The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-04-21
W. C. 7, U. COLUMN.
Edited By PaIatka Union.
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EXTRACTS FROM SERMON PREACH-
ED BY REV. l.. II. LYNN. PUB"
LIsHED BY REQUEST.
Woe unto them that rise up early
in the morning that they may follow
strong drink, that continue until
night till wine enflame them.
Woe unto them that draw iniquity
with cords of vanity and sin us it
were with a cart rope.
Woe unto them which justify the
wicked for reward. Isa. 5, IL, Is, %.
The Lords method with his spokes-
men Of old seems to have been to
reveal to them the moral and spirit
unl condition of the people in the
midst of whom they stood and then
His spirit gave them message suited
to those conditions.
SO to-day, He would have his SER
wants know the condition moral
and spiritual-Of the people and then
he would have them raise their voice
nightly against those forms of evil
which are working moral and spirit
ual ruin If Isaiah could be invited
to cross 20 centuries and stand III Pa
latka, what message might he de-
liver? If he should walk Lemon
street from the river to the railroad,
he would be impressed with the
presence of one evil in this conmu =
nifty and that is the saloon. And |
fear his message would be one of
woe because Of the presence of in
temperance ard the institution of
intemperance in our midst.
But some people tell me that there
is not much drinking and drunken
uess-not much drink sold in Pa
latka. There is enough to justify six
men to pay each 81 900 license in or
der to conduct this business. 1t
costs them at least 81 900 each to con-
duct This business. There must be
at least 81, 600 upon which these men
and their families live. Then there
is an annual profit of at least $4,000,
Does the retail grocery business in
town pay that profit?
This il enough to ruin the body,
mind and soul of scores of our men
and boys annually.
They tell us that this evil has been
in the world since the days of the
prophet and there is no need to fight.
| Ours is II constant warfare against
sin. The terrible woe pronounced
against drinking has always followed
the drinking too. Drinking has eX-
listed and So has the woe. The hand.
writing on the wall declared that
Belshazzar was weighed in the bal.
ances and found wanting. When did
that writing appear? When the
king was drinking with his lords.
Alexander could conquer h e
world, but died Fas result of a
drunken brawl. Drunkenness was
one of the forces that wrought the
destruction of the great Roman EN-
pire. Look about you and you see
that woe follows intemperance as
night the day.
Wee to them that draw sin as with
cart rope.
Why the existence of this evil? Is
| it an evil? | have talked with fully
100 men the last few months and all
who have expressed themselves, adj
nit that the saloon is an evil. Why
| is it here? Because it has been
drawn as it We're with cart rope
and because it is staked down with
this same cart rope which has been
dragged through filth and slime until
it is nauseating to think of it. The
people Of this town and county have
allowed this institution to work ruin
these many years. If this present
generation did not bring it in, we are
responsible for its remaining. 1t is
not saddled upon us by law. 1t re.
mains or not as the people of this
county may choose. You are famil-
lar with the classic story of the
wooden horse" at the seige of an.
cient Troy. The Greeks were not
able TO capture the city, so they de.
termined upon strategy.
They erected huge wooden horse
on the plane before the city, placed
men within, offered sacrifice to theil
gods and sailed away.
The Trujans came out, examined
the horse and decided to drag it into
the city as trophy of the seige
They pulled down the walls and
with cables and pulleys they dragged
this monster, big with destruction
into the center of the city. That
night as they were wrapped in Stun.
Der and wine the Greeks sailed back
entered through the breach and cap.
tured the city.
A breach has been made in the
walls of our city aud with cables anC
ropes we have dragged in the engine
of the enemy. The wall of cleanli.
ness, the wall of decency, the wall Of
sObriety, the wall of morality has
been thrown down and the enemy
has been brought in. Take your
stand near the union depot and see il
! this thing is true.
We pray to our Father to protect
our boys and bless orr girls and re-
tire to rest with this institution al
work for their ruin. What of the
man who prays that his child might
not be bitten by a RATHER and yet
makes that child sleep in a room full
| of them.
Let these cart ropes which bind
this institution be cut and let it go
These cords are being broken.
We cannot bind this evil upon this
community and stand clear before
God.