Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-03-23

director Biblical Department of the
Moody Bible institute, Chicago; Off
cial Lecturer of the Cook County
(Chicago) Sunday School Assoc
citation on the International
5. S. Lessons
Copyright, 1906. by Joseph 4. Bowles.)
Golden Text: AT last il hi teth like a SER
pent and s%tingeth like an adder
IeNt: Proverbs 29:29-3j.
VINO cries woe? who alas? who has
stripes? who complaints? Who has wounds
without cause? who redness of eyes? They
VINO llnger long over wine. who often taste
mixed wine. Look not upon the wine when
it is red, when ii sparkles in the cup. At
the end it bites like Il 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 nave been
struck, but | feel no pain, | have been beat
en-, | am not conscious of it When (shalD
] awake from my wine / will seek it yet
again. "-Translation from international
Critical Commentary.
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.
1ue DIuIIkdTu > 1OIlIdll 0ollcly T..
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; 1t is prophetic. 1t de-
scribes not only the drunkard as ne
is, but also the tippler as he will be
if he continues to remain long at the
wine. The portrait is true to life.
Its counterpart may be seen any day
reeling along the streets of any Of
our large cities.
The Evils Following Intemperance.
How graphically they are here de-
scribed. Let us note them one b.
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 zones contention and
babbling.' "Contention"-the brawi-
ing and strife which are the result
of drunkenness. "Babbling''-which
may NEAR 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
complaining of what he has lost by his
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
condition. Then he has wounds
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 been sober men they would not
have had these wounds without
cause"
Then "dimness of sight" or red
ness of eyes" is another affection 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 drunkard.
IT lacks brightness, clearness. luster.
Such is the awful portrait of those
who ''tarry long at the wine"
Tipplers Soon Become Tarriers.
If 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 no.. 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 ruiz
wrought by drink: AT last it biteth
like a serpent, and stingeth like ah
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
filed 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 it's attractive stages, when 20 sip
it seems not only perfectly ha.mless.
hut on tho contrary thrilIino an1 :