The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-02-13
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Topic For the Week Beginning Feb
15--Comment by Rev. S. Ii. Doyle.

Topic For the Week Beginning Feb.
15--Comment by Rev. $. Ii. Doyle.
Topic-Lessons from Benhadads de-
feat.-I King Xxx, 1920. Temperance meet
ing)
"And Benhadad, the king of Syria,
gathered all his host together, and
there were thirty and two kings with
him and horses and chariots, and he
went up and besieged Samaria and
warred against it." The cause of this
war is unknown, except that it seems
to have been for the purpose of humili-
ating King Ahab and the people of Is
rael. The Syrian kings demands upon
the king of Israel were most humiliat-
ing and offensive, vet would have had
to be complied with had not God inter-
fered to save the nation. In his proyi-
dcnce 2D2 young men were enabled to
Lring about panic among the soldiers
of Benhadad that led to their utter
rout and ruin.
One Of the principal factors in this
defeat was drunkenness. When Ahab's
reply was sent to the Syrian king, he
and his allies were drinking in the pa
vilions and when later on the prophet
led the young men against them they
were still drinking. "And they went
out at noon. But Benhadad was drink.
ing himself drunk in the pavilions, he
and his kings, the thirty and two
kings that helped them" This excess
i've drinking had no doubt much to do
with the panic that Immediately seized
the Syrian army and caused it's defeat
md destruction. Nor was this the first
or last time that intemperance caused
the defeat of armies. Belshazzar and
Babylon went down to defeat in the
midst of drunken revelings, and Alex
ander's military career was blighted
by the terrible curse Men able to
lead armies and to conquer nations
have themselves been overcome by the
demon of strong drink.
Drunkenness always leads to defeat.
ut is not for kings to drink wine' nor
for generals nor for soldiers nor for
any one who would creditably hold any
position in life worth holding and who
would perform successfully the duties
of life. Drunkenness never won bat
tie The Russian soldiers in the Cri-
mean war were drugged with drink.
but this only assured their defeat in
stead of saving them from it. Intoxi-
eating drinks weaken the intellect, de-
stroy the physical powers Of a man and
absolutely unfit him for the battle of
life. Defeat will come to every man
as surely as it did to Benhadad, who
is accustomed to drinking himself
drunk"
Since intemperance has always led
to individual and national disgrace and
ruin, why will nations continue to
make drunkenness possible, and why
will men continue to form habit that
has proved so disastrous to thousands
of others? That these things are done
after centuries of experience seems al
most incredible. Yet it is sadly true.
Public sentiment has not yet been edu-
Gated to the point where it will make
drunkenness impossible by law, and in
dividuals are not yet brought to the
point where they are unwilling to risk
all for the pleasures of intoxication
May God hasten the day when these
conditions will prevail! To this end
let us as Christians totally abstain
ourselves, pray earnestly for the over
throw of the rum traffic and do all in
our power to reach and toreclaim those
who have been led to form this terrible
habit.
pIRI IL RF AnINcS
Elk. Xxx, IS; Lev. X, 8, O.; Mum. vi, LA;
Prov. NIX. /; xiii, 1922; Hab. ii, lis;
Luke i, 1915; Cor. iii, 16, II; Gal. v,
10. 26.