The Delta independent., 1901-07-05
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
BE YE ANGRY AND SIN NOT"
-EPH. ~: 26.
Tho Sin of A1coh oholism-The Spirit of
Gambling-Aid for the Unbeliever-
indignation Over Fraud-Mercy for
the Erring One.

ana dlmcult duty is by DR.. Talmage In
his discourse urged upon all, and es-
3ecially upon those given to quick
:emper; text, Ephesians iv, 26, BE ye
angry and sin not"
Equipose of temper, kindness, pa
.ience, forbearance. are extolled by
most Of the radiant pens of inspiration,
but my text contains that which at first
sight is startling. A certain kind OF
anger is approved-aye, we are COM
manded to indulge In it. The most OF
us have no need to cultivate high tenn
per, and how often We say things and do
lhings under affronted 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. afterward to be printed
upon paper for all ages, the Injunction,
; BE We angry and sin not?"
My text commends a wholesome in
dignation. II discriminates between
the offense and the offender. the sin
and the sinner, the crime and the
criminal.
To illustrate: Alcoholism has ruined
more fortunes blasted more homes, de-
stroyed more souls. than any evil that
think of. 1t pours river of poison and
fire through the nations. Millions have
died because OF it, and millions are dy-
ing now. and others will die. Intern
perance is an old sin. The great Cyrus,
writing to the Lacedemonians of him
self. boasted OF many Of his qualities,
among others, that he could drink and
bear more wine than his distinguished
brother. Louis X and Alexander the
Great, died drunk The parliament of
Edinburgh in 1861 is called in history
the drunken parliament" Hugh Mil
ler. the first stone mason and after
ward a world renowned geologist.
writes of the drinking 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 buildings were I'm
ished, they drank. When an apprentice
Joined. they drank" In the eighteenth
century the giver of an entertainment
boasted that none of the guests went
away sober. Noah. the first ship cap
tain, 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 national
and international and hemisphere and
planetary curse. 1t is good to be
aroused against It, You come out OF
that condition a better man or a better
woman. BE ye angry at that abomina-
ton. and the more anger the more ex-
altation to character. But that aroused
feeling becomes sinful when 1t extends
to the victim of this great evil. Drunk
egness you are to hate with a vivid
hatred: but the drunkard you are to
pity, to help to eStricate.
Frustrated by AieohoIi.n.
! Jus; take into consideration that
there are men and women who once
were as upright as yourself who have
been prostrated by alcoholism. Per-
haps IL came of a physicians prescrip-
ton for the relief OF pain, recurrence
of the pain calling for continuance
of the remedy: perhaps the grandfath-
er was an iEeSriate and the tcmpta-
ton 10 incbricty. leaping over gen.
Grafton. has swooped on this unfortu
nate: perhaps 1t was Under an at
tempt TO drown trouble that the be-
rumbiug and narcotic liquid was
sough; after; perhaps it was gradual
claiming OF the man with the bever
age which was thought to Be SER
want when one day 1t announced it
self master. Be humble now. and admit
that there is a strong probability that
under the same circumstances you
yourself might have been captured.
The two appropriate emotions for you
tc allow are Indignation at the intoxi-
cant which enthralled and sympathy
for the victim. Try to get the sufferer
out of his present environment; rec
ommend any hygienic relief that you
know of and, above all. implore the di-
vine rescue for the struggle in which
so many Of the noblest and srandest
have been worsted. Do not give your
self up to too many philippics about
what the man ought to have been and
ought to have done. While your cheek
fiushes with wrath at the foe that has
brought ruin, let your eye be moisten-
ed with tears of pity for the sufferer.
In that way you will have fulfilled the
injunction of the text, BE we angry
and sin not"
The spirit OF Gambling.
In Spain ! don lost in "a hours what
equals Sl2,Ooo.ooo. Twenty years ago
It was estimated that the average gam
bling exchange of money throughout
Christendom exceeded sl2S, 100. .0oo, 900
year. But statistics 20 years ago
would be tame compared with the pres
ent statistics II We could find any one
able enough at figures to tabulate
them. 1t is all the same spirit Of gam
bling. whether the instruments are
cards or the clicking chips or the turn
ing wheel or the bids of the Stock Ex-
change. where people sell what they
never owned and fail because they
cannot get paid for 1t. A prominent
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