St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-02-13
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Discourse on the Au-PoWerfI Song
of the Drunkards.
The Vast Army Of Choiristers Who Sing
This e0ng-A Carso Witch Has Its
Hand Upoa the Throat
Of the Notion.


Of the Nation.
Rev. T. Dewitt TalmaRe delivered .
recent sermon in the form of m arous-
ing call to reformation from habits of
dissipation. The text was:
was the song OF the drunkards.-Psalm
XIX. L.
Who said that2 Was 1t David or was
1t Christ? 1t was both. These Mes.
sianic 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 objects far away. David and
Christ were both, each in his own
time. the song of the drunkards. HOli-
ness OF doctrine and life always did ex.
cite wicked merriment Although
David had fully refored and written .
psalmody in which al subsequent ages
have sobbed out their penitence, his
enemies preferred 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 iniqulty 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 sco6. the drunkard's song.
The earth fitted up for the human
race, in congratulation the morning
stars sang y song. The Israelitish
army safe ON the bank of the Red sea
and the Egyptians clear under the re-
turned water, Moses sang q sony. 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 dom
mas in lowering clouds sang . song.
What enrichment has been given to
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 = style of
song that think has never been dis
coursed upon. You sometimes hear
this style Of music when passing a sa-
loon, or q residence in which dissipa-
tion is ascendant, or after you have re-
tired 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 inebri-
ate, the serenade of the alcoholized. or
what my text calls the song of the
drunkards.
For practical. and saving, and warm
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 10 an old song.
Much of the music Of the world and
of the church il old music. First
came the music of percussion, the
clapping cymbsl. which was suggested
by . hammer ON IN anvil, and
then the signing Of the wind across
the reeds suggested the 6ute. and then
tho strained sinews of the turtle
ecross its shell suggested the harp
But far back of that. and nearly
back Is far rs the moral collapse of
our first parentaRe, Is the Song of
the Drunkarda." That tune was sung
1t least 4,e43 years ago, when. the
deluge past, Noah came out OF the ark
and Is if disgusted 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. D.
1910 wrote: Noah, being out of the
ark, ordered each Of his sons to build
. house. Afterward they were occu-
pied in sowing and in planting trees.
the pippins and fruits Of which they
had found in tho ark. The vine alone
was wanting, and they could not dis
cover it Gabriel then informed them
that the devil had desired it. and in-
deed had some right TO it. HereuPon
Noah summoned him to appear in the
field, and said to him: o. accursed!
Why hast thou carried away the vine
from me-? Because replied the
devil, it belonged to me- Shall !
part it for your said Gabriel. 1 con-
sent said Noah, and will leave him =
fourth THAT in not sufficient for
him. said Gabriel. Well, will take
half replied Noah, and he shall take
the other That il 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 remain
der shall be assigned for thy use.'" A
fable that illustrates how the vine has
been misappropriated.
Again, this song of the drunkards Il
m expensive song. The Sontsgs and
the Parepa Rosas and Nillsons and the
- - I'D nd
solos received their Thousands OF dol
lars per night in coliseums and acad-
emies of music. Some Of the people
of small means almost pauperi1ed
themselves that they might sit few
evenings under the enchantment Ut
those angels of sweet sounds. paid
seven dollars to hear Jenny Lind sing
when it was not very easy to afford
the seven dollars. Very expensive il
such music, but the costliest song on
earth is the drunkard's song. 1t costs
ruin of body. 1t costs ruin of mind.
1t costs ruin of soul Go right down
among the residential streets Of any
city and you can find once beautiful
and luxurious homesteads that were
expended in this destructive music
The lights have gone out In the draw
ing room. the pianos have ceased the
pulsation Of their keys. the wardrobe
has lost it, last article Of appropriate
attire. The Belshas1arean feast has
left nothing but the broken pieces Of
the crushed chaliceA There it stands,
the Khastliest thing on earth, the rem
uant Of dTunkard's home. The cost
nm
expensive Of al nusic is tho song o1
the drunkards Il Is the highss tariA
Of nations-not . protective tari6,