Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-11-23
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.


A Scholarly Exposition Of the Lesson
Thoughts worthy Of Calm ReHec-
tion-HsIf an Hours study Of the
scripturss-rime Well spent.
The lesson for Nov. 20 is from Prov.
%: 29-35;. its subjecr' is. WOES Of In
temperance" This temperance lesson
interrupts the course of the lessons on
account Of Temperance Sunday. 1t Is
chosen from Proverbs. book which IL
collection of wise sayings and short
moral essays and didactic poems, dating
from early times down to the post-exilic
period. The date Of this particular Sec
ton is OF no Importance, since drunken
ness, its woes and its consequences are
perennial.
Explanatory.
Literally the question is, who hath
oh? Who hath 'alas'?" Who Is always
complaining and ailing? The passage IL
for the most part literal description OF
the pathological effects of intemperance.
wounds without cause" is phrase that
explains itself. Who has not seen some
poor creature staggering out Of a saloon
with a black eye and cut face, received
in some brawl or in a fall?
1t is excessive and unlimited. drinking
that the writer warns young men against.
''They that tarry long at the wine, they
that 20 TO seek out mixed wine are
those whom he condemns. 1t will be
hard to show that total abstinence was
common in biblical times. save among
those under certain religious vows. But
while the use of wine in some degree was
the rule among the Jews. the danger and
disgrace of drunkenness were spoken Of
plainly and vigorously, beginning with
the story of Noah. Drunkenness was
probably far less common than at pres
ent, as distilled spirits were unknown.
Had the risk of ruin through drink been
as great as it Is nOw--Owing to many
causes, heredity, environment, climate,
social customs, etc.--it il safe to say
that more explicit teaching on the sub
iect would have been found in the Bible.
Yet as 1t IL. there is abundant warning
against the danger and principles which
logically lead 20 abstinence.
Verse 81 is one Of the strongest pre-
cepts for abstinence TO be found in the
Bible. Ii one does not look upon wine,
one Is not likely to drink it. when it is
red is when it is most attractive and
enticing to the eye; when it goeth down
smoothly" il is pleasant TO the taste.
There are many people who find the
taste Of alcohol i'm any form disagreea-
Bile, and thus are protected in measure
against this form Of temptation. The
majority, however, are not naturally
averse to this seductive beverage in its
milder forms, and the appetite only needs
to be INDUCED for while to become
strong and mastering. This has been
proved true so many times that the ar
gument for moderate drinking" is grow
ing weaker all the time.
These verses, of intense sarcasm, de-
scribe the helplessness of the drunkard,
resulting from his own folly. "They
have stricken me, shalt thou say, and
was not hurt: they have beaten me, and
felt it not. When shall l awake? 1
will seek it yet again. Is there any
picture of degradation more vivid than
that?
The teaching of the lesson should CEN
ter around some particular phase of the
great temperance problem; for example,
the connection of intemDerance and
crime Let the teacher save all the city
newspapers for week or two and clip
out every record of crime that is traced
to drunkenness. pasting them on sheets.
If he has Chicago or New York papers
he should get scores even in few days.
1t will be better object lesson than a
mere list of statistics.
Or, i'm some classes, some question Of
immediate present Importance may be
considered. The canteen system in the
army may be chosen, with a study of its
evils, its continuance under executive
sufferance. etc. The condition of Manila
to-day. with American saloons lining its
streets. and American beer and whisky
following the flag so abundantly and
promptly, is a practical illustration OF
1.-THE white mans burden" as loaded upoE
the brown mans shoulders.
In a time when some Of those who
should be leaders are so strangely
strengthening the hands OF the liquor
ring, it is short-sighted folly for the
friends OF temperance to be silent. Not
to enter the field of political discussion,
we may instance great weekly which
until recently called itself religious
journal, and now claims 70 be home
paper. With a shallow and hasty zeal,
this paper has recently thrown its infiu-
ence against those who believe that total
abstinence is the only safe rule to-day.
1t has condemned, the temperance text
books used in the schools, accusing them
of inaccuracy and misrepresentation. 1t
has recently published an article by a
clergyman of the Church of England,
who runs beer saloon as a part of his
parish and uses the profits for charity.
This clergyman believes he has found
the solution of the public house ques-
tion-furnish the workingman pure beer,
and do not let the profits go to the en-
richment of any private parties. He
speaks with plying contempt of those
who find incongruity between beer--even
pure" beer-and the service of the sane
tuary. Such publications need to be
counteracted by something besides mere
general celebrations on the other side.
Next Lesson Keeping the Sabbath"
-Neh. IL: 1890.