The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-11-20
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOE
NOVEMBER "a.
Lesson Text: esThe Woes Of Intenf-~
perance," Isaiah ", 1928
Golden Text: Isaiah ", II
commentary.

II. "Woe unto them that rise up early in
the morning that they may follow strong
drink" This Is given to us as temperance
lesson, but the six woes OF this chapter IL
clude q good deal more tnan the strong
drink question. The whole chapter tells OF
Israel's sin and the coming judgments and
is suggestive Of the sins OF the day which are
found in the church everywhere. The house
Of Israel was the Lords vineyard and the
men of Judah His pleasant plant. He did
everything possible for them and expected
from them the fruits of righteousness. but
found only oppression and covetousness and
self indulgence oversees Z. 8.
II. "They regard not the work of the Lord,
neither consider the operations Of His
hands," There is such thing as being
drunken, but not with wine Elsa. xxx, 9;
self make US blind and deaf to the things OF
God. As strong drink tends to produce a
false and transient exhilaration, making one
forget sorrow for the time being, so what
ever blinds us to the realities Of our relations
to God and man Is kind of intemperance
and drunkenness. &
13. Therefore my people are gone into
captivity because they have no knowledge"
The leaders who in those days should have
taught the people the knowledge and fear Of
the Lord were living unto themselves, aud
telling the people smooth things and lies
Ezek xxxiv., 2; Jer. vi. 80, 81; vi, 13).
Just as strong drink is deceittul thing and
makes q mans vision and mind to be all
wrong, so the world and the flesh controlled
by the devil blind and harden men and they
believe lies and consider them truths. The
knowledge of the Lord is the remedy.
IA. ssTherefore hell hath enlarged herself
and opened her mouth without measure"
The place of the lost (not the lake Of fire
which Is the final abode of the lost, but the
place of departed spirits where the lost In
torment await the resurrection of the body
becomes rapidly filed by the literal aud flg-
urative drunksrds who will not receive the
knowledge Of God; so that it looks as II the
place might have to be enlarged to receive
all who come, so great Is the multitude.
Is. "And the mean man shall be brought
down, and the mighty man shall be hum
bled." Compare chapter H., II, u. II, and
see how all that Is lofty and naughty aud
proud and lifted up shall be brought down,
and the Lord alone exalted in that day. Ever,
Nebuchadnezzar testified that "those that
walk In pride He Is able to abase, ;" for he,
when hardened In pride, was made to come
down Oan. w., 81; ". 20, ,margin). Jere-
miah testiies that Jerusalem came down
wonderfully (Sam. l., q.
16. "But the Lord Of Hosts shall be exalt-
ed in Judgment. and God that is holy shall
be sancttied in Righteousness 1t is the
purpose Of God to set His King upon Hisholy
hill of Zion Cps. IL, 81. and He has sworn,
come to pass, and as have purposed soshall
it standf Elsa. xiv, 24.) "Bebold, a king
shall reign in righteousness, and princes
shall rule in judgment" Qsa. xxxii., y, them
shall Jesus have the pre-eminence.
IT, "Then shall the lambs feed after their
manner "They shall feed in the ways and
their pastures shall be In all high places
an
be king over them, and they all shall have
one shepherd" (Ezek. xxxvii.. 2D. Then
shall the upright have dominion over the
uneodly, and the drunkards shall see. their
folly when 1t Is too late. .5..
Is "Woe unto them that draw iniquity
with cords of vanity, and sin, as 1t were, with
a cart rope" One in csttetn place sug-
gested that If the man they sought was In q
city they would bring ropes and draw the
whole CITY into the river. So We hayein this
verse that prevailing iniquity that seems to
carry everything and every one along with 1t
U Sam. xvii. 13).
19. ssThat say. Let Him make speed and
hasten His work that we may see 1t. They
scoff and blaspheme and dare the Almighty
to His face. We think OF all that was heaped
on our Lord in the days OF His humiliation
word. God Is still keeping silence, and were
It not that we understand somewhat OF His
ways we might think that there was no God.
But see Ps- ].
20. "Woe unto them that call evil good
and good evil; that put darkness for light
and light for darkness" There Is a fearful
amount OF miscalling Of things because peo-
pie are not subject to the Word OF COD. AK
men are called children Of God, and there Is
a spark of the divine nature In every one.
and there are no hell and no devil and ws
are in the millennium now. AL this Is
drunken talk and lack OF subject1on to such
words as John viii, a; ILL.,, IS; Rom. yiu., 2.
81. "Woe unto them that are wise In their
own eyes and prudent in their own signt.
From all such the things OF God are hidden
and revealed unto babes (Math. xi., 25). AT
best we only know in part now Cor. Kill.
121 and "If any man think that he knowetli
anything. he inoweth nothing yet as he
ought to know" q Cor. viii, q. God re-
sisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the
humble; II, therefore, we will humble our
selves to know nothing apart from the BOOK
we shalFbe wise.
%. "Woe unto them that are mlgnty 20
drink wine, and men OF strenGh & 10 m,ng,s g
strong drink" These are the mighty on
their own behalf, fer their own pleasure and
beneft-mighty to enjoy self. The Christians
ambition is to glorify God and enjoy Htmi
TO be mighty for God and not for self. Tne
secret is to receive and yield to Him OF whom
it is said. "The Lord thy God in the midst
of thee is mighty" tzeph. ILL.,, ~. As to the
worlds mighty ones it is written that "Nos
many mighty are called" q Cor. l., 26). ana
that we are not to glory in wisdom or might
or riches, but In understanding and know
Ing the Lord (Jer. TX, 23, 24).
2S. (Which justify the wicked for reward
and take away the righteousness OF tne ngns-
eous from him." These are the unjust JUDGES
who take bribes and declare the guilty inn9-
cent and the innocent guilty; they call back
white and white black, because 1t suits them:
They have cast away the law OF the Lord Oh
Hosts and despised the word OF the Hciy one
of Israel (verse 24). There Is but one rlgnt
way and that Is the way, even Jesus Cnrlst,
the Righteous One. He is the only nope ZOE
the drnnkard or the moral man. he receives
ali who come Elsa. XIV, %; Acts w., IL; John
vi, ST.-Lesson Helper. -