The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-01-27
REV. DIR. TALMAGE
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: ''The Song Of the Drunk
ards"


Psalms Xix, IL.
Who said that? Was it David or was i,
Ch-ist? 1t was both. These Messianic
Psalms are like telescope. Pull the instru-
ment 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. Holiness Of doc
trine and life always did excite wicked mern-
ment. Although David had fully reformed
and written 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 more the subject OF un-
holy song, because the better one is the more
iniquity hates him. OF the best being whose
volco ever moved the air or whose foot 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 1sraelitish army safe on tine bank
OF the Red Sea and the Egyptians clear IN
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 the Virgin Mary and old Simeon
and angelic prima donnas In lowering clouds
sang q song. What enrichment has been
given to the worlds literature and enjoy
ment by the ballads. the canticles, the dis
cants, the ditties, the roundelays, the epics,
the lyrics. the dithyrambs! But my text
calls attention to a style of song that think
has never been discoursed upon. You some
times 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 tarried long at their
cups. are on their way home-the ballad Of
the inebrIate, the serenade Of the alcohol
lied, or whot my text calls the song of the
drunkards.
For practical and saving and warning and
Christian purposes will announce to you
the characteristics OF that wel-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 the church is old music.
First came the music of percussion, the
clapping cymbal, which was suggested by
hammer on an anvil, and then the sigh
Ing OF the wind 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 10 tie song Of the drunk
ards. That tune was sung at least 4243
years age, when, the deluge past, Noah
came out OF the ark, and, as II disgusted
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 inebri-
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
was wanting, and they could not discover it.
Gabriel then informed them that the devil
had desired 1t, 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 meT Because replied the devil.
1T belongedto me- Shall part 1t for your
said Gabriel. 4 consent said Noah, 'and
will leave him fourth That is not suf1-
cient for him. said Gabriel. We'll, / will
take hail. replied Noah, and he shall take
the other 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 until two. thirds are gone
the remainder shall be assigned for thy use. ,"
A fable that illustrates how the vine has been
misappropriated.
Again, this song Of the drunkards is an
expensive song. The Sonntage and the
Parepa Rosas and Nilssons, and the other
renderers Of elevated and divine solos re-
ceived their thousands Of dollars per night
in coliseums and academies Of music. Some
OF the people of small means almost pauper-
lied themselves that they might sit a few
evenings under the enchantment Of those
angels OF sweet sounds. paid 81 to hear
Jenny Lind sing when it was not very easy to
afford the 81. Very expensive is such music,
but the costliest song on earth is the drunk
ards song. 1t costsru.n 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 homestead 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
broken pieces of the crushed chalices. There
it stands the ghastliest thing on earth, the
remnant OF drunkard's home The cost
liest thing on earth Is sin. The most expen-
sive Of all music Is the song OF the drunk
ards. It is the highest tariff OF Nations-not
a protective tariff, but tariff OF doom, q
tariff of woe, tariff of death. This evil
whets the knives of the assassins, cuts the
most Of the wounds of tho hospital, makes
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
penitentiaries. 1thas Its hand to-day on the
throat Of the American republic. 1t is the
taskmaster OF Nations, and the human race
crouches under its anathema. Tie song OF
kho o1,or ID hoe for itor
the clank of chains, the chattering teeth of
poverty, The rattle OF executioner's scafold,
the creaking door of tine deserted home, the
crash of shipwrecks 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, and
the supporting of the paupers, and the
invalids and the criminals which strong
drink causes, is only small part OF what
is paid for this expensive song OF the drunk
ards.
Again. this song Of the drunkards is a
multitudinouS song-not q solo, not duet,
not quartet. not sextet. but millions on
millions are this hour singing it. Do not
think that alcoholism has this field all to it.
self. 1t has powerful rivals in the intoxicants
OF other Nations-hasheesh and arrack. and
pulque and opium, and quavo and mastlc
and wedro. Every Nation, baroaric as well
as civilized, has its pet lntoxicant. This
song Of the drnnkards is rendered in Chinese.
Hindoo, Arabian, Assyrian, Persian, Mexi-
can-yea, all the languages All zones join
II. No continent would be large enough for
the choir gallery if all those who have this
libretto in their bands should stand side by
side TO chant the International chorus. Other
,hrongs are Just learning The eight notes OF
this deathful music, which is already mas
tered by the orchestras in 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 or
Wagner, or Chopin or Handel, were insig-
nificant in numbers as compared with the
innnmerable throngs. hosts besides hosts.
% llnr,: :ihavn on lnrS: who NOW mourning