Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-01-19
TALMAGE SERMON.
THE BETTER ONE Is THE MORE
HE IS HATED
,;S The Vile Creatures Who Haunt the
Abodes OF Men TEXT: II Was the
U9:i..

il Christ? II was both. These Mes
sianic Psalms are like telescope. Pull
the instrument 10 a certain range, and
it shows you an object near by. Pull 1t
to another range. and il 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 a
psalmody in which all subsequent ages
have sobbed out their penitence, his
enemies preferred to fetch up MS ola
career, and put into metric measures
sins long before forgiven. Christ, who
committed no sin, was still more tne
subject Of unholy song. because the pet
ter one is, the more iniquity hates him.
OF the best Being whose voice ever
moved the air or whose loot ever
touched the earth it might be SAID:
The byword of the passing throng.
The rulers scoff. the drunkard's song.
The earth fitted up for the human
race. in congratulation The morning
stars sang a song. The Israeiltish
army safe on the bank OF the Red sea
and the Egyptians clear under the re-
turned water, Moses sang song. One
of the most important parts OF TINS
great old Book is Solomon's song. Al
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 roundeiays, the
epics, the lyrics, the dithyramDs. but
my text calls attention to style Oh
song that | think has never been uls-
coursed upon. You sometimes hear this
style of music when passing saloon,
or 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 tarrled
long at their cups, are on their way
ho:ne-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 | VIII an
nounce to you the characteristics oil
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 ana oil the
church is old music. First came the
music of percussion, the clapping cyni-
bal, which was suggested by hammer
On an anvil, and then the signing OF
The wind across the reeds suggested
,he flute. and then the strained sinews
of the tortoise across it's 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 nun
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
| house. After wards they were occu-
pied in sowing and in planting trees
| the pippins and fruits of which they
found in the ark. The vine alone wac
warting, and they could not discover
| il. Gabriel then informed them that
| the devil had desired ii, 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
meY Because replied the devil, 1T
| belonged to me. Shall / 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 I'M
J til two-thirds are Soua the remainder
| shall be assigned for thy use A
table that illustrates how the vine has
been misappropriated.
| Benhadad and thlrty-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 a thou
| sand lords renewed that song the night
| the handwriting came out on the plas-
| tering Of the wall and the tramp of
| the besicging host was heard on the
| palace stairs Ahasuerns sang that
song when, after seven days OF carOus-
al, he ordered Vashti 10 come into
| the presence OF the roaring guests
without her veil un-a January storm
| trying TO command June morning.
| Oh. yes. The song of the drunkards
is an old song Kink Cyrus boosted
| that ne could drink more wine than his
| brother. Drunkenness vas so rife
among the I4acedaemonians that Ly-
! curgus had all tbc vines OF the vine
| Yards destroyed Paul eXcoriates the
| Corinthians for turning the commun-
/ ion Of the ord c simmer M church into