Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1897-01-22
SERMON
INTERESTING THEME ~ THE
WASHINGTON PREACHER
Subject. ''The Soag Of the Drunk
ards"


Psalms are like a telescope. Pullthe ins,ra-
ment 10 certain range, aud il shows Yea an
OBJECT near by. Puilit toauOther range, ana
It viii show YOU objects lar away. ID yii
aud Christ were both, eaca in his own time,
the song OF the drunsards. Holmes oi dos
trine AMI life always did excite wicked merri-
ment. Although David had fully Reformed
AMI written psalmody in which all su'se-
quent ages have sobbed ont their pcnilcncp,
his enemies preferred TO fetch up his old
career ant put into metric measures sins
long before forgiven. Christ who commit
ted no sin, was still more tho subject OF I'M
holy song, because the better one is the more
iniquity hates him. or tue best being whose
voice ever moved the air or whose foot ever
touched the earth it might be said:
The byworl OF the passing thronr.
The rulers scotf, the drunkard's song.
The earth fitted up for the human race. in
conSratuIation the morning stars sang a
song. The Israeitish army safe on the bank
of the Red Sea and the Egyptians clear un-
der the returned water, Moses sang n 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 aud OLD Simeon
and angelic prima donnas in lowering clouds
sang song. What enrichment has been
given 10 the worlds literature ami enjoy
ment by the ballads. tho canticlas, the dis
the lyrics. the dithyrambs! But my tex.
calls attention to n style of song that l thini;
has never been discoursed upon. You some
times hear this style of music when passing
n saloon. or Il 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 tarric1 long ut their
cups, are on their way hOme-the balla1 OF
the inehrIate, the ssrenade OF the alcohol
iZp1 r what VI aaltG tina NJ fbA
drunkards.
For practical and saving and warning and
Christian purposes l will announce 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 of tho church is old music.
First came the music Of percussion, the
clapping cymbal, which was suggested by
hammer on au anvil, and then the sigh
ing OF the wind across the reeds suggested
| the ilute, 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 sung at least 1913
years age, when, the deluge past, Noah
came out OF the ark, and, as il disguised
with too 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 inebrl-
acy. An Arab author of A. d. 1910 wrote:
NOAH, being come out of the ark, ordered
each of his sons to build house. After
ward they were occupied in sowing and in
| planting trees, the pippins and fruits of
! which they found in the ark The vine alone
! WIS wanting, and they could not discover it.
| Gabriel then informed them that the dewitt
had desired it, and, indeed, had some right
! to it. HereupOn Noah summoned him to
! appear in the field and said to him: Oh, ac-
cursed! Why hast thou carried away the
vine from me?' because, replied the devil.
lit belongedto me-. Shall part it foryou?
said Gabriel. 4 consent said Noah, and
will leave him Il fourth That is not suttl-
cient for him. said Gabriel. Well, L will
take halt. replied Noah, and he SHALL take
the other That is not sufficient yet re-
sponded Gabriel. He must have tw0-thirl1
and 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.
A fable that illustrates how the vine has been
misapproprated.
Again. this song OF the drunkarls is an
expensive song. The Sonutags and the
| Pdrapa ROsds and Missions. and the other
reuderers of elevated and divine solos re.
Ceived their thousands of dollars per night
in cOseums and academies OF music. Some
OF the people OF small means almost pnupnc-
lied themselves that they might sit Il few
evenings under the enchantment of thOs
angels of sweet sounds. | paid 81 to hear
Jenny Lind sing when it was not very easy to
afford the ST. Very expensive is such music
but the cOstliest song on earth is the drunk.
ards 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 homeseads that were expended in
this destructive music.
The lights have gone out in the draWinl
broom, the pianos have ceased the pulsatior
of their keys. the wardrobe has lost its last
article of appropriate attire. The Bel
sha2zarean feast has left nothing but the
broken pieces of the crushed chalices. There
it stands, the ghastliest thing on earth, thu
remnant Of a drunkard's home. The cost
Hest thing on earth is sin. The most expen
sive of all music is the song of the drunk
ards. 1t is the highest tariff of Nations-no
a protective tariff, but a tariff of doom.
tariff of woe, a tariff of death. This evi
whets the knives of the assassins, cuts thu
most of the wounds Of the hospital, make
necessary most of the almshouses, causes The
most of the rawlings of the insane asylum
and puts up most of the iron bars of the
penitentiares. It has its hand to-day on the
throat of the American republic. 1t is the
tdSklldSleF vi Millions, anu the nuuldu TdcS
crouChes under its auathema. The song o
the drunkards has for its accompaniment
the clank of chains, the chattering teeth o
poverty, the rattle of eXecutioner's scatfold
the creaking door of the deserted home, TIL
crash of shpwrecks and the groans of EN-
pires. The two billion twenty million dol
lars which rum costs this country in year
in the destruction OF grain and sugar, ant
the supporting of the paupers, and tn
inv nd tbn iD1i,, WI
drink causes, is only small part Of wha
is paid for this expensive song of the drunk
ards.
Again, this song of the drunkards is
multitudinOus sOng-nOt q solo, not duet
not Il quartet, not a sextet. but millions OF
millions are this hour, singing it. Do no
think that alcoholism has this field all to it
self. 1t has powerful rivals in the intoXicant
OF other Nations-hasheeSh and arrack, AM
pulque and opium and quavo and mastit
and Wedro. Every Nation, barbaric as wei
as civilized, has its pet tntoXicant. Thi
song of the drunkards is rendered in Chinese
Hindoo, Arabian, Assyrian, Persian, Mexi
can-yea, all the languages. All zones join
it. No continent would be large enough TO
the choir gallery if all those who have thi
lbretto in their hands should stand side b,
side to chant the international chorus. Othe
throngs are just learning the eight notes o
this deathful music, which is already mas
tered by the orchesras in full voice undo
the batons in full swing. All the musician
. assembled at Dusseldorf, OF Berlin, or Bosto!
peace jubilee, rendering symphonies, re
r QUEENS or grand marches Of Mendelssohn o
8 Wagner. or Chopin or Handel, were insig
nificant in numbers us compared with tn
i innumerable throngs, hosts besides hosts
, gallery above gallery, who are now pourinI
forth the song Of the drunEards.
! Years ago. standing before n bulletin
T. board in New York on the night of IL Presi
, dental election day, as the news came il
, and the choice of the American peopl
J. was finally announced there were people il
inL1 L