Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-12-18
RESPONSIBILITY or
FHE RULER,
He Should be Sober and
Mindful Of the Law.
DANGEROUS TENDENCIES,
CERTAIN REMEDIES.

DANGEROUS TENDENCIES,
CERTAIN REMEDIES.
In This Land Of Liberty, People Should
be Mindful of tho Character Of Their
servants-strons Drink an Eternal
Foe to Material and Spiritual Pros.
.perity, and Now Threatening the
PRINCIPLES For Which ne Heroes Of
1776 Poured Out Their Blood.
The following sermon preached by
Rev. R. M. Stevenson in the Associate
Reformed church at Glover recently,
is reproduced from manuscript fur
nished by the author at the earnest
request of a number Of citizens. who
listened to its original delivery and
who believe that good will be accom-
plished by it's wider publication:
Proberbs XXI, 4, g.; 1T is not for
kings, o Lemuel, it Is not for kings
to drink wine, nor for princes strong
drink: lest they drink, and forget the
law, and pervert the judgment Of any
Of the afflicted"
It seems that Lemuel was a king
but we know very little about him.
In fact we have no information con-
cerning him except the little that Is
contained In this chapter. His mother
is mentioned In the first verse here,
but we do not know her name, whose
daughter she was, who was her hus-
band, where she lived or anything
about her. All we know is that she
taught Lemuel few wise sayings
that are recorded in this chapter. 1t
is possible that Lemuel was another
name for Solomon-the name his
mother called him by, pet name such
as parents often give to their children.
This is Matthew Henry's suggestion,
but 1t is impossible to say whether 1t
is correct or not, and for our present
purpose 1t makes no difference. We
do not know whether Lemuel took the
advice Of his mother or not, but 1t was
excellent advice she gave him when
she warned him against the 'tempta-
tions that would assail him and might
hinder the faithful performance OF his
duties when he ascended the throne.
Among the sins his mother warned
him against was drinking. This was
sin to which kings were greatly
tempted, and in which suppose the
most Of them INDUCED. Royal homes
were magnificent establishments, fur
nished with every luxury, their tables
supplied with the best the country af-
forded and their cellars filled with cost
ly wines. A great deal Of entertaining
was done by the royal households, In
which wine was served, and 1t was
customary for the king to indulge.
Wine flowed freely on such occasions
and It was not uncommon for the BAN
auetters from the king down, to get
under the influence Of strong drink.
You recall that Herod Antipas, on his
birthday, made a supper to his lords,
high captains and chief men Of Cali
lee, and no doubt he was pretty badly
added by wine when he made that
reckless promise to the daughter Of
Herodias. You will recall also the
banquet that Belshazzar gave to a
thousand Of his lords, his distinguished
political friends, when not content to
drink in ordinary style he commanded
to bring the golden and silver vessels
which his father had taken out Of the
temple at Jerusalem, that the king
and his princes, his wives and his con-
cubines might drink therein. Now
that is the way kings entertained their
guests. The royal style meant the
free use Of strong drink. 1t was there,
an abundance Of it, and all were ex-
pected to partake. Now Lemueps
mother knew what was before her
son, the temptations that awaited him
and were connected with his office and
she cautioned him in advance con-
cerning them. She said to him what
ever custom might decree, whatever
other kings might do, to drink wine
and strong drink was not the thing
for kings and princes to do.
A practical lesson from this for our
times is that public officials should be
sober men. They should not be men
given to the use Of strong drink. They
should be men like Joseph and Daniel,
who can withstand the temptations
connected with OCCUPYING public posi-
tions 1t is not for public men to
drink wine or strong drink. 1t should
be beneath them. 1t Is a reproach and
disgrace when the people have ad-
vanced them to Office to betray their
| trust and confidence by being guilty
of such indecencies and immoralities
as usually characterize drunken men.
1t Is humiliating to a people to have
such officials and 1t should be beneath
the dignity of the official to indulge
in such habits. But that Is not the
only reason. 1t is intimated here that
the business Of the Office Is unsafe In
the hands Of such a man. 1T Is not
for kings, o Lemuel, 1t Is not for
kings to drink wine, nor for princes
strong drink: lest they drink, and for
get the law and pervert the judgment
Of any Of the afflicted" The power OF
kings in those days was unlimited.
They did not have parliaments to hold
them in check and share with them
the responsibility Of the government,
but their will was law and their COM
mands had to be obeyed. You can
readily see then that it was important