The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-07-17
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTs FOR JUNE 80, BY THE
REV. I. w. HENDERSON.
Subject: Temperance Lesson, 1 Cor.
10:23-33-Golden Text: Rom.
14:21 - Memory Verse, 81

10:23-33-Golden Text: Rom.
14:21 - Memory Verse, 81
Commentary on Days Lesson.
The Golden Text says: ut is good
neither to eat flesh, nor to drink
wine, nor anything whereby thy
brother stumbleth." And this is the
key note of the lesson. 1t is the true
Christian principle. 1t is the law of
life which makes US enquire not what
are our rights, but what are our du-
ties. Everything in this life that
God has created is for the use and
the culture of the Christian when it
is kept in its proper place. But If
IN the providence Of God it is neces-
sary for us to give up our prerog-
atives in order that some brother
may be saved from the abuse of that
which in itself is harmless we are
admonished by the scripture and by
all the evidence of worthy experience
as Christian men and women that
we act wisest when we renounce our
rights in order that men may be
kept from sin.
The only safe rule for the indi-
vidual in America with its rush and
its hurry and its tendency to 60 to
extremes, Is total abstinence for the
individual and total abolition of the
legalized saloon. For under present
conditions the danger too sadly is
that men shall be led out of moderate
drinking into immoderation. AS our
social system is constituted to-day we
cannot gainsay the fact that the
liquor business in this country is a
positive danger to the commonwealth.
Granted for. the sake of argument
that liquor has it's proper place in
the world and we must still admit
that it has proven itself to be a
t~reacherous enemy Of the man who
Is most careful and painstaking in
it's use. Granted that it Is a bust
ness that has a proper place in the
economic system of this or any other
day and we are bound to admit if
we are careful thinkers that as it
is run to-day it is a real menace to
the character of multitudes Of men
and the source of individual and go
cial weaknesses that are as unspeak-
able in many Of their phases as they
are multifarious.
The curse of strong drink must be
uprooted by modern civilization Or it
will itself undo the mighty and glori-
Gus progress Of this age. No ciyili-
zation that is not sober can long ex-
ist. No individual that is sodden with
strong drink can maintain his integ-
rity and his value to the society Of
which he Is a part. No nation a
forget its responsibility to safeguard
the welfare of its citizens and long
retain a place among the powers.
Righteousness exalteth both nations
and individuals. But drunkenness is
the death. of individual and national
honor and prosperity
The only way in which we can hope
to battle successfully against the
drink habit and the saloon is by edu-
eating our youth. Many agencies are
at work in the effort to consummate
this m%eritorious achievement. Per-
haps there Is. none other that is so
we'll fitted to accomplish this very
thing as Is the Youths Temperance
Alliance Of America, an institution
Of the conservative National Temper
ance Society, under the guidance Of
the Rev. Alexander Alison, D. D., of
which the writer became informed
the other day. 1t is peculiarly happy
in it's name, its leader and its plan
Of operation. 1t Is distinctly a work
for the Sunday Schools. AS such 1t
may be of interest to the Sunday
School reader.
The labors of this institution are
to be confined entirely to the educa-
ton of boys and girls before the age
of twenty-one. An article in the
Christian Work recently published by
DR.. Alison has this in part to say:
eff we are to solve this liquor prob
lem and secure total abstinence in
the individual as we'll as in the State
we must do it by votes. There Is
only one way Of getting these votes;
that way is Gods way. In the high
moral field of temperance activity the
ways of the politician will not avail.
You cannot cur by purchase the
votes that are the outcome OF con-
science. The motion toward the poll
ing booth which is born of the sense
of ought and ought not Is the mo-
ton, that, in it's action, is decided and
permanent, because it is born of pr1n-
ciple. 1t is built upon the solid rock
of character. To secure Conscientious
exercise of the franchise we must
begin with the child. The boy must
be trained. The culture must not
be spasmodic; it must be steady; 1t
must be persistent. We must stay by.
the youth at every step until ne De-
comes an American citizen"
Space will not permit to describe
in full the modus operandi. A per-
usal of the article in the issue OF the
Christian Work for April s, page 450,
might be valuable. 1t is strictly IN
line with the lesson for to-day and IT
is eminently the method OF the
church.
The high ground of the Christian
church must always be, on every
thing else as we'll IS on the sub
iect of temperance, that it will re-
fuse to lend it's sanction in any fash
ion to anything that is destructive to
the morals and minds Of humanity,
or that tends to defraud men OF their
birthrights as the SONS of God. The
church cannot afford to put a STUN
bling block in the way Of any man.
And it must teach it's youth that
this is the will of God for private as
we'll as for organized life. Far bet
ter is it that We should deny QUIZ
selves than that any man should SUI
fer through our unworthiness.