Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-10-03
,TALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,,
Pastor of jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago

60 unite in a movement against the
great and growing national evil of
strong drink. The text is Proverbs
XIII, 80. AT the last It biteth like
serpent and stingeth like an adder"
My father has now been dead about
six months. Since bis demise I have
received scores of letters from many
parts OF this country asking me to de-
fine my position on the temperance
question. Only yesterday a strong,
earnest plea came from one of the
New England states which went some
thing like this: "Your fathers voice
always rang true in lis hatred for the
wine cup. VIII you not come to our
aid and help the thousands of mothers
who have drunken sons and the wives
who have drunken husbands fight this
relentless enemy OF God and the
homer" 1t is I'm answer to- these let
tiers that I shall state my belief and
position upon the temperance question
But L speak with a broader purpose
than merely to crafty curiosity.
want every man, woman and child
secrated for q combined combat
against this arch fiend OF the centuries
to look upon me as a brother and a
comrade. l pledge myself as the col
league of every foe of the Intoxicating
cup. At every opportunity, with voice
and pen, 1 will thrust at this serpen-
tine monster. 1t shall be my aim. as
it should be the aim of every one of
Gods ministers. to rally, with all the
influences ut his command, the enc
mics of this hitherto invincible and IN
conquered foe of the human race. May
God grant us to live to see the day
when the fangs of this mighty monster
shall have been extracted and when
its head shall have been crushed and
its vile carcass dismembered under the
advancing hoofs of the white chargers
OF the gospel army.
The evil of intoxication is universal
curse. Its long. Shiny, twisting coils
spread over every land and are visible
In every walk Of life. There is hardly
a man or woman sitting before me who
has not had at least one near relative
who has been cursed by the fatal bite
OF this crawling, insidious enemy. Per-
haps that near relative was father,
n mother, an uncle. an aunt, a brother,
sister, n wife, a husband or n child.
Alas, many OF us can say we have not
only had one, but many near relatives
and friends who have gone down into
drunkards' graves after they have lived
the hopeless and humanity helpless. de-
graded earthly existence of the drunk
ard Even as 1 am preparing this SER
mon news is published that n man who
has filed high places in the service of
his country, who bore n name honored
In our history, has lost his life in q
brawl In which he would never have
been involved IL he had not INDUCED in
intoxicating drink.
The Warning OF Solomon.
Solomon compared the sin OF intoxi-
cation to the writings and twistings
of serpent and to the singing OF an
adder because at that time poisonous
serpents were everywhere. Every
thicket was filled with n constellation
OF their cleaning eyes. Every desert
was the home OF the pun adder, lying
half buried in the sand. Every swamp
was the retreat of the water viper. Ev-
cry hillside had for the traveller n
warning hiss or rattle. Even unto
this day many OF the countries OF the
east are overrun with poisonous rep
tiles. In India alone over $4,000 in
habitants annually die from poisonous
snake bites.
The deadly serpents can multiply al.
most indefinitely in the wild, undeyel-
oped region OF n virgin soil. Hum
boldt, the celebrated German scientist.
rn
travels: ''In the savannas OF Esse-
quibo, in Guiana, saw the most won
derful and terrible of spectacles. We
were ten men on horseback, two OF
whom took the lead in order to sound
the passages, while preferred to skirt
the green forest. One OF the black
men who formed the vanguard re-
turned at full gallop AID said TO me-
Come here. sir, and see serpents in d
pile BE pointed out 10 me something
elevated in the middle OF the savan-
mas which appeared like q pile OF
arms. One of my companions said:
This must be one OF those assem-
blages OF serpents which heap them
selves on each other after violent
tempest ! have heard OF such, but
have never seen any. Let US be eau
tious and not go too near When we
were within twenty PAGES OF IL, the
terror or our horses prevented our
nearer approach, to which, however,
none OF us was inclined. Suddenly
the pyra mfded mass became agitate&.
Frightful hissings issued from it Thou
sands or serpents rolled spiIally on
each other. They shot their hideous
heads out OF the circles, presenting
their fiery eyes at us. i then thought |
what could be the design OF this nu-
merous assemblage. concluded that |
this species OF serpent dreaded some |
colossal enemy and they united them |
selves, after having seen this enemy, |
In order to attack or resist 1t in the |
mass" So today the serpents OF the
wine cup attack singly or en- masse. |
They are everywhere and find their
prey In all ranks Of society. The wide
spread curse OF the wine cup was very
strikingly compared to the fatal ser
pents OF the Solomonic era. which
were almost everywhere. But, unlike
TIE serpents which have almost dis
appeared before our advancing civili-
zation, the trails of the adders OF in
toxlcauon are even more multitude
nous now than ever before
Serpents Everywhere.
The serpents of intoxication have In
creased so rapidly that they are now
innumerable. We hear their hiss i'm
almost every legislative hall. We see
their eyes cleaning out of almost ev-
cry palace. We find them lying under
the orange blossoms OF the marriage
aitar, as well as in the detention hos
pitais Tor the patients who have their
rooms filled with the coiling serpents
OF deiirium tremens. We find many OF
our statesmen paralyzed by the glance
or this adder's eyes, as poor, little
frightened sparrow might tremble and
crouch until she falls into the open
mouth of the blacksnake which has
charmed her. We find that even few