The Yale expositor., 1897-01-15
TALMAGE;S SERMON.
THE BETTER ONE is THE MORE
HE is HATED
by the Vile Creatures Who Haunt the
AbOdes of Men-Texti II Was the


O0:1H.
who said that? Was it David or was
it Christ? 1t was both. These Mes
sianic Psalms are like telescope. Pull
the instrument to a certain range, and
it shows you an object near by. Pull ~
to another range, and it will show YOU
objects 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 merriment. Although David
had fully reformed and written
psalmody in which all subsequent ages
have sobbed out their penitence, MS
enemies preferred to fetch up his old
career and put into metric measures
sins long before forgiven. Christ, VINO
committed no sin, was still more the
subject of unholy song, because the bet
ter 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 byword of the passing throng,
The rulers scott. the drunkard's song
The earth fitted up for the human
race, in congratulation the morning
stars sang a song. The Israeltlsh
army safe on the bank of the Red sea
and the Egyptians clear under the re-
turned water, Moses sang a song. One
of the most important parts Of this
great old Book is Solomon's song AT
the birth of our Lord the Virgin Mary
and old Simeon and angelic prima don
mas in lowering clouds sang a song.
What enrichment has been given 10
the worlds literature and enjoyment
by the ballads, the canticles, the dis
cants. the ditties, the roundelays, the
epics, the lyrics, the dithyrambs. But
my text calls attention TO a style or
song that | think has never been dis
coursed upon. You sometimes hear this
style of music when passing a saloon,
or a residence in which dissipation is
ascendant, or after you have retired at
night you hear it coming out of the
street from those who, having tarried
long at their cups, are on their way
home-the ballad of the inebTiate, the
serenade of the alcoholized, or what my
text calls the Song of the Drunkards.
For practical and saving and warn
ing and Christian purposes | Will an
nounce to you the characteristics OF
that well-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 or 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 sug-
gested the harp. But far back OF that,
and nearly back as far as the moral
collapse of our first parentage is the
Song of the Drunkards. That tune was
sung at least four thousand two hum
dred and forty-three years ago, when,
the deluge past, Noah came out of the
ark. and as if disguised with too much
prevalence of water, he took to strong
drink and staggered forth, for all ages
the first known drunkard. He sounded
the first note of the old music of in
ebriacy. An Arab author of A. ID. 1910,
wrote: Noah, being come out of the
ark, ordered each of his sons to build
a house. Afterwards they were occu-
pied in sowing and in planting trees.
the pippins and fruits of which they
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, % accursed! Why
hast thou carried away the vine from
me?' Because, replied the devil, 1T
belonged to me- Shall l part it for
you?' said Gabriel. L consent, said
Noah, and will leave him a fourth
That is not sufficient for him. said
Gabriel. We'll, will take half re-
piled Noah, and he shall take the 9TH
err That Is not sufficient yet,' re-
sponded Gabriel. He must have two
thirds and thou one, and when thy
wine shall have boiled on the fire un-
til two-thirds are gone, the remainder
shall be assigned for thy use.'" A
fable that illustrates how the vine has
been Incorporated.
Benhadad and thirty-two allied
kings, rioting in pavilion, took up the
same bacchanal. Nabal was rendering
that drunkard's song when his wife,
beautiful Abigail, came back from her
expedition to save her husband. Herod
was singing that song when the daugh-
ter of Herodias wheeled in the dance
before him. Belshazzar and q thou
sand lords renewed that song the night
the handwriting came out on the plas-
tering of the wall and the tramp of
the besieging host was heard on the
palace stairs. Ahasuerus sang that
song when, after seven days of carous-
al, he ordered Vashti to come into
the presence of the roaring guests
without her veil on-a January storm
trying to command June morning.
Oh, yes! The song of the drunkards
is an old song. Kink Cyrus boosted
that he could drink more wine than his 4
brother. Drunkenness was so rife