The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-11-24
The International Sunday
School Lesson.
isaiah v. 11-23. November IS. 1905.
The Worlds Temperance Sunday
Fourth Quarter. Lesson vIu.


The Worlds Temperance Sunday
Isaiah appears in now role The
prophet becomes The temperance lecturer.
The seer who has been the Messiah. and
described HIS person and kingdom. now
st-naa forth AS the public rehnAer ~ the
innlpt afiiies of his days Eut there lis
u5 ell ante - style OBJ diet.ou. Tie does
not drop 20 vulgar familiarity. or face
t1l4ucss. or epithet bic maintains uis
dignity and his elevated mode OF speech
Gwen when dealing with druukards and
drunkenness.
The extraordinary assouauce o. the axe
eilt-u cannot De reproduced lu trans
latiou. u is fairly mellnueut. Bot the
the keenreSs of the blade. In the propl-
et IS fearless hand. this highly tempered
the national heart with aA us wicked
thoughts and evn inteuts.
National opportunity and national re-
sponsibi.lty are graphlcalv pictured ln-
onslr located. planted with choice seed.
projected with wall and tower. and FUR
nisned with substantial wine press Sac
t"nal ia-lns-> is portrayed under t-c ls-
ure OF tie favored vineyard producing
Wild grapes, Ectribution comes in the
desoIat0n % the vineyard And now
lSliah's auditors feei the relentless grip
VI The iron hand beneath tnc velvet glove
~ n-s dicfiOn. as Dc snTs "In- Vince
ward is the house 81 Israel WHAT fhe
Divine Planter expects from His Vince
1tmi - Judgment and rlEhtrol-uH-s
W. ~" gets IS oppression and cry."
Tie graceful. but skilfnl and fearless.
arraigucr of public morals proceeds now
60 specifications under bis general charge
lie 0enouuces the prevailing ropacity. the
their landed estates by force losing upon
the unfortunate whom they have charged
cXtortionate rates OF interest. IL are
raigus those who. ia violation ~ the re-
versionary clause OF the jubilee law. il-
legally hold on 10 their il-gottru estates.
WIKI an index finger Of steel. De points
L. =
violation Of the divinely instituted agra
rian law
The second specification is drunkenness.
1Ac greed or money Is accompanied by
greed for the pleasurahle sensations o.
intoNlcauon Men pursue u ass they
would femunerative occupation. rising
early and continuing late az H. OTHERS
engage ia il in a social and festive man
ner TO an orchestral accompaniment But
both are equally forgetful OF the Lord.
violation OF agrarian law spois land
bur violation OF physiological law spOils
men The prophets woe against the land
Is fulfilled 10 the iOL A land that once
flowed with milk and honey is now COM
parativcly desOlatc. and fits yielding pow
er UNNECESSARILY decreased. But what is
that compared with the fearful ruin of
men impending? The prophet sees an
endless procession IN its descent To hell.
II is glorious. multtudinOus. pOmpOus.
and rejoicing procession but on its way
70 hell. none the less. The harmless
silken cords OF the first stages Of
iucbrietv have grown to the size Of cart
rope traces. But these drunken wretches
are. I'm a measure. 0bliyious To the fact
that they have degraded themselves 70
the level OF dumb. driven cattle.
In the height Of their drunken audacity
they profanely and unbelievinglv email
lenge the Almighty. Let Him come on
with His judgments We would Ike 10
see Of what manner they are" Their moral
senses are So utterly perverted that evil
is good 70 them and good evil. darkness
is light. and bitter sweet. In the prophet
degenerate day the wine-tankard IS the
gauge OF the hero. And there is such an
utter perverslon OF public Justice that the
guilty never fails Of an acquitted II lac
can furnish the bride
slCeptical generation, Tho jaws of hell gre
opened wide His nideOus tusks are still
dripping with the blood Of generations
previously consumed. But tho multitude
already doomed and daTass-I scarcely
halts IN its descensus AvernO to listen TO
the prophets feryid temperance address
ANALYSIS and Kew