Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-11-21

Studying the scriptural Lesson In
tclligeutly and Probably.
| Lessou for Nov. "a.
Golden Text-"Woe unto them that rise
up early in the morning, that they may
follow strong drink. lisa. 8: IL.
The lesson this week is on the subject
Of temperance-or, rather, intemperance
and is found in Isaiah 5, 11-23 A
temperance lesson is always timely, for
the battle with intemperance Is always
on. In this warfare, too, there is no dis
charge. The delds change, weapons
change, tactics change, but the old enemy
remains, and the conflict abides irrepress-
BILE. In the public wrestle with the in
sOlent saloon we do not seem, in all re-
spects to be making progress. Indeed,
In certain localities there Is an armistic
which resembles very much a capitulation
to this enemy Of our homes. Yet it is i'm
our hearts to speak a word of hope; two
of them. One relates to the enemy him.
self, the other to our friends. There is
fatal weakness on the part of the foe.
He is doing wrong. He knows he is do
ing wrong and needs only to be confront
ed to reveal that inner cowardce that sin
induces in all those brought under his
| control. There is braZen, blatant
front, but it il thin and false. Witness
certain phases of the battle for municipal
righteousness in our cities East and
West. "Rcsist the devil and he will flee
from you" Let us do our part. Satan
will do his in this matter. The only
trouble has been that we have allowed
Satan to change the tables on us, and he
has been doing our proper part, and we,
alas, his. But remember GideOn's tri-
umph, the prc'wling, fear-smitten Midi
anitie and Gods hidden resources of
power. We will yet send this Wanting,
but empty-hearted invader scurrying
down the valleys and out of the land.
Another hopeful word. We sometimes
think we are very few, and there are
number of us in Elijah's querulous, fault
finding mood. We do not well. There are
| thousands that have not bowed the knee
| to Baal, and when the right alignment
Is made we will be found stronger, far
stronger than our adversaries. There are
the young people and the children, well
| taught and well trained for temperance
in these better days. Are you counting
them in?
Lesson Hints.
| These woes are not arbitrary laws; they
are self-evident truths. The man who
rises early ia the morning to follow
strong drink, and we have them to-day. is
in an evil case. He has harbored bad
| ambitions; it has become an infatuation
with him. Just ahead is the pit. On
the whole you may pretty clearly recog-
nize man by the first thought he has in
| the morning.
I'D. Al p Al
gin it reads, It'll wine pursue them" 1t
is the same word translated at Ps. 10: 2,
prosecute. as one chased by flame. A
picture, indeed, of the poor wretch who
Is so under the control of strong drink that
he is driven to it as of a master with lash
| and cord. This is q woe, indeed.
"They regard not the work of the
Lord" This is philosophc principle.
How can minds wholly centertd on car
nalities have any room for sriritualities?
The base crowds out the good. The sad
dest feature Of inebriety is the gradual
decline of moral sense and of high moral
purpose.
There is labor question here. Indeed
the drink problem is largely labor ques-
ton. Fhe prophet says that the drunk
ard does not consider the operation of
Gods hands. And presently, as growing
out of this Quilted sense of noble service
and responsibility, he will not be con-
sidering the work of his own hands. 1t
Is the saloon that bcqueaths us most of
our tramps and beggars of to-day.
The fall of soul. Is there anything
more sad and awful under the sun! When
we look ut man reeling under the in
fuence of strong drink the words of
David come TO our mind, How are the
mighty fallen" Mighty, for man is the
noblest work Of God; fallen, and great is
the fall thereof, for when a soul falls it
sinks through abyssmal depths.
But there is hope also, through the
grace of God, for a soul that feels itself
thrown down. 1t was of cast away Gen
tiles that James spoke when he said,
"And to this agree the words of the
prophet, as it is written. After this
will return and will build again the tab
ernacle of David, which is fallen down,
and l will build again the ruins thereof
and will set II up" (Acts 10: 10, 49,
To be strong against the temptation of
this life, build right. Get the true foun-
dation beneath the feet, Jesus Christ, our
righteousness. And to be strong against
temptation beware of the little vices and
the easily besetting sins; remember the
little foxes that destroy the vines. The
lad saw his father go over barrel of
fruit and at last throw out just one rot
ten pear. ''You have had your work al
most for nothing, father" he said. "Not
so, my boy" and the father babe his son
take the spoiled pear and put it with six
other good ones, close together, on
plate. A week later the boy brought
them back, saying, "Father, they have all
rotted." "Just SO, my son, would it have
been with the barrel of fruit, had left
the bad pear inside" A little evil, left to
itself, may work great corruption.