The Tupelo journal., 1906-03-23

Moody Bible Institute, Chicago; ON
cial Lecturer of the Cook County
(Chicago) Sunday School Assoc
citation on the International
S. s. Lessons.)
(Copyright, 1906, by Joseph B. Bowles.)
Golden Text: "At last 1t bi teth like a SER
pent and stingeth like an adder"
Text: Proverbs 23:29-35.
who cries woe? who alas? who has
stripes? who complaints? Who has wounds
without cause? who redness of eyes? They
who linger long over wine. who often taste
mixed wine. Look not upon the win when
it is red, when it sparkles in the cup. At
the end it bites like a snake. 1t pierces
| like an adder. Thou wilt see strange
things. Queer things thou wilt say. Thou
wilt be like one who Is sleeping at sea. like
one at sea in a violent storm. 4 have been
struck, but l feel no pain, | have been beat
Ell, / am not conscious Of it, When (shaND
l awake from my wine l will seek 1t yet
again."-Translation from international
Critical Commentary. Z
This translation of the Hebrew text
should be compared with, and is sub
| stituted for, the rendering in the Eng.
lish version. 1t Is both interesting
and instructive.
~ n N"A
This lesson depicts as possibly no
| other Scripture lesson does in strik-
ingly accurate terms the portrait OF a
drunkard. The picture is not only de-
scriptive; it is prophetic. 1t de-
scribes not only the drunkard as ne
is, but also the tippler as he will be
il he continues to remain long at the
wine. The portrait is true to life.
| It's counterpart may be seen any day
| Keeling along the streets of any Of
our large cities.
The Evils Following Intemperance.
How graphically they are here de-
scribed! Let us note them n by
one. First, a life filled with "oh"
and "alas." These words are inter.
jections, not nouns. No translation
can do justice to them. No attempt
is here made to describe the innumer-
| able woes, regrets, and pains which
come to the Incorporate man. Oh, the
regret of ruined fortune, lost friends,
| ruined health! How like an innumer-
able host they press down upon him.!
| Then there m contention and
babbling." 'Contention"-the brawi-
ing and strife which are the resu;.
of drunkenness. "Babbling'-which
may mean meditation, sorrowful
thought, or complaining. This gives
us a picture of the morning after,
| when the drunkard is thinking over
| the foolishness of his conduct, and is
1-o-lo;,;, ~ - x-ao+ ho hos loci hv hi,
sin. He may have lost home, friends.
loved ones, reputation, position. And
| now he Is in a spirit of complaining
because things seem to have gone
| against him when in reality his own
| profiigacy is responsible for his sad
| without cause" hurts which he
would not have had had he been
sober. l have oftentimes visited men
in some of our city hospitals who were
not able to account for the wounds
which may have caused even the am
putation of a limb. Lying there in
their beds bruised and crippled they
have confessed that they did not know
how they received such wounds. Had
they beer sober men they would not
have had these wounds withou!
cause"
Then "dimness of sight," or red
| ness of eyes" is another affliction of
| the inebriate. The vision is changed,
blurred, darkened as the wine touches
| the brain. We are all familiar with
the red, blurred eye of the drunkar1.
1t lacks brightness, clearness. luster.
Such is the awful portrait OF those
who "tarry long at the wine"
Tipplers Soon Become Tarriers.
Ii we tipple at the wine it will no.
be long before we tarry at it. Then the
awful portrait here described will be
true to our. lives. The only safe at
titude for us to take is the position
advocated by the Bible. Look not on
the wine when it is red in the cup"
Do not put yourself in the way Of
strong drink. Avoid the saloon. Pass
it by. Shun those parties and those
gatherings where the wine glass plays
any part. Touch not, taste not, handle
not" is the only safe position to
take.
The Last Touch to the Picture.
We have here described not merely
the present, but also the eternal ruin
wrought by drink: "At last it biteth
like a serpent. and stingeth like an
adder Its consequences are fatal
not only in this life but in the life
to come. No drunkard shall enter the
kingdom OF Heaven. But you say, Il
never expect to be a dr;:nkard." No,
neither did the man who has just
filled a drunkard's grave. No drunk
ard ever did. Watch out for the wine
when it is in its attractive stages
when it is red, when it giveth its
color: when it moveth itself Alright" or.
as it may be translated, when it
goeth down smoothly" Beware of it
in its attractive stages. when to SIP
it seems not only perfectly harmless.
but, on the contrary, thrilling and
inspiring. Remember that the ser
pent has a venomous sting as well as
a beautiful skin. When it fascinates.
it kills.
In Every Wine Cup.
Look right down to the very bottom
of every wine cup and see there
a coiled serpent ready to spring a.
your throat and take your very life.
Remember that the same light which at.
tracts the moth kills it. We can walk
the streets on a summer evening and