The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-08-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTs FOR AUG. II by THE
REV. I. W. HENDERSON.

S"oJect' Inc sin or Nadab and
! Abihu, Lev. 1O.1-1f - Golden
Text, Prov. goal - Memory
Verse, 8.
Nadab and Abihu furnish the
groundwork for the temperance les
son OF the day. Evidently they we're
drunk when they went to perform
sneir usual duties before the altar.
Al ieast Il would so appear since
immediately following the recital of
their foolish actions and grieyous dis
obedience to the commands of God
we have the record that the Lord
specifically commanded Aaron and
MS other sons that they should re-
Irain from following after strong
drink.
| What God expected OF Aaron as a
priest He expects OF every one of US
as His children, especially of those
or us who are sealed to Him in the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ. For, as the
Proverb says, wine ig a mocker. -
IL Is sign not of mars sense but
OF his lack of 1t when he fools with
liquor. IL not only makes fools OF
| men but 1t makes beasts of them.
IL not only makes monkeys of them.
! but 1t also makes raging, vicious
brutes Of them. 1t is a delusion and
a. snare.
II it was a good thing for Aaron
and his sons to let the sort of wine
they used In their day alone. It ia
| certainly wise that we should let the
stun that is sold to-day alone. II
the wine of Israel could make idiots
of the priests of the tabernacle no
man can accurately predict what the
alcoholic drinks of to-day will do
with men. For the likelihood Is that
the wine of that primitive time as
used by the PRIESTHOOD was as good
as can be procured. But the vile
stun that is sold to-day is generally
as bad as can be. procured. The aver
age man to-day when lie does buy
wine, Or beer. or liquors of any sort
cannot even be certain that he ID
purchasing what he wants. Much of
the; alcoholic drinks that are served
to- the public to-day is poison fiaunt-
ing itself under the black flag of sub
terfiIge.
But whether they be pure or pois-
onous alcoholic beverages had best
be left alone. No man can afford to
fool with them. We see daily in
stances of the folly of even strong.
Intelligent, moral men tampering
with liquor. 1t is as sensible to tam
per with liquor as it is to tease rat
tlesnake. Statistics will never record
the number Of the bright, indus.
trious,. brainy. useful men who tam
pered with liquor and met defeat.
God alone knows the awful list OF
those who have gone down into the.
drunkard's grave because they felt
competent to curb and control about
as fierce monster as ever mastered
man. Alcohol as a beverage is a.
fraud. 1t is even questionable
whether 1T is useful as a medicine.
For its chief medicinal value is as a.
preservative and solvent. Its nutri-
tive value is SO negligible as to be,
easily dispensed with, and as easily
replaced AS a stimulant II Is a
sham For its retroactive properties
are too thoroughly pronounced.
There is nothing whatever to be-
gained by the use of alcohol as a
beverage. First of all 1t is an un-
natural requirement. Water Is the
natural beverage. Water slakes and
satisfies the thirst. Alcohol i'm
tensifies and excites the thirst. It
creates an abnormal desire. 1t is un-
satisfying. Secondly. alcohol Is ex-
pensive. None of us though he have
the riches of Rockefeller Is rich
enough to spend dollar on alcohol
ic drinks. And the poorer we are the
more we need the money for valid
necessities. The man who has money
to spend on drinks had better spend
the money on his family, charity, or
himself. For practically all the
money spent on liquor is an econom-
lc loss. Alcohol as a beverage takes
the money of the drinker without af-
fording society commensurate re-
turn. In the measure that its return
Is incommensurate II Is an economic
loss. Thirdly, alcohol as a beverage
IS dangerous. 1t is the hand maiden
Of hell. It is the deyif's hangman.
The strange thing is that, while
-he Church of Jesus Christ and the
courts OF the land recognize that the
beverage liquor traffic ia at the
source of the vilest and most hope
ess miseries of this country to-day.
he church takes no more decided
md defiant and aggressive attitude
against 1t than she does and the
courts of the land permit 1t to exist
n open defiance of the unconstitu-
fonal guarantees to the public at
arge of undisturhed and equal op-
sortunity TO pursue a peaceful exis-
ence in liberty and happiness before
he law. The strange thing is that
Is so unpopular even In the church
o arraign the citizenship that PAL
iates and endorses and permits the
aloon to exist for q confederation
wen the Christian citizenship of
america. The strange thing is that
he courts permit such a business to
xist. For every child of a drunken
ather is denied the elemental oppor-
unity for wholesome life, liberty and
appiness that makes us equal be-
ore the law. Every child born out
f drunken wedlock is handicapped
Inevitably in the race of life. Every
'eak willed sot Is aided on towards
Misery and sorrow by the consent OF
he State. Every mother in a half
home, deprived OF the nec-
ssartes OF life, Is a standing argu.
lent for the Intervention of the
hurch and State. You can't make
len moral by law, to be sure. But
GU can remove the legalized invita-
lon and suggestion to immortality,
y law, That Is duty of the church,
nd of the State.
An Immense Telescope.
John D. Hooker. OF Los Angeles.