The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-01-15
SONG or DRUNKARDS.
DR.. TALMAGE'S CALL TO REFORMA-
TON FROM DiSGlPATGD HABITS.

The Unfair Enemies of David-Old Music
of the Church, ong That Is the Cost
Hest Song on Earth-The Low Note of
Besottedness.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 This dis
course of Dr. TaImage is from a most
unusual standpoint an arousiDg call to
reformation from disgipated habits, and
must do wide good. The text was
Psalms Xix, 10, 81 was the song of the
drunkards. "
Who said that? Was it David. or was
1t Christ? It was both. These Messianic
Psalms are like telescope. Pull the
instrument to certain range, and it
shows you an object near by. Pull it to
another range, and it will show you OBJ
jects far away David and Christ were
both, each in his own time, the song Of
the drunkards. Holiness of doctrine and
life always did excite wicked merri-
ment. Although David had fully re-
formed and written a psalmody in
out their penitence, his enemies pre-
ferred to fetch up his old career and put
into metric measures sins long before
forgiven. Christ, who committed no
sin, was still more the subject of unholy
song, because the better one is the more
iniquity hates him. OF the best being
whose voice ever moved the air or whose
foot ever touched the earth, it might be
said:
The bywori of the passing throng,
The ruler's scott, the drunkards song.
The earth fitted up for the human
race, in conc2atulation the morning
stars sang a song. The Israeltish army
safe on the bauk Of the Red sea and the
Egyptians clear under the returned wa
ter, Moses sang d song, One of the most
important parts of this great old Book
is Solomop's song. At the birth Of our
Lord the Virgin Mary and old Simeon
and angelic rr;ma donnas in lowering
clouds sang song.
Ballad of the Inebriate.
What enrichment has been given to
the worlds literature and enjoyment
by the ballads, the Cantioles the dis
oants, the ditties, the loundelays, the
epics, the lyrics, the dithyrambsl But
my text calls attention to "a style of
song that l think has never been dis
ooursed upon. You sometimes hear this
style of music when passing saloon
or a residence in which dissipation is
ascendant, or after you have retired at
night You bear it coming out Of the
street from those who, having tarried |
long at their cups, are OH their way
home-the ballad of the inebriate the
Serenade Of the alcoholized, OR what
my text calls the song of the drunk
ards.
For practical and saving and warn
ing and Christian purposes / will an.
nounce to you the characteristics of
that we'll known cadence mentioned in |
my text First remark that the song
Of the drunkards is an old song Much |
Of the music of the world and Of the
church is old music First came the
music Of percussion, the clapping Gym
bal, which was suggested by hammer
on an anvil, and then the signing Of the
wind across the reeds suggested the
flute, and then the strained sinews Of
the tortoise across its shell suggested
the harp. But far back of that, and
nearly back as far as the moral collapse
OF our first percentage, is the song OF the
drunkards That tune was sung at least
4, 243 years ago, when, the deluge past,
Noah came ont of the ark, and as il
disgugted with too much prevalence Of
water he took TO strong drink and stag
gered forth, fer all ages the first known
drunka1d. lie sounded the first note of
the old music Of inebriety. An Arab
author Of A. d. 1910 wrote, "Noah,
being come out of the ark, ordered each
Of his sons to build house. "
The DEVILS Vine.
Afterward they were occupied in SOW
ing and in planting trees, the pippins
and fruits Of which they had found in
the ark. The vine alone was wanting,
and they could not discover it, Gabriel
then informed them that the devil had
desired it, and indeed had some right
to it. Hereupon Noah summoned him
to appear in the field and said to him:
"Ob, accursedl Why hast thou carried
away the vine from me?" Because"
replied the devil, sit belonged to me. "
Shall 1 part it for you?' said Gabriel.
II consent" said Noah, land will
leave him fourth. - '"That is not suffi-
cient for bin, - said Gabriel. "Well, /
will take hale, " replied Noah, land he
shall take the other " "That is not
sufficient yet, ;" responded Gabriel. "He
must have two-thirds and thou one, and
when thy wine shall have boiled on the
fire until two-thirds are gone the re-
mainder shall be assigned for thy use. -"
A fable that illustrates how the vine
has been misappropriated
Benhadad and 81 allied kings, riot
ing in pavilion. took up the Same
bacchaDal. Nabal was rendering that
song when his wife, beauti-
full Abigail, came back from her expe-
dition to save ner husband. Herod was
singing that song when the daughter of
Herodias wbiried in tine dance before 8
him. BelsbaZZar ana thousand lords I
that song Inc night the band
writing came out GH The plasteriDg of {
the wall and the tramp of the besieging :
host was heard On the palace stairs.
Ahnsuerus sang that song when, after
seven days of carousal, he ordered s