The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-09-18
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR SEPTEMBER 22.

Subject Woes OF Intemperance, Prov.
kill, 1896 - Golden Text, Prov. xx.s
1-Memory Verses, 2e-32-Commentary
on the Days Lesson.
90. "Who." A divine commission to
cause of woe and sorrow and strife, and
thus. be deferred from taking the wrong
course. in life. Robinson calls this lesson
the drunkard's looking,glass, set before
those whose face is toward the drunkard's
habits, 30 that they may see What they
will be if they 90 on. Hath woe" What
space would Be needed to record the
names of all who could truthfully say "P'
to this question! "Woe." Direful dis
tess; both the condemnation for sin
committed and a certain awful condition
of suffering. Sin of all kinds brings its
own punishment, but there is no sin which
tim as the sin of drunkenness. The drunk
ard has woes of body and woes of mind;
woes in himself, woes in his family; pains,
diseases, poverty, and all without allevia.
tions. '"Who hath sorrow" The Hebrew
word means, first, poverty and then mis-
cry. The drunkard has sorrow Of his own
making. The cup contains more than one
woe; single sorrow Is not all. These are
so numerous as to call forth constant and
long-continued cry Of anguish. "Who
hath contentious" Those who responded
to the first two questions will also respond
to this. Nine-tenths of all the brawls and
traceable to drink. "Who hath babbling."
This refers to the tendency of strong
drink to foolish and incessant talking, re-
vealing secrets, vile conversation and
noisy demonstrations, which are common
in different stages Of drunkenness "Wounds
without cause" Wounds received in
wholly improbable disputes, such as come
of the brawls of drunken men. Drinkers
are especially exposed to accidents and dis
eases which temperance would have pre-
vented. >"Redness of eyes,. Bloodshot,
blurred or beared eyes. Gen. 40: II. Al
cohol induces paralysis of the nerves
controlling the minute blood vessels, the
capillaries, which results in dilation that
step and in his eye the drunkard shows
the secret of his sin. The traveller in the
drunkard's broad road to death bears q
great bundle of woes. Among them are
losses of time, of talent, of purity, of
clean conscience, of self-respect, of honor,
of religion, of the soul.
&c. ''They that tarry long at the wine"
This answers the above questions. He who
begins to drink continues to drink, tarry-
ing often whole night, and from that to
day and night. "They that CO." To places
or among people where intoxicating drinks
are made or stored or used. tMixed
vine" Spieed, drugged, medicated wine,
the intoxicating power of which is in
creased by the infusion of drugs and spices.
Such men drink the cup of costly death.
The chemical analysis of the liquors used
by the people in this country shows that
they drink alcohol, arsenic, alum, aloes,
bitter almonds, blood, chalk, cherry-laurel,
cocculus indicus, copJSrras, gypsum, hen
bane, isinglass, lime Hiiead, logwood, nux
vomica, opium, oil of 1itriol, oil of juniper,
oil Of turpentine, tobacco, sugar OF Lead
81. 'Look not thou upon the wine"
This prohibits moderate drinking. Do not
put yourself in the way Of temptation. He
who goes freely into temptation is already
more than half fallen. "When it is red:"
The bright color of the wine gives it an
attractive look and adds to its fascination
and its danger. when it giveth its color
in the cup" Literally, its eye, the clear
brightness, or the beaded bubbles. on
which the wine-drinker looks with pleas
ure "When it goeth down smoothly"
This verse pictures the attractive side of
| wine, when it seems perfectly harmless to
sip little, when it is bright and inspiring,
| thrilling the nerves with delight, promis-
| ing all Joy and freedom. 1t is the shining
| side Of evil that is so dangerous-thi flow.
cry entrance to the path that leads to
death.
80. cat last it ,biteth." The pleasure
| will be attended at last with intolerable
pains, when it works like so much poison
in thy veins and casts thee into diseases
| as hard to cure as the biting of serpent.
ifo fn ita
Its only beauty is when it sparkles in the
cup. 1t can only harm the one who ven
lures to enjoy its pleasure. Then it bites;
sends it's poison beyond your reach. Its
| only end is ruin.
33. thine eyes shall behold strange
women" The loving wife will be forgot
ten and her goodness despised, and evil de.
sires spring up to fill her place with others,
or to 90 from her with others who have
| fallen into the same pit of drunkenness as
yourself. Homes are broken up as the
result of strong drink. The tears and
pleadings Of the devoted wife are spurned,
and the dance hall is sought, where women
are dressed to suit the eyes OF wicked men,
| and where natural affection is overthrown
and cruel lust rules. Thine heart shall
utter froward things" When men or
women indulge in the use of strong drink
| they let down the bars to every sin that
| follows in the train. The heart is the CEN
| ire Of life, end from it spring all evil de-
sires. In a state of drunkenness men utter
things out Of reason and contrary to de-
| cency.
"a. Gas he that lieth down in the midst
| of the sea-" To make ones bed on the
waves of the sea would be to be swallowed
up in death. So is the drunken man. "
as pilot who has gone to sleep when ms
-, ho nf allowing
the tiller to slip out of his hand, and his
ship to be swamped with the waves which
he might have outridden. Stupehed, be-
sotted men know not where they are or
what they are doing, and when they, lie
down they are as if tossed by the rolling
waves of the sea, or upon the top OF a
mast. Their heads swim. Their sleep IL
disouiet and troublesome dreams make
sleep unrefreshing. Upon the top OF
mast" The drunkard is utterly regardless
OF life. He is as one falling asleep. clasping
the masthead, whence in few minutes ne
must either fall dowa upon the deck ana
be dashed in pieces, or fall into the sea
and be drowned.
q "They have stricken me-ano was
not hurt" With conscenees scared and
self.resDect gone the drunkard boasts q
the things which should make him blush
with shame. "They have. beaten me-l
felt it not" Angry companions have done
their worst to end my life, says ne, but
their blows did not affect, me; "Whe3
shall / awake? i will seek it again.
Rather when I shall awake will seek it
again. sc,f.control is gone. The drunkard
is a slave to appetite: He Is as insenstplo
to the o,eadings and warnings of those
vino seek his salvation as he is to the
beae,ngs of his comrades when ne Is deli
.aious.