The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-08-01
COMMENDABLE ANGER
Talmage on How to Be Angry and
Still Sin Not.
Dfscriminates Between the Onense
and the OGender-We Should
BE Indignant at One and
Pity the Other.
copyright. 1901, by Louis Klopsch. N. VI
Washington,

upon all, and especially upon those
given to quick temper; text, Ephe-
slams iv., 26: "Be ye angry and sin
| not"
Equipose of temper, kindness, pa
| tience, forbearance, are eXtolled by
most of the radiant pens of insplra-
ton, but my text contains that which
| at first sight is startling. A certain
kind of anger is approved-aye, we
are commanded to indulge in it. The
most of US have no need to cultivate
high temper, and how often we say
things and do things under affront-
ed impulse which we are sorry for
when perhaps it is too late to make
effective apology! Why, then, should
the apostle Paul dip his pen in the ink
horn and trace upon parchment, after
ward to be printed upon paper for
all ages, the injunction, BE ye angry
| and sin not?'
| My text commends a wholesome in
dignation. 1t discriminates between
the otfense and the offender, the sin
and the sinner, the crime and the
criminal.
To illustrate Alcoholism has
ruined more fortunes, blasted more
homes, destroyed more souls, than
any evil that l think of. 1t pours
river of poison and fire through the
| nations. Millions have died because
of it, and millions are dying now, and
| others will die. Intemperance is an
old sin. The great Cyrus, writing
to the Lacedemonians of himself,
boasted of many of his qualities,
among others, that he could drink
and bear more wine than his distin-
guished brother. Louis X. and AL
exander the Great died drunk. The
parliament of Edinburgh in 1861 is
called in history 1.-The drunken par
lament" Hugh Miller, first stone-
mason and afterward a ~orld-re-
nowned geologist, writes of the drink
ing habits of his day, saying: "When
the foundation was laid, they drank.
When the walls were leveled for
laying the joists, they drank. When
the building was finished, they drank.
When an apprentice Joined, they
drank" In the eighteenth century,
the giver of an entertainment boast
ed that none of the guests went away
sober. Noah, the first ship captain,
was wrecked-not in the ark, for
that was safely landed-but he was
wrecked with strong drink. Every
, man or woman rightly constructed
will blush with Indignation at the ma
tional and international and hemi-
spheric and planetary curse. 1t is
good to be aroused against it. You
4, come out of that condition a better
. man or better woman. Be ye an
, CRY at that abomination, and the
more anger the more exaltation tc
character. But that aroused feeling
becomes sinful when it extends tC
. the victim of this great evil. Drunk
enness you are to hate with viviC
e hatred; but the drunkard you are
l to pity, to help to extricate.
Just take into consideration thai
4 there are men and women who once
= were as upright as yourself who
have been prostrated by alcoholism
2 Perhaps it came of a physicians pre-
$ scription for the relief of pain, re
!. currence of the pain calling for :
> continuance of the remedy; perhaps
the grandfather was an inebriate ant
: the temptation to inebriety, leapin.
over generation, has swooped ol
4 this unfortunate; perhaps it was un
e der an attempt to drown trouble tha
e was sought after; perhaps it wa
9 a very gradual claiming of the mai
Ii with the beverage which was though
e to be servant, when one day it an
. nounced itself master. BE humbl
now, and admit that there is
strong probability that under tn
same circumstances you yoursel
., might have been captured. The tw
appropriate emotions for you to a
u low are indignation at the intoxican
Ii which enthralled and sympathy TO
the victim. Try to get the suffere
. out of his present environment; ret
ommend any hygienic relief that yo
y. know of and, above all, implore tn
divine rescue for the struggle
which so many of the noblest an
grandest have been worsted. Do nc
:, give yourself up to too many phi
ippics about what the man ought
have been and ought to have don
III While your cheek fushes with wrat
:. L at the foe that has brought the rui1
: let your eye be moistened with teal
of pity for the sufferer. In that wa
you will have fulfilled the injunctio
Ia of the text: BE ye angry and s.
W not"
le There is another evil the abho
c. renee of which you are called t
,v and it is on the increase-the gar
bling practice. Recens development
show that much of tbs devastatit
is being wrought in adies' parlo1
n 1t is an evil which sometimes is
he polite and gracious ee it is harmf'
ts Indeed, there never we're SO mai
people trying to get money witho