Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-09-29
TALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK De WITT TALMAGE, DID,,
Pastor OF Jefferson Park Presby-
te-+@a Church, Chicago


strong Drink. The text is Proverbs
xxiii. 30, AT The last it biteth like a
serpent and stingeth like an adder"
My father has now been dead about
six months. Since his demise | have
received scores of letters from many
parts of this country asking me to de-
line 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 his hatred for the
wine cup. Will 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
relcltless enemy of God and the
hom??" 1t is il answer to these let
tiers that I Shall state my belief and
position Cfon the temperance question.
But speak with a broader purpose
than merely to crafty curiosity
want every man. woman and child
who hates the saloon and who is con-
secrated for combined combat
against this arch fiend of the centuries
to lool; upon me as q brother and q
comrade. pledge myself as the col
league OF every foe of the Intoxicating
cup. At every opportunity. with voice
and pen. ! will thrust at this serpen-
tine monster 1t shall be my aim, as
1t should be the aim Of every one of
Gods minis ers. to rally. with all the
influences at his command. the ene-
mics Of this hitherto invincible and un-
conquered foe of the human race. May
God grant us to live to see the day
when the fanls 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 rospel army.
The evil OF intoxication Is n universal
curse. Its long. Shiny. twisting coils
spread over every land and are visible
In every walk of life There is hardly
q man or woman sitting before me who
has not had ut least one near relative
who he's been cursed by the fatal bite
OF this crawling. insidious enemy. Per-
haps that near relative was a father,
a mother an uncle. an aunt brother,
sister. a VIE. II husband or n child.
Alas, Many of Us cun say we have not
only had one. but many near relatives
and fr.enGS 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 am preparing this SER
mon news Is published that man who
has filled high places in the service of
his country. who bore a name honored
In our history. has lost his life in q
brawl In which he would never have
been involved If he had not INDUCED in
Intoxicating drink.
The Warning of Solomon.
Solomon compared the sin Of intoxi-
cation to the writings and twistings
or serpent and to the singing of an
adder beca Use at that time poisonous
serpents were everywhere Every
thicket was tiled with a constellation
OF their cleaning eyes. Every desert
was the home of the puff adder. lying
half buried in the sand Every swamp
was the retreat of the water viper Ev-
cry hillside had for the traveller
warming 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. undevel-
oped region of a virgin soil. Hum
boldt. the celebrated German scientist.
gave this description Of one of his
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-
burned at full gallop and said to me.
Come here. sir. and see serpents in a
pile He pointed out TO me something
StCNdNSO III lut- VI Tue SdNdu-
mas which appeared like a 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 20 too near When we
were within twenty PAGES of it. the
terror OF our horses prevented our
nearer approach. to which. however.
none Of us was inclined Suddenly
the pyramided mass became agitated.
Frightful hissings issued from it, Thou
tands of serpents rolled spirally on
each other They shot their hdeous
heads out of the circles. presenting
their fiery eyes at us. ! then thought
what could he the design of this nu-
merous assenIblage. | concluded that
fhis species OF serpent dreaded some
colossal enemy and they united them