Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-01-15
SONG OF DRUNKARDS,
DR.. TALMAGE'S CALL TO REFORMA-
TON FROM OlSSlPATED HABITS.

| Dh. lPLmAOe'O CHIL ~ nGTOnWN
TON FROM OlSSlPATEO HABITS.
The Unfair Enemies OF David-Old Music
of the Church-A Song That Is the Cost
lest Song on Earth-The Low Note of
BesOttedness.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10-This dis
course of DR.. Talmage is from a most
unusual standpoint, an arousing call to
reformation from dissipated habits, and
must do wide good. The text was
Psalms Xix, ~, Il was the song of the
drunkards.
Who said thatI Was it David, or was
it Christ? 1t was both. These Messianic
Psalms are like a telescope. Pull the
instrument to a 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
which all subsequent ages have sobbed
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
iniouity 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 scCff, the drunkard's song.
The earth fitted up for the human
race, in congratulation the morning
stars sang a song The Israelitish army
safe ON the bank Of the Red sea and the
Eeyptians clear under the returned wa
ter, 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 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 canticles, the dis
cants. the ditties, the Ioundelays, the
epics, the lyrics, the dithyramDsl But
nv text calls attention TO style OF
song that 1 think has never been dis
coursed 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 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 inebriate, the
sereuade of the alcoholized, or what
my text calls the song of the drunk
ards.
For practical and saving and warn
ing and Christian purposes l will an.
nounce to you the characteristics OF
that we'll known cadence mentioned IN
nv text. First l 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 olapping Gym
bal. which was suggested by hammer
ON an anvil, and then the signing OF the
wind across the reeds suggested the
finite. and then the strained slnews OF
the tortoise across its she'll suggested
the harp. But far back OF that, ana
nearly back as far as the mCral collapse
of our first parentage, is the song OF 'he
drunkards. That tune was sung at least
4243 years ago, when, the deluge past,
Noah came out of the ark and as II
disqusted with too much prevalence OF
water he took to strong drink and stag
pered forth, for all ages the first known
drunkard. He sounded the first note OF
the old music Of inebriety. An Arar
author Of A. D. 1910 wrote, Moab
; being come out Of the ark, ordered each
Of bis son. to build house
The Devils Vine.
Afterward they were occupied in sow
ing and in planting trees, the pippin'
and fruits of which they had found IL
!. the ark. The vine alone was wanting
. and they could not discover 1t. Gabrie
then informed them that the devil hac
desired it, and indeed had some righ
o 10 e. Hereupon Noah summoned hin
, N annear in the field and said to him
ooh. accursedl Why hast thou carried
v away the vine from me?" Because
replied the devil. "it belonged to me. ;
/, "shall part it for youG" said Gabriel
"I consent" said Noah, land VII
! leave him fourth. THAT isnot sum
n cient for him, said Gabriel. well,
will take half, H." replied Noah, and N
y shall take the other" THAT is no
8 mfficient yet" responded Gabriel. III
o must have two-thirds and thou one, AM
when thy wine shall have boiled on tn
fire until two-thirds are gone the re
mainder shall be assigned for thy use'
Ia A fable that illustrates how the win
n has been misappropriated.
p" Benhadad and s2 allieo kings, riot
& ing in a pavilion. took up the sam
o bacchanal. Nabal was rendering tina
q drunkards' song when his wife, beauti
:, ful Abigail, came back from her expt
"a dition to save her husband. Herod wa
II singing that song when the daughter 9
\, Herodias whirled in the dance befor
" him. Belshazzar and thousand lord
10 renewed that song the night the hane
writing came out on the plastering {
/, the wall and The tramp Of the besisgi!nn in