew. Xxx, Is, ~ Then shall he IN
deed know to his eternal sorrow tho serpents
bite and adder's sting. Foretastes of hell are
in mercy given in this life (let any drunksrd
testify II perchance men may repent and SD
escape the lake OF fire.
99. "Thine eyes shall behold strange
women, and thine heart shall utter perverse
things" Woman in Scripture is the type VI
the very best and the very worst The church
Is spoken Of as a chaste virgin, espoused to
Christ. and as bride adorned 1or her hus-
band III Cor. 2 Rev. xxi. p, while all that
is vile and false is described as a woman
seated upon scarlet colored beast. full OF
names Of blasphemy (Rev. xxi.. y. mo
Ia had
of this chapter, and more fully in chapter ",
S-5;H., 24-26. The way to be saved from
destruction is to give heed to verse 26. my
son, give me thine heart and let thine heart
observe lny ways" Not only do we need to
be kept from uttering perverse things, but We
need to be kept from foolish thoughts, for the
thought OF foolishness is sin (chapter XIV.
81. And since We are not sufficient 70 think
anything as of ourselves, how utterly help
less in our condition, but our slinirlency Is of
God (II Cor. ill.,. 81.
"a. >"Yea .nou shalt ba as he that liet!l
down in the midst OF the sea or as he that
ueth upon tnc top OF must" Dangerous
positions surely. Such a one might say. in
deed, what David thought was true OF him
self, '.There is but u step between me and
death (I Sam. Ky. 81. When we know that
death shall usher us into the presence OF tho
King, that to die Is gain and to depart is t"
be with Cnf19t, snen lnueeu Ouc LilS uo cuuoo
to fear that enemy. But II ones sorrow have
already begun through wine and women. oh
the edge OF what fearful precipice does such
one stand. But the figure Is that o: one
asleep In danger. This Is more fearful still,
for ii one is only awake there Is some hope III
escape. but what hope can there be for Sanl-
son asleep in the lap Of Delilah.
IS. "They have srriken me, shalt Thou say.
and wasslot sick they have beaten me, and
felt It not. When shall I awake? will seek
1t yet again. Refusing to receive correction,
they make their faces harder than rock and
refuse to return (Jer. ", 81. They say come
and we will fill ourselves with strong drink,
and tomorrow shall be as this day and much
more abundant Elsa. Wi. 12). or such it will
doubtless become true, He that, being often
reproved, hardeneth his neck shall suddenly
be destroyed, and that without remedy"
prov. xxx, y. And yet God is not willing
that any should perish. but that all should
come to repentance. He has no pleasure in
the death OF the wicked. but cries implorlnS-
Iy, Turn ye, turn ye why will ye die (1I Pet:
ILL.,, 8; Eek xxxiii., ny? How deceittul and
desperately wicked is the human heart!-
Lesson Helper.
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