The Penn's Grove record., 1897-01-15
REV. DIR. TAIMAGE.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE ny TUE
NOTED DIVINE.
subject. "Ths Song Of the Drunk
ards"

Christi 1t was both. These Messienic
Psaims are Ike q telescope. Pull tho inssru-
ment to a certain range, and 1t shows you an
object near BY. Pull 1t to auother range, and
It will show you objects far away. David
and Christ were both, ench In his own time,
the song OF the drunkards. Holiness Of doc
trine and lifo always did excite wicked merri-
ment. Although David had fully reformed
and written q psalmody In which all subse-
quent 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 commit
TED no sin, was still mora the subject OF I'M
holy 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 1t might be said;
The byword OF the passing throng,
The rulers scoff, the drunkard's song.
The earth fitted mp for the human race, In
congratnlation the morning stars san a
song. The israelitish army safe on the bank
of the Red Sea and the Egyptians clear I'M
der the returned 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 tho Virgin Mary and old Simeon
and angelic primn donnas in lowering clouds
a a song, What enrichment has been
given TO the worlds literature and enjoy
ment by the ballads. tho canticles. the dis
Giants, the ditties, the roundelays, the epics,
the lyrics. the dithyramhsi But my text
calls attention to n style OF song that l think
has never been discoursed upon. You some
times 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 Lear 1t coming out OF the street
fpom those who, having tarried long at their
cups, are on their way home--the ballad of
the inebrlate, the serennde OF the alcohol
ICED, or whai my text calls the song of the
~drunkards.
For practical and saving and warning and
GhrIstlau purposes l will announce to yoI
tho characteristics of that well-kn own
cadence mentioned In my text. First /
remark that the song of the druntards
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 cymbal, which was suggested by
r hammer on an anvil, aud then the sigh
ing OF the wine 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 ~parentage is tie song Of the drunk
ards. That tune was suns at least 4243
years ago, when, the deluge past, Noah
with toe much prevalence OF water. he took
TO strong drink and staggered forth, for all
ages the first known ~drunkard. He sound
ed the first note OF the old music of inebri-
acy. An raj author of A. D.. 1910 wrotei
"Noah, being como out OF the ark, ordered
each Of his sons TO build a house. After
ward they were occupied in sowing and In
planting trees, the pippins aud fruits Of
which they found in the ark. The vine alone
WAS wanting, and they could not discover 1t.
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 aeld and said TO him: sOh, ac-
cursedi Why hast thoE carried away the
vine from me?' Because replied the devil.
1t belongedto me. Shall l part 1t foryouf
said Gabriel. Il consent said Noah, land
will leave him a fourth That is not sufi1-
cient for him, said Gabriel. well, | will
take hail. replied Noah, and he shall take
the Other That is not sufficient yet, re-
sponded Gabriel. He must have two-thirds
n thou one, and when thy wine shall have
boiled on the fire until two.thirds are gone
the remainder shall be assigned for thy use.' y
A fable that illustrates howthe vine has beer
Incorporated.
Again, this song of the ~drunkards Is IN
expensive song. Tho Sonntags and the
Parepa Rosas and Missions, and the other
renderers OF elevated and divine solos re-
ceiyed th-eirthousands OF dollars per night
in cotiseums and academies OF music. Som
OF the people of small means almost pauper-
lied themselves that they might sit a few
evenings under the enetlantment OF those
angels Of sweet sounds. I paid 81 to hear
Jenny Lind sing when II was not very easyto
afford the ~. Very expensive Is such music,
but the costiiest song on earth is the drunk.
ards song. 1t costs ruin of body. It costs
ruin OF mind. 1t costs ruin Of sou. Go
right down among the residential streets OF
any city and you can find once beautiful and
Injurious omesieads that were expended In
this destructive music.
The lights have gone out In the drawing
room, the pianos have ceased the ~pulsation
OF their KEYS, the wardrobe has lost Its last
article OF appropriate attire. The Bel
shazzarean feast has left nothing but the
broker pieces of the crushed chaiices. There
it stands, the ghastiiest thing on earth, the
remnant OF a drunkard's home. The cost.
Hest thing on earth is sin. The most expen.
siye Of all music Is the song of the drunk
ards. It is the highest tarifr OF Nations-noi
q protective tariff, but a tariff OF doom. 9
tariff Of woe, a tariff OF death. This evil
whets the knives OF the assassins. cuts the
most of the wounds of the hospital, makes
necessary most Of the a~lmshouses, causes the
most OF the rawlings of the insane asylum
and puts up most OF the iron bars OF the
penitentiaries. II a its hand to-day on the
throat Of the American republic. II is the
taskmaster OF Nations, and the human race
crouohes under Its ~anathema. TIL song Of
the drunkards has for its accompaniment
the clank Of chains, the chattering teeth oI
poverty, the rattle OF executioner's scaffold
the creating door Of the deserted home, tht
crash OF sbipwreeks and the groRns OF EN-
pires. The two billion twenty million dol
lars which rum costs his country in q year
in the destruction Of grain and sugar, and
The supporting of the paupers, and tht
inynlids and the criminals which strong
drink causes, is only a small part OF what
is paid for this expensive song Of he'd drunk
ards.
Again, this song OF the d~runkards is .
~multitudinous song-not a solo, not a duet,
not a quartet, not a sextet. but millions or
millions are this hour singing 1t. Do moi
think that alcoholism has this field all to 1t
self. Ithas powerful rivals In the intoxicanti
OF other Nattons-hasheesh and ~arrees, mt
pulque and opium, an | quavo aad mas,ic
and wedro. Every Nation, barbarIc as wei
as civilized, has its pet intoxieant. Thi.
song ofthe~ drunkardsis rendered In Chinese
Hindco, Arabian, Assyrian, Persian, Mexi'
can-yea, all the languages. All zones join
it. No continent would be large enough fol
the choir gallery II all those who have this
hbretto Ia their hands should stand side by
side to chant the international chorus. O.hei
ihrongs are Just learning the eight notes o.
this beautiful music, which Il already mas
tered by the orchestras ia full voice under
the batons in full swing. All the musicians
assembled at Dusseldorf, or Berlin, or Boston
peace jubilee, rendering Symphonies, re
QUEENS or grand marches of Mendelssohn Of
Wagner, or Chopin or Handel, were insig'
nihcant In numbers rs compared with the
innumerable throngs, hosts besides hosts,
gallery above gallery, vino are now pouriEa
forth the song OF the drunEaris.
Years ago. standing before a bulletin
board in New York IN the night OF a Presi-
Dental election day. as the news came in
in the choice of The American people
was finally announced there were people In
the streets who sang roisterlng and frivolous
songs. But In the street n man, in deep,
strong, resonant voice, started, TO the tune
OF ss0fd Hundred, - PRAISE God, from whom
all BLESSINGS iow," and soon all IN and
down the street the voices joined 10 the dox
ology. May God speed the day when thu
song oil rescus aud salvation shall drown
with an overwhelming surge this mighty
song Of the drunkardsl
Notice that the second noun OF my text
is In the plural. Not s~sdrunkard,' bui
'sdrnnkards.n 1t would be dull work to sing
that song solitary and alone. It isgeneraily
a chorus. They are in groups. On thai
downward way there must be companion
ship. Here and there IL Il man 20 mean a.
always to drink alone. but generous men
big hearted men. drinking at bar or In res
sa.,xatf ~ In ~afahha4ra fail runrtiaa1 "a